Chapter five
I was standing on the bank of the Great river, Ra was starting to descend and I was watching the water flow by.
It suddenly occurred to me that this was a dream and I snapped awake, only I was still in my dream. I was amazed, it was as if I was back at my village but at the same time knew I was still fast asleep.
A thought popped into my head and I turned quickly to see if the River Master was hiding in the bushes waiting to jump at me. He was.
“I see you fearsome beast, but you cannot hurt me for this is but a dream.”
The River Master slowly walked out of his hiding spot and stared at me.
“I see you have mastered the dream world little tasty one,” the master said.
“You can talk?” I said stunned.
“Yes of course, why don’t you come closer so I can hear you better.”
I held my ground but watched him closely.
“What is your name?” I asked.
“You don’t know? You always put a bit of honey in my meals.”
Honey? I thought back wondering what he meant, then it came to me, I used to put a bit of honey on the family sacrifice to Sobek in the hope he would try a bit harder to keep me safe.
“You’re Sobek?”
“Of course little one, who else would I be?”
“You tried to eat me!”
“You kept you’re eyes open after that didn’t you my toothsome appetizer.”
“You were just scaring me?’
“You will never know, and that is why you will always be on your guard.”
“Why don’t you eat me now?”
“It’s just a dream, right?” Sobek lunged at me.
I awoke on my sleeping mat but not before I heard him say, “I have big plans for you my little morsel.”
I fell back asleep almost immediately and slept until morning.
The next day I told Danel about my meeting with Sobek in my dream.
“So you can sleep now?”
“Yes, but what of Sobek?” I asked.
“I don’t know Kem, these are your dreams, by the way do you know what the matter with Isis is? She being pretty belligerent lately, even for her.”
I thought for a moment.
“Um…she said that she’s had enough of you, and um… that if you even try to see her alone in your office you’ll be sorry.”
Danel frowned.
“She’s incorrigible. I don’t like singling people out but this has to stop. I have no choice now but to talk with her in private.”
After I had finished for the day and Danel had let me go I ran as fast as I could back to my quarters to find Isis.
I found her sitting in the hallway staring at one of the temples statues. I told her what I had just done.
“What! Why?” she gasped.
“This is your big chance Isis, just sit on his lap and kiss him. No man is going to say no to you.”
“Are you sure?” she said hesitantly.
“Isis I’m sure, even if I wasn’t sure you can’t spend the rest of your life like this.”
It wasn’t long before Danel showed up, he looked at me suspiciously but I could tell he had no inkling of what I had done.
“Isis come with me now,” he said in a stern voice.
Isis gave him an arrogant and indifferent expression, and then took an exceptionally long time to stand up. She followed him back to his office.
I didn’t see Isis again until the next morning, she wasn’t melancholy anymore.
“That’s the end of the papyrus, I’ll get the next one,” Charlie said.
“Wait, so there really is a crocodile god?” Shelley said.
“I think she was just having a lucid dream.”
“I would have believed that before I found out magic was real,” Mohammad said.
Charlie thought for a moment,”Ya I guess you got a point there.”
“I’d sure like to read all those shards with her dreams written on them,” Shelley said.
Charlie got up and walked back to the cedar building, he put the papyrus back on the shelf and picked up the next one. It felt slightly heavier the previous one. Charlie looked down one end of the tube and saw something blocking it.
He unrolled the papyrus to see what it was, it was a small beautiful sculpted statuette with the body of a man and the head of a crocodile. The base had a name in hieroglyphics carved into it, it said Sobek.
Charlie brought the papyrus and statue back to the beach with him, he tossed the statue to Mohammad when he re-joined the other two.
“What do you think,” he asked.
“Looks pre-dynastic, better quality then what usually comes from that era.”
“She talked about the King of Lunu, Egypt was a bunch of loosely connected city states before it was unified.”
“How long ago was that?” Shelley asked.
“Six thousand plus years,” Charlie said.
“Wow.”
