Clasping her mitted hands, the young princess whirled around, almost angrily. “Could you insult our kindness?” she asked. “The count did inform us of your undisciplined mouth. Do guard your words to us.” At that point, Bunefer stayed in her spot as if she had detached herself from any emotion and now contemplated a gentle breeze. She began to hum a little song of praise, then closed the afternoon walk and talk after some time by restating in almost annoyed tones that His Highness was very much in control of his manly urges and entirely beloved of her. He didn’t need the variety of female flesh as some in her extended family needed it. The purpose of another concubine was simply a practical one.
Ariennu knew that the princess referred to the outrageously beautiful “grandson” who had been at the high priest’s house. Lucky Deka, she thought for a moment, and then reconsidered. No. Unlucky for her and quite possibly deadly for the fool if he mistreats her or comes to deceive her before she is finished with him.
With such a tense first meeting, Ari knew her tenure in this palace was going to end in days, not the usual three months needed to know of a pregnancy. The young woman was, as a prophetess and co-high-priestess, chosen for her position by breeding and sensitivity. Ari believed, even with the help of her Child Stone, she would not be able to maintain an illusion of youth and fertility for long. If she slept, Ari knew the princess or one of her servants from the temple could “read” her truth by touching her. That thought threatened to suck all of the joy out of the thought of lying with Shepseskaf, the crown prince. At that moment, Ari feigned weariness and begged to retire for a before-dinner nap.
In the evening of the second day, after an excellent dinner and plenty of spiced palm-heart wine, the princess danced and sang for her beloved, inviting Ariennu to join in the dance with her. Bunefer’s song was sweet and joyous; it affirmed her young womanhood and glad heart. She sang of praise and gratitude for the goddess, and of the goddess’ great love for her wonderful king.
Ariennu paled a little. She had danced as a girl, and knew the so-called “good-health” salutations to goddess Malidthu for a good birth. These dances involved dipping, swaying, waving and turning, but nothing as rhythmic or ritualized as the princess’ dance. The dances were supposed to be inspired by love of the goddess and the desire to birth a healthy child, but Ariennu wasn’t feeling inspired this evening. She really never paid much attention to gods or goddesses except to use their names in vile oaths. She needed the evening to wind down quickly, and for the prince to get up and whisk her away to his bedchamber so she might make a respectable impression on him in the ways she already knew. Ari hoped the prince would enjoy her enough by the time the princess discovered her illusion that he would ask her for a show of mercy.
Instead, the evening wore on. Ariennu danced for the prince, but when she danced she thought of dancing for other men, or for Marai in the first days of the journey when it was part of her teasing him mercilessly. The prince and his wife stared at her overtly sensual moves, polite black eyes shining in studied civility. Frustrated that her thoughts had wandered and that her steps had lacked enthusiasm, Ari shrugged her shoulders and slumped at the table again.
Princess Bunefer danced a short dance after that, then stopped, whispered to her beloved a sweet good night blessing and a prayer for fertility, and left the dining area.
The prince slid over to the spot at the dining couch where Ariennu reclined and put his arm around her. “Feeling any better today?” he asked.
“Some, Your Highness, but my heart is still quite heavy,” Ari paused to reflect on Marai for a while. All of the fragile composure she had woven over herself today was about to vanish as she envisioned the sojourner’s shining black eyes that flashed silver light, and that self-assured, wicked-but-crafty-and-teasing smile. Watching me do this, silly bastard, you. You had to go and get yourself killed, didn’t you? her thoughts echoed. Suddenly, she felt the rolling, desperate prayer of a man who sounded as if he was in fervent torment.
Shu lifts me up,
the Souls of On set up a stairway for me in order to reach the Above,
and Nut puts her hand on me
just as she did for Asar on the day when he died
The words grew thin, fading into nothingness.
Marai’s ghost, she paused, almost gasping in horror. His soul is in torment in the underworld, but he sounds so alive… so… she turned to the prince, trying not to think of the man who had brought her from her own nothingness eons ago.
“I know,” her voice caught, “what you’ve been told about him was that he was bad; evil, but Marai was our savior. I was dying when he found me, and he healed me. It just seems so wrong that he’s really gone,” she shut her eyes, hoping a tear wouldn’t form.
“I hope I might lighten that heavy heart then,” he suggested, helping her rise from the now vacant table.
Instantly, servants sprang into action behind them, tidying and cleaning despite the late hour. Servants were always in attendance, both day and night, she noticed. Ariennu assumed some must have even slept in the day so they would be ready to attend, feed, clean, and fan any member of the nobility or visiting guests through the long, hot nights here.
Privacy didn’t exist at all in the house. Someone had always been watching her for the short time she had been there. Even as Prince Shepseskaf guided Ariennu up a strangely narrow stairway to his bedchamber, she saw servants still casting a casual eye in her direction as they cleaned the dining area.
All she had remembered while sitting next to the sleeping man made Ariennu’s head ache. Their walk up the stairs had only been hours ago, and now the prince was finally asleep.
