I tried to explain how the scenes were often false, created by artists who work on the computer, but he shushed me and kept watching. I nodded off during the third film and woke up near the end. “Did you like it?” I asked.
Not answering my question, he began asking his own. “Why do your people view Egypt in this way? I am made out to be a monster when my role is to save mankind from darkness. I am not evil, Lily.”
I took his hand and said, “I know that.”
“This is why you were frightened of me in the House of Muses? You thought I would consume your flesh and split your spirit self from your physical body, or cause a plague to rain down upon you?”
“Not…exactly. But I was afraid, yes.”
Amon sat back in his seat and mumbled, “The ancients were not fearful of our rising. They anticipated our awakening. Garlands were draped round our necks. We were treated as gods, princes. They offered us their love and devotion. Now we are shunned, feared, made into creatures of death and stench.
“We are at best forgotten, at worst vindictive demons. We are unknown. Unworthy. Unloved. Perhaps we are meant to waste away to nothing, to truly become the relics we are, and give ourselves over to dust and decay.”
The emotions Amon was feeling—despair, loneliness—came at me in waves and I couldn’t help but respond.
“Amon.” I cupped his hand in mine and said quietly, “I know you haven’t risen in ideal circumstances, and you’re right that your…kind hasn’t been thought of by the masses as heroes, but that doesn’t diminish what you are, who you are, or what your purpose might be. Even though the people you’ve met don’t know you, they sense something special and they gravitate toward you. Look at these flight attendants! They might not recognize you as a prince, but they still fall all over themselves worshipping you. It’s like they can’t resist. Your warmth draws them to you.”
My words made an impact. I sensed it in him as he considered what I said. Little by little, his dark thoughts dissipated, and it wasn’t long before he gifted me with a chagrined smile.
“Lily, are you perhaps a goddess residing in a modern form? You have the wisdom of one.”
I scoffed, “I’m no goddess, believe me. I’m just a good observer of people.”
“You observe, but you do not interact?”
“As a rule, no. I try not to interfere or get involved with other people’s lives.”
“Why not?”
“I suppose it would ruin the mystery.”
“For me there is nothing of the mysterious. When I focus on a person I can perceive their thoughts.”
“So you can read everyone’s mind, not just mine?” I asked.
“I have been gifted with the Eye of Horus.”
“Who exactly is Horus, and what does his eye have to do with anything?” I asked, glancing around nervously and lowering my voice.
“Do not worry, Lily. Most of the people around us are asleep, and if I wish it, they cannot hear us. I can…disrupt their hearing.”
“Like with your photo?”
“Yes. It is the same. They will know we are talking, but they will not understand us.” He concentrated for a moment and then said, “It is done.”
The dark plane coupled with the fact that no one could hear us made me feel like I was trapped in an intimate little bubble with Amon, and I found I liked the feeling. “Okay, so tell me about Horus.”
Amon’s smile flashed in the dark. “Are you not tired, Lily?”
“Exhausted, but I really want to hear this.”
“Very well.” Amon paused for a moment, and then began. “Horus is the son of Amun-Ra. He was called the Golden Sun; whereas his father was the Risen Sun, Horus was the light that broke forth over the hills at the beginning of a new day, filling the world from one end to another.”
“The horizon,” I murmured. “He’s the horizon.”
Amon tilted his head, considering my words. “Yes. I believe that is an accurate definition.”
“Tell me more,” I said, and got out my notebook to draw, turning on the little overhead light so I could see. “Can you describe him?”
“In carvings, he is often represented with the head of a falcon, but as your…movies have shown, this concept is misunderstood. He does not have an actual falcon head, just as Anubis does not have a dog’s head. These animals are their companions.”
Amon peered at my sketch and continued. “The gods and goddesses were often depicted with the heads of their token animals so they could be discerned from one another and from other important leaders.”
“That makes sense. What color is Horus’s hair?”