Shelley grabbed the statue from Mohammad and examined it closely.
“Do you think it’s magical?” she said.
“Don’t say her name around it!” Charlie and Mohammad said in unison.
“I wonder if that’s where the whole don’t say the name of a god etcetera came from, people inadvertently setting off magical spells,” Shelley said.
“Makes sense,” Mohammad said.
“Let’s start reading again, put the statue a good distance away just in case,” said Charlie.
Shelley walked over to the stone grill and put the statue on one of the corners, she turned the crocodile head so that it was looking at Mohammad and Charlie.
Charlie rolled out the papyrus and weighted down the corners as Shelley walked back to their group.
“Here goes,” he said as she sat down on the sand.
The time of one of the great festivals had come. The temple was a flurry of activity as the dancers and priests prepared to perform the creation ceremony.
What surprised me was the huge amount of work required for all the people who just prepared the show.
I was assisting the temple magician to prepare all the magical effects to amaze and humble the citizens of Lunu.
I was pretty disappointed when I found out the magic consisted of hidden trapdoors and cleverly concealed pockets and devices. It did however teach me a valuable lesson, my reality consisted of just what I could see and what I believed.
I had been awe struck as a young child when I had seen my first magician, he had made objects appear and disappear at will, and he had read the minds of numerous members of the crowd watching him.
The temple magician had now shown me how these tricks had been done, but not before he swore me to secrecy.
“Do you want me to swear to Sobek,” I had asked.
“No I’ll just strangle you if you say anything, this is how I make my living young Kem.”
I can honestly say this experience taught me the first lessons on how to be a real sorcerer.
The performances went quite well, Isis was the most prominent dancer, she bounded, leapt and twirled in a flimsy translucent costume. The expression on her face was one of unbounded joy.
The audience stared at her intently, mesmerized by her beauty and grace. I even heard shouts of “Isis! Isis!” when she finished her performance.
It had been almost a year since I had arrived at the temple, I still missed my family desperately but I had started to feel a comfortableness here even occasional happiness.
Danel had given me some of his work to do, I wrote contracts and messages for the temple priests.
I spent many hours talking and laughing with Isis and the other women who shared our living quarters.
So it was a shock when I was shook awake early one morning by one of the temple priests.
“Two men are here for you, ftch your things you have to go,” he said.
I felt panic rise in my stomach, had hippo face found out about me?
I woke up Isis
and said a tearful goodbye.
“Don’t worry Kem, it’s probably nothing but I’ll talk to my parents just in case,” she said.
I grabbed my writing kit and the few clothes I had and followed the priest to the temples main doors. The door was opened and I was gently pushed outside. I saw the two servants that had led me here a year ago.
“Hello pretty one are you ready for your journey?”
“Yes… what has happened? Has Ahmes wife found out about me?”
They both laughed.
“You haven’t heard I guess, she was eaten by a crocodile, Ahmes is a widower now.”
“Really? How?”
“It was a huge motherfucker, jumped right out of the river while she was on her boat.”
“Wait… I may not be an archaeologist, but there is no way they said motherfucker six thousand years ago,” Shelley said.
“I know, but I’ve never seen this word before and I think that’s what she meant,” Charlie replied.
“Oh.”
“Ya she didn’t even have time to scream before it dragged her under, we didn’t even find a scrap of clothing,” the other one continued.
“So what happens now?’
“You’re going to be a servant in Ahmes house, you’re going to look after his bedroom.”
They both smiled.
I could see the meaning hidden in his remark. Ahmes would finally be able to satisfy his lust for me.
It was along walk to Ahmes house, he lived near the king’s palace in a large walled section of the city. We had to pass a guarded gate to get into the area, all the houses were large and opulent with landscaped yards.
Ahmes house was not the largest but it looked massive to someone who had grown up in a three room dwelling.
The servants handed me off to what I assumed was the head servant, she was a kindly looking old woman.
“We must get you cleaned up before our master returns,” she said.
There were four servants in the house, they were all old and wore very thick and uncomfortable looking clothes.