Ariennu clearly knew what she had to do now; the servants had been clear in instructing her. As soon as the prince slept and as soon as she caught her breath, she was to get up and follow the servant who had been waiting outside the bedchamber back to the women’s area. There, she would wash and go to sleep, speaking to no one of anything that had taken place between them. Her time thinking of her past as she held him had filled this need. She threw a shawl over her shoulders and wrapped her flowing dance skirt around her hips. At once, she exited the prince’s bedchamber without even looking back into the room to see how he slept. As silently as possible, she tiptoed with the servant, to the women’s quarters.
On her way back, she caught herself wondering how the evening and these last two days had gone for Deka, and who had chosen Naibe. It had seemed to her that, at the same time she was being spirited away by the prince, the king was going to choose the youngest woman. So far in these two days, despite the constant chatter of royal gossip from the various maids, she had heard nothing of either woman.
Nodding quietly to the maidservants and attendants after she quickly bathed, she whispered she really needed to be alone with her thoughts. When they had returned to their own chambers for the evening and she was certain they would no longer be checking on her, Ariennu dug into her basket of things and found the small satchel of eight stones she had hidden under a false bottom she’d created by making a woven reed plate the width of the basket.
Sneakily, she made her way up to the second level of the women’s area to a wide upper porch outside Princess Bunefer’s room. Checking to see if the young princess and her attendants were asleep, she used her illusion of secrecy then crept out to the wide stone rail that bordered the upper walk.
The night air was cooler now, especially on this higher floor. Curious about her sister-wives, Ari considered trying to see them through the eight stones. She had never used the Children of Stone for seeing things the way Marai had used them. He hadn’t even used them as farseeing devices on a regular basis. Do I dare? she wondered. She deepened her illusion of secrecy to include things she was handling and spilled the stones out in her hand. Almost instantly, their light began to come up. She placed them in the shape of Inanna’s eight-pointed star formation on the rail. They purred, their gentle vibrating sound blurring and soothing all of the thoughts of
the miserable last three days.
Be at Peace…
The voice in her thoughts spoke with a man’s voice that wasn’t familiar to her. More gentle and almost childlike voices joined as if each stone had a voice
Know you are loved and that you will always find love.
What? her silent thoughts scoffed. This prince here? Oh, I don’t think so. She wanted them to tell her about the others. Hoping she was doing this the right way, she pushed a thought towards the stones. Deka and Naibe… They are safe, aren’t they?
Bodies are safe,
The will intrigued.
The voices whispered as an image formed in the middle of the stone circle.
In the image, Ariennu saw Naibe sleeping peacefully and still clutching the long red sash she had embroidered with the golden bulls.
That’s nice, she thought. Someone must have seen to it that the sash stayed with her, Ari saw the young woman lying on a frame bed in a small private room. The room wasn’t open and airy. A man in an evening drape was sitting on a stool by that bed, watching her carefully. Before Ariennu could clear her thoughts enough to recognize the man, a woman came to the door to beckon to him. He stood and embraced the woman.
The inspector priest, Ariennu shrugged, wondering how Naibe-Ellit had come to this man when he had said he would not be choosing a woman and when the king had seemed to have at least a passing interest in her. At least she isn’t hurt, but I don’t think he’d be thorny enough to hurt her either. Ariennu watched for a while. Wondering if she would be able to control the vision, she drew a deep breath and wished: Another thing, just so I can know. One scene faded into faceted shimmers as another group of images emerged. The inspector was speaking to the woman:
“The others found families to take them in. One is with Prince Shepseskaf’s house, the other with Maatkare. I had hoped his Majesty would have taken this one, but she was in no shape for his Holy House. He asked me to see if you could help her mend her heart.”
Other things were said which Ari didn’t understand, and then the woman spoke again:
“If he has asked it, then I am honored, Wse…You know that. The guest room can be hers, for now. When she is better she will sleep with my maids.”
Ariennu’s thoughts calmed. Naibe is cared for at least, but how long will that last? And Deka? What of her? Ariennu, like a mother who worries over the fate of her daughter with a new husband, asked the Children of Stone. Will her pretty prince do right by her?
The images shifting at Ariennu’s questions, they did not come through clearly at first. Faintly, she heard a woman’s voice screeching and cursing in the distance:
“You bastard! You dare insult the mother of your children again? You bring your monkey-girls into the same bed you ask me to lie in? Answer me! Am I still nothing more than one of them to you? After all we’ve been through? I hate you! I hate everything about you!”
Ariennu frowned. Was that his wife? If so, she wryly snickered, Deka will certainly have a rougher time than I’m having here with all of them watching every time I go to the privy day or night.
Next, an image of the pretty young general who had drawn such a rage from the screaming woman formed in the light emitted by the rays crossed upward from the Children of Stone. He was naked, his back turned to her vision.
Ari felt the corner of her mouth twitch in admiration. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh… look at that… Her eyes traced the line of his muscular buttocks, then around to the front. Oh goddess, have mercy on me! Bet she doesn’t hate that…
You know…
Ariennu suddenly felt a growling, almost dog-like human voice bark back at her.