“I have not seen Horus personally.”
“Oh. Well, just tell me what you know about him and his eyes or whatever,” I said, pencil poised to take notes.
“Horus is the son of Isis and Osiris—”
“Hold up. I thought he was the son of Amun-Ra.”
“He is.”
“How can he be the son of both?”
“I will explain. Perhaps it is better to start with Osiris. He married his sister, Isis.”
“His sister?”
“Yes.”
“Is incest common among the Egyptian gods?”
“It is, and also later, among the pharaohs.”
“Yuck, but okay…go on.”
“Osiris was a good and wise ruler of Egypt, and when it was time for him to take a wife, he found no woman he loved more than his sister, Isis. The goddess Isis was as soft and as lovely as a moonbeam, and she had a gift for magic unlike any other. Their union was happy and was celebrated by all except one—their erstwhile brother Seth.”
“Wait. Isn’t he the bad guy? The Dark One, or whoever, that you have to overcome?”
“He is the very same.”
“Interesting.” I started making a new list as Amon went on.
“The dark god Seth did not always have a heart so black, but he was jealous of his brother Osiris. Seth wanted to rule, but even more, he wanted Isis. Seth was bewitched by her beauty, and though he took many different women to be his wife, he did not think any of them as desirable as the one he couldn’t have. The need to possess his sister consumed him. In anger he turned away from all that was good and allowed the seeds of corruption, bitterness, and lust to fester in his heart.
“Isis told her husband that Seth’s advances had become more and more intolerable and that their brother had finally gone too far—he actually attempted to lay his hands upon her. Fortunately she was able to use her magic to deflect his unwanted attention. Osiris questioned Seth, but the ruler’s brother had become a smooth liar. He accused Isis of misunderstanding his intentions and assured Osiris that he was happily married to not only one wife but several. He asked, ‘What need have I to take my brother’s wife as well?’ ”
“Devious,” I murmured as I made a note.
“Osiris, a good-natured man, believed the best of everyone, including his brother, and he soothed his wife, telling her she must have misunderstood. But Isis was clever. She guessed that Seth was up to something, and soon she was proved right.”
“What did Seth do?” I asked, fascinated by the story.
“He ordered a beautiful wooden chest made. It was exquisitely crafted, overlaid with pure gold, and built to the exact dimensions of Osiris.”
“A chest for a body? Like a coffin?” I waved my hand. “I mean, a sarcophagus?”
“Exactly. Seth threw a great feast in honor of Osiris and then offered this beautiful chest to whoever could fit in it. Several people tried, probably thinking of winning all that gold, but there was no one who fit exactly.”
“No one except his brother.”
“Correct. Soon everyone had tried to fit into the chest, but no one had yet won the item. Seth taunted his brother, saying that perhaps it was only ‘fit for a king,’ and invited Osiris to try his luck. Isis begged her husband not to attempt it, for she sensed a deception, but Osiris saw no harm in it and was delighted that his b
rother would bring him such a prize.
“Osiris climbed into the box, and immediately Seth and his servants sealed the lid with molten lead. As the men carried the box containing Osiris out of the palace, Seth cornered Isis. He had an amulet that protected him from her magic, and he was determined to take possession not only of the throne but of his sister as well. The only thing Isis could do was to use the power of the moon to escape. She leapt upon a moonbeam and vanished.
“Later, she discovered that the chest had been thrown into the Nile. By the time she was able to raise the box, it had been broken into by crocodiles and her husband’s body had been torn to pieces.”
“That’s horrible!”
“Yes.”
“I don’t understand. If Osiris was dead, how was Horus born? Was he a child when it happened?”
“Ah, well, you see, Isis was a very determined woman. She did not accept the demise of her husband. She called upon all the power at her disposal and was able to gather the pieces of his body, slaying many crocodiles in the undertaking.”
I wrinkled my nose. “Ew. For what purpose?”