I felt like a slain animal being butchered by a group of starving men in their hands. They scrubbed and washed me then they pulled and yanked my hair forming it into what I guessed was the latest style.
I was then told to sit perfectly still while they painted my eyes and lips, finally I was squeezed into a dress so tight it was a struggle to breathe.
They had me stand and turn slowly while they eyed me like a merchant looking at a cow he was thinking of purchasing. They would then dart in and smooth a wrinkle in my dress or touch up the paint on my face.
When they were satisfied they led me to a large bronze mirror, I looked at my reflection and could not believe that it was me looking back. I saw a complete stranger, it was someone who would have easily fit into any noble entourage.
They gave me a large cup of wine to sip and told me to wait in the receiving room for my master to return for his noon day meal.
I was thankful for the wine as I waited, I was tremendously nervous I had had almost no contact with the man who would now be my lover.
I had decided not to fight this thing that had happened to me, I could see no good outcome from resisting someone so much more powerful than me.
I would play the demure concubine and wait for my opportunity, whatever that would be, to escape.
Ahmes walked through the door after I had finished the wine, he stared when he saw me making no effort to conceal his desire.
He sat beside me putting his hand on my leg.
“You’re even more beautiful than when I first seen you.”
I smiled slightly trying not to show my distaste. He couldn’t control himself, he threw himself onto me groping my body as he forced his mouth against mine.
He carried me to what was now our bedroom, he threw me onto the bed and roughly tore off my dress.
Sadly unlike most of the other girls in the temple I really was a virgin. I had only a vague idea of what was required of me. I prepared for the pain all the other girls had told me I would feel the first time.
Surprisingly I felt almost nothing, and it seemed to be over much more quickly than I expected.
Ahmes rolled over onto his back and I understood why, he had not been endowed with the stamina or the mighty stave the men my former roommates had had during their first experience.
A thought crossed my mind as I looked at Ahmes sleeping next to me, maybe I hadn’t been the only virgin.
Strangely a feeling of unfulfillment disturbed my relief at getting the experience over with.
I started thinking of the two servants that had brought me here, I wondered where they lived. They both had such powerful arms, and how had they gotten the jagged scars on their faces.
I felt myself drifting to sleep. Are they married?
“I see you’ve returned to the dream world tasty one.”
I looked at Sobek sunning himself on the river shore next to me.
“Did you eat her?” I asked.
Sobek started making a weird snuffling sound, which I assumed was a crocodile laugh.
“You must not ask me these things.”
“If we must meet like this can’t you turn into something else, I don’t feel safe next to a crocodile.”
A golden flash of light engulfed Sobek, when the light subsided a tall beautiful man stood in his place.
“Is this better tasty one?”
He walked behind me and grabbed my shoulders, I felt a thrill of desire run through my body.
Sobek lightly nibbled my neck.
“So tender, so succulent, your soft young bones would provide just the right amount of crunch,” he whispered.
I pushed him away.
“Don’t you ever stop thinking about eating me!” I yelled.
“I’m a crocodile tasty one, that’s what crocodiles do. If you want something else you will have to find another way to satiate yourself.”
I woke up.
I felt different, a fire of desire had been lit inside me. I realized now I had been suppressing my sexuality and Ahmes hurried and fumbling performance had uncorked it.
What was I to do?
“That’s the end of the papyrus,” Charlie said.
“I guess nothing ever changes,” Shelley said.
“What do you mean?” replied Mohammad.
“I had a friend that married some old geezer for money and no matter how hard she tried she just couldn’t resist whatever man candy came walking by. It was too bad, the old geezer was kinda nice.”
“You know what’s odd, she’s this powerful sorcerer yet the only magic she has talked about was performed by a normal magician,” Charlie said.
“Ya, in all the books I’ve read about wizards and sorcerer’s there’s always some kind of apprenticeship,” Shelley replied.
“It’s going to be dark soon, let’s cook some more food and go to bed.”