I can tell someone is looking into my world. If you like, you can stay and get you spirit’s eye full of me. Enjoy the view, but don’t bother me while I work on this one, or I will have to bind you.
Ariennu’s eyes bugged slightly at this and she hastily scooped up the stones, ending the farseeing. Gods, he can sense me right through all of my illusions and from how far away? What is he? Almost embarrassed, she quickly ended her nighttime sojourn and hurried down to her bed in the women’s area. Tucking the bag under the false bottom in her basket, she flopped onto her bed and lay contemplating what she had seen as she tossed, turned, and tried once again to find some sleep before morning.
PART TWO: LOOKING BACK
CHAPTER 12: GOING FORTH
A monster is coming for me. He’s hidden in the dark. The sojourner’s thoughts repeated. The terror was real and fresh each time, but the monster never arrived. Sometimes Marai sensed he sat outside the tight, almost airless box, when he knew he was inside it. No air. Can’t breathe Visions can’t be trusted now.
The image of Deka transformed into a harpy that shrieked and flew straight through his heart. She had become the benu of flaming plumage. Human again, she cowered at his feet, but the moment he looked away, she snarled and leapt at him full of hatred. The dagger she brandished never found its mark. He was a god in that dream, but the image of that godhood had grown out of the memory of his sweet coupling with Naibe. The dream of her shifted. Her face changed constantly into faces he didn’t know. Women worshipped him and offered their bodies to him, eager to steal his precious seed so they could fashion demi-gods and heroes in their bellies.
Again and again, he saw this take place. Each time it was with different women in other places and times. Through each journey he came to realize he was dreaming, lying trapped in the stone box somewhere. He would emerge, renewed, seeking love and receiving only strife. The box became his pod from the ship of the Children of Stone. Sometimes it flew end over end, tumbling and turning. After a while, he moved on to other lands, living whole lives in those places. He never had the chance to stay in one place long enough to see the outcome of the children he fathered. He was always expelled or had to return to the safety of solitude over some foolish misunderstanding. Abandoned, the women eventually blamed him, claiming he had raped them… seduced and deserted them. Legends grew up about him possessing a certain lack of empathy. It wasn’t right and it certainly wasn’t true. If that was going to be the empty future the Children of Stone had planned, he wanted to never wake.
Love. He had loved them, he felt of these envisioned future wives. He loved them just as he had loved his wives of the wilderness once. This new fiction was a lie. A lie repeated soon becomes the only truth available. When something, even a lie, becomes truth, there are no further questions. I cannot let this ever be the truth! he told himself.
Where are my wives, if these women come to me at all? Have they not survived? I can’t accept it. I just want to be a man of peace, maybe head of a clan. I don’t want to be a god. I don’t even want to be a mighty warrior who starts or leads uprisings and reaps the golden glory only to retreat to some holy mountain like El or the Bull of the Sky when it is done.
The kingdoms he knew and did not know rose and fell a thousand times in his future-vision. Ineb Hedj was gone and lost in the dust. The years fanned out, overlapping as if he had become a pebble in the center of a pool, but was still able to see though all of the ripples at once. Those unheard-of places and lands winked their crystal spires at the heavens. Their citizens reveled in the self-assured pride that they were indestructible. They, too, sank beneath sand or wave, forgotten; ravaged by war, disaster, and starvation.
All time pulsed like a heartbeat. Nothing ever changed, whether he became a god in each land or not. He saw all of the possibilities at once and grew immeasurably sad. Why am I even here? he asked himself over and over.
Observe and know.
The quiet whisper of blended voices from his Child-Stone answered.
Then, tell us.
Marai finally saw Ariennu, Deka, and Naibe, but now they were made of stone. They had become the footers of an ancient monument in a green, green land that was, over time, also consigned to dust and tumbleweed.
Something’s wrong, he thought. The Children’s voices, always peaceful and detached, had become vague and
distracted.
Free yourself of that which has become evil.
Their voices emerged from an increasing crackly distortion.
You are strong enough.
Wait. The unlocking. His own thoughts suddenly burst through the confused fog. Almost immediately, he understood that truth and wisdom were never something to seek. Nothing had ever been locked inside his heart for others to open with some magic formula as Hordjedtef would have had him believe. Truth had only been hidden.
I know… I am a god,
who is ever and is never a god.
I make them into god and goddess
who come through me.
I am the messenger,
the ever born,
the earthly witness,
the gatherer of the sane who live as madmen.
I am the kingmaker today.
the victim tomorrow.
I reveal the Hidden
I am the key, but I fail.
Oh goddess mine, save me,
I don’t want to do this.
I never did.
I just wanted to know love
your sweet love
and to give it back to you again.
The passage of time had finished its parade. He had risen as the sun in splendor. The monster he had sensed waiting for him fled in horror of his brilliance while he watched his glorious body in the distance below. It self-immolated; then burned to ashes.
Going Forth By Day Page 14
