were. This was genius, whose art could enchant and enrapture now just as
readily as it had four thousand years ago. involuntarily, They moved
forward slowly, almost down the arcade. It was lined on each side with
small ntal bazaar. The entrance chambers, like the stalls in an orie
ched up to the to each was guarded by tall columns that rea roof. Each
column was a carved statue of one member of the pantheon of gods.
Between them they held the high vaulted ceiling suspended.
As they drew level with the first two stalls, Nicholas stopped and
squeezed her arm.
'The treasure chambers of Pharaoh he whispered.
The stalls were packed from floor to ceiling with wonderful and
beautiful things.
'The furniture store.' Royan's voice was as reverential as his as she
recognized the shapes of chairs and stools and beds and divans. She went
to the nearest chamber and touched a royal throne. The arms were twining
serpents of bronze and lapis lazuli. The legs were those of lions with
claws of gold. The seat and back were chased with scenes of the hunt,
and wings of gold surmounted the high back.
Stacked behind the throne was a great Profusion of other furniture. They
recognized a screened divan, its sides enclosed in an exquisite lacework
of ebony and ivory. But there were dozens of other items besides, most
of them broken down into their separate Parts so that it was not
possible to guess what they were. They gleamed with precious metals and
coloured stones in such confusion and variety that it was too much to
take in in a single glance.
Both the alcoves on either side of the arcade were stuffed with these
marvelous collections. Royan shook her head in wonder, and Nicholas led
her on. The walls that separated the alcoves were decorated with panels
illustrate in the Book of the Dead, and the journey of Pharaoh through
the pylons, the dangers and the trials, the demons and the monsters that
awaited him along the way.
'These are the paintings that were missing from the mock tomb in the
long gallery,' Royan told him. 'But just look upon the face of the king,
You can see he was a real person. Those are perfect royal portraits.'
The mural beside them depicted the great god Osiris leading Pharaoh by
the hand, protecting him from the crowded close on either hand, waiting
thei monsters that showed the face of the king as he chance to devour
him. I with a kind and gentle, if must truly have been, a man rather
weak, face.
'Look at the figures,' Nicholas agreed. 'They are not forward with the
right stiff wooden dolls always stepping foot. These are real men and
women. They are anatomic and had cally correct. The artist understood
perspectiv studied the human body.'
They came to the next pair of alcoves, and paused to peer into them.
'Weapons,' said Nicholas. just look at that chariot The panels of the
chariot were covered with a skin of old leaf, so that it dazzled the
eye. The harness and traces the horses that would draw it into seemed
only to await and the quivers strapped to the side panels behind battle,
elins. The each tall wheel bulged with arrows and jav was emblazoned on
the side panels.