“Resurrection.” At my raised eyebrow, Amon shifted toward me and explained, “After all the pieces were gathered, Isis summoned Anubis and told him she needed his help to get her husband back.”
“Did it work?”
“After a fashion. Anubis carefully wrapped the pieces together, placing foot to leg and leg to torso until he formed the shape of a man. If a leg or an arm was too mangled, or if a finger or a toe was missing, Isis filled the body in with the limbs of the crocodiles she’d cut her husband’s remains from.
“With Isis chanting spells the entire time, Anubis embalmed the remains of Osiris and was able to unite the five components of her husband. He had re-formed the body, had loaned his own ba—his power—connected the shuwt—the shadow—and called the ka to return, naming the bound form with its ren, or name: Osiris.
“Together Anubis and Isis generated a powerful wind that swirled around the form, raising it into the air. The figure moved and was brought gently down to stand upon its feet. Osiris was Egypt’s very first mummy. Weeping, Isis removed the wrappings from her husband and found him once again whole and perfect except for his skin, which had become as green as a crocodile’s. She rejoiced, but Anubis sadly informed her that the magic that brought her husband back to life came with a price.
“Anubis explained that Osiris must be forever bound to the afterlife. Isis and Osiris were allowed to remain together one night, and then he had to depart from her side and take his place with Anubis. There he watches over the scales of judgment and commands the Land of the Dead.”
“So during that one night she got pregnant?”
“Correct. Seth, thwarted in the pursuit of his sister, took possession of the throne. He was confident that there was no one to rival him since Osiris had never fathered an heir.”
“But then Horus was born.”
Amon nodded. “Horus was the delight of his mother, and he inherited a portion of her power. His mother channeled the moon in her magic, and Horus was granted a great gift from the moon. He was born with filmy eyes that could see in the darkness. It was said that his eyes could create light. Horus could see great distances and he could discern the tiniest detail. Prey could not hide from him and he could find the truth amidst lies.
“Isis nurtured her son and his gifts. He was raised in secret, and his mother took on a new identity to prevent Seth from finding them. When Horus was of age, Isis took her son and approached Amun-Ra himself, asking for his help in returning her son to his rightful place as a ruler. Amun-Ra was disinclined to help. Horus had no experience and Seth had become very powerful.
“Frustrated, Isis turned to magic. She called an asp from the desert and hand-fed him a rat that she had poisoned with magic. The vermin did not kill the snake, but the poison made the asp’s venom powerful enough to harm a god, even one as potent as Amun-Ra.
“Knowing where the god liked to walk every evening, Isis placed the snake in his path. He ignored it as he did most creatures since he could not be harmed, and when the snake bit, he chuckled and continued on his walk.
“At sundown, Amun-Ra rode the ceremonial barque through the underworld, and just as he emerged to begin a new day, he collapsed, a victim of Isis’s poison. Runners were sent out to find a cure, and Isis quickly made her way to Amun-Ra’s side. She whispered in his ear that if he told her his true name, she would give him the antidote. Desperate, he agreed.”
“What was his true name and why did she want it?” I asked.
“I do not know. As part of their arrangement Isis was never allowed to reveal it. Isis healed Amun-Ra and then used his true name to force him to help her son. When you know the true name of a being, be they god, human, or animal, you gain power over them.”
“But I have only one name.”
“That is because you have not yet discovered your true name.”
“I’m not sure I have one.”
“Every living thing does. Your true name represents your ideal self. The person you are at the center. The name that is engraved upon your heart.”
“Do you have a true name?”
“I do.”
“And it isn’t Amon?”
He shook his head. “I was given the name Amon when I was called to my purpose.”
“Then why wouldn’t Amon be your true name?”
Amon took my hand and pressed my palm against his chest. “In my heart, I know it is not.”
With his hand wrapped around mine, I could feel the familiar warmth from his fingers, but I could also feel a more intense heat coming from his chest.