They all stood up and brushed the sand off their legs. Charlie rolled up the papyrus and headed back to the cedar building. Shelley and Mohammad walked back to the stone grill.
Shelley picked up the statue of Sobek sitting on the grill and studied it again.
“Who are you?” she murmured under her breath.
“Just a hungry crocodile.”
Shelley yelped in shock and dropped the statue in the sand.
“Did you hear that?!” she blurted out to Mohammad.
“Hear what?” Mohammad replied.
“The statue, it spoke.”
“What did it say?”
Shelley repeated the brief conversation.
“Let’s put it back in the building, I’ve had enough magic for one day.”
Shelley walked back to the building, she met Charlie coming out and gave the statue to him explaining what had just happened.
Charlie put the statue on a vacant spot on one of the shelves and walked back outside.
They cooked what was left of the food ate it and then went to bed. Th
ey made sure the door was barred shut before they slept.
Shelley was the first to wake up in the morning. She quietly unbarred the door and walked out onto the beautiful beach. The sun was still on the horizon.
“She didn’t move us this time,” she thought
All the foot prints they had left on the beach the day before were gone, she looked over at the stone grill, it was completely clean and all the clay pots and jars looked as if they had been refilled.
She also saw what looked like a large group of rectangular arches about a hundred feet past the grill. The sun had not left the horizon yet so the light was still bright enough to see clearly.
She heard one of the men wake up and start dressing.
“What do you see?” Charlie asked.
“There’s something new on the beach.”
Their voices woke up Mohammad, he sat up and rubbed his eyes.
“Stay together, remember,” he said.
They waited until Mohammad was completely dressed then they left the building together and walked towards the stone arches.
The sun was higher now and Shelley could make out the arches more clearly, she could see the shapes of people in them.
“They’re people!”
They walked faster until they stood in front of the first arch. There was a very exotic looking very young Ancient Egyptian woman standing in it. She wasn’t moving.
Shelley tried to touch her but was stopped by the same type of force that stopped her from touching Kemamonit in her sarcophagus.
“There’s a name in hieroglyphics,” Mohammad pointed at the top of the arch, “It says Isis.”
Charlie walked over to another arch, “This is Ahmes.”
Shelley walked over and stood beside Charlie, she saw a slightly pudgy man with beady eyes, he looked to be about thirty five years old.
Danel was there as well, he had a lighter complexion then the others, and looked almost European. Shelley could see the attraction Isis had had to him, he projected a quiet strength and had a kind face.
“These must be her version of photographs,” Mohammad said.
There were also two large men in the arches, the names were not familiar but Shelley noticed their powerfully muscled forearms and scarred faces.
They looked like experienced foot soldiers.
“I guess we know who they are,” Charlie said behind her.
The final arch showed an overweight middle aged woman wearing more makeup then the typical clown.
“Sobek’s lunch, Ahmes departed wife” Shelley said.
The reverse side of each arch was solid stone. They seemed to have been carved from a solid block of limestone. They could also see a small part of the environment each person was standing in, part of Danel’s desk was visible covered in papyri and reed styluses.
They walked back to the grill and looked into the clay pots and jars, there was a different variety of food in them. There were different types of red meat, eggs and a jar full of inch square dark pieces of what looked like fudge.
Shelley took one out and tasted it.
“Well I know how she got Pepi to operate her spell thingy. Its honey mixed with chocolate. This must have been like heroin to child of antiquity.”
“So she’s been to South America as well,” Charlie said.
“No surprise there, I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s been to Mars,” Mohammad said.
Charlie and Shelley helped Mohammad cook breakfast for them, he made sure everything was extremely welled cooked.
They sat and watched the ocean in silence as they ate. Charlie was the first to finish, he washed his hands in the small waterfall drying them on his pants. He then walked into the building and took the next papyrus off the shelf then walked back to the other two.
“I don’t know about you two, but I’m starting to get home sick. Let’s get this over with.”
Charlie rolled out the papyrus and started reading.