The Warrior of Bast
By Janet Lane Walters
Copyright 2010 Janet Lane Walters
Published by: Vanilla Heart Publishing on Smashwords
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Dedication
To Ashley, granddaughter who was tied to my hip for years,
and to Chelle Cordero, who has influenced me greatly.
Tira wanted three things in life and she had little chance of gaining any of them. She wanted to be financially independent. She wanted to go to Egypt and study the ancient ruins. And she wanted her sister to stop using drugs.
The last desire brought memories of this morning’s quarrel. Luci had taken the money Tira had squirreled away to see them through the rest of the month. “Luci, why?”
“You don’t understand,” Luci screamed.
True. Tira didn’t understand why her sister needed to escape into a drugged stupor instead of studying and working to step onto the road leading from the slums. Tira’s hands stung with the memory of slapping her sister. And the words she’d shouted as she slammed out of the apartment echoed in her thoughts. “I hate you. I wish you were dead.” Tira shuddered. She hadn’t meant those words. As soon as she reached the apartment she would tell Luci.
With a sigh she turned back to the museum display. The Egyptian artifacts awed her. For a short time she allowed the beauty of the objects to carry her into dreams of pyramids and temples, of gods and pharaohs and of digging in the earth to uncover treasures of the past.
The dream hovered beyond her grasp. Her chances of gaining a position on a dig in Egypt were slim. Positions were avidly sought by students who had chosen the right colleges and the right professors. Those choices had been beyond her financially. She sucked in a breath. Instead of adventure, when the summer ended, she would take her place in front of a classroom teaching history at an inner city high school.
A glance at her watch said dreamtime was over. She had to reach the apartment in time to change for her evening shift at a restaurant several blocks from the cramped fifth floor efficiency she shared with her older sister. Once again flashes from the morning’s quarrel exploded in Tira’s thoughts. She’d been so upset she’d missed her martial arts session at the local center.
Tira cast her dream self aside and donned the role of practical sister. She hurried to the exit and stepped from the past into a steamy August day. Heat shimmered from the sidewalk. The air hung heavy and carried the odors of the city and the noises of traffic. She strode along the crowded area taking advantage of every opening.
Ten days to dream. Ten days to walk the halls of the museum. Ten days to study the artifacts that had become her lodestones. She breathed the aromas of real time, spices of cooking foods, metallic scents of passing traffic and the odors of people, some pleasant and some not.
Several blocks from the apartment building the crowds thinned. In an alley she glimpsed furtive movements in the dark shadows. She hurried past. On the corner across the street a group of gang members gathered. She sucked in a breath and held her head high. For all her twenty three years she’d avoided the gangs. As she strode past she heard the usual crude remarks about her body and her attitude.
Get a life, she wanted to scream.
When she saw the ambulance and two cop cars in front of the building where she lived she halted so abruptly she stumbled. A hand caught her arm. Tira saw the gray-streaked beard of one of the winos who slept in the doorways or the alley. “Get your hands off me.”
“Don’t go home,” he whispered. “Lose yourself in the crowd and keep your head down.”
Tira saw a keen intelligence in the man’s dark eyes. Who was he? He wasn’t as old as she had imagined either. “Why?”
“Your sister’s dead. Cops’ll be looking for you. They heard about the fight.”
Tira’s stomach clenched. She blinked away a rush of tears. Though hearing about her sister’s death wasn’t unexpected another dream shattered. There would be no rehab for Luci. “Junkies O.D. every day,” she said.
“She was murdered.”
A chill slithered down Tira’s spine. A rush of acid burned her throat. What? Why? Who? Keeping her eyes on the ground she inched away from him.
“Murder. Murder.” The murmured word spread through the crowd gathered on the sidewalk and stung like attacking wasps.
The EMTs wheeled a gurney from the building. When Tira saw the body bag strapped to the frame her nails bit into her palms. Despite the heat of the day she felt chilled. A wave of guilt made her knees buckle. She stuffed her fist against her mouth to keep from crying aloud.
What now, she wondered. The apartment was a crime scene. Until the cops finished their investigation she wouldn’t be allowed inside. An officer stepped from the building. “Move along, folks. There’s nothing to see here.” He stepped from the stoop. “Anyone seen her sister? We have some questions for her.”
“Most evenings you’ll find her waiting tables at Louie’s,” someone