I moved my hand away, though he seemed reluctant to let go of it. Clearing my throat, I picked up my notebook and skimmed through my scribblings. “The eye power you were talking about seems different from what you do.”
“It is both the same and different. Shall I continue the story?”
Nodding, I nibbled on the pencil eraser and crossed my legs, shifting the notebook to my lap.
“Isis invoked the true name of Amun-Ra in a spell that would release him only when three demands were met. Her first request was to instate Horus to his father’s position. Second, she asked to accompany Amun-Ra on his nightly journey to the underworld as often as she wished so that she might visit Osiris.”
“And third?”
“She asked for something no other had ever dared. Isis told Amun-Ra that she wanted her son not only to be the rightful heir of Osiris but also to be named the heir of Amun-Ra himself.”
“That’s how he became the son of Amun-Ra?”
“Yes. Amun-Ra had to grant the three wishes of Isis, and, as a result, adopted Horus as his own son.”
“I’ll bet Seth didn’t like that.”
“Not at all. Seth immediately challenged Horus and they began a series of tiresome battles.”
“Didn’t Amun-Ra try to stop it?”
“No. He thought battling Seth would be a good opportunity for Horus to prove that he was worthy of the great god’s attention. Three tests were arranged—a test of strength, a test of skill, and a test of power. To show strength, they fought for three months as hippopotamuses, but they were evenly matched. Next, they were both to build ships of stone and race them down the Nile, but Horus cheated and painted a wooden ship to look like stone. While Seth’s boat sank, Horus won the race, but his trick was discovered and once again there was no winner.
“Finally, a hunt was organized. Whichever man could find Nebu, the golden stallion that roamed the desert, tame him, and bring him to Amun-Ra would be declared the winner.
“Seth had heard the rumor that Horus had very powerful eyes and he worried that Horus would likely be the first to find Nebu, so in an act of desperation, he stole upon Horus while he slept and ripped his eyes from their sockets. He hurled the orbs across the dunes and left a blind Horus to die while he went in search of the famous horse.
“Without his eye
s, Horus was stripped of immortality. For months, he wandered the desert alone but for a falcon he befriended. The bird brought him meat, which he ate raw, and it became his faithful companion. Horus realized that his ambition and power had made him arrogant. Every day he turned his face to the desert sun and promised his new father, Amun-Ra, that he would change his ways and become the kind of leader the people needed.
“Weeks passed and Amun-Ra decided that Horus had been punished enough. Disguised as an old woman, he approached Horus and cried out for help. Horus sent his falcon to find the woman and followed the call of the bird until he came upon her. He offered what assistance he could and, to his surprise, the woman changed form. Feeling the warmth of the sun god, Horus knelt at Amun-Ra’s feet and begged for forgiveness. He asked not to be instated but to be taken to his mother so he could be comforted by her love before he died. Amun-Ra took pity on Horus and exclaimed that not only would he see his mother with his own eyes, but his power would be restored as well.
“This time one eye, his left eye, retained the power of the moon, but in his right eye, Amun-Ra bestowed the power of the sun and made Horus his heir in truth. The Wadjet, or Eye of Horus, can be seen in art and carvings all over Egypt. It is said that an amulet made with the Eye of Horus can ward off evil, shielding its bearer from harm. The symbol is a sign of the protection of the god Amun-Ra and is a reminder that when we are stripped of all we hold dear, we can finally see the truth.”
“So, in a way, you are under the protection of Amun-Ra and you can see the truth when you look at people?” I asked.
“There are other powers associated with it as well. I can draw energy from the sun, see in the darkness, and seek out things that are hidden.”
“Is that how you found me in New York?”
“Yes, that and my connection to you. I probably could have found you without our connection, but it would have taken a long time. Your city is the largest I have ever laid eyes upon.”
I grunted. “It’s one of the biggest in the world, but I think there are a few in China that are bigger.”
“It is hard to conceive of.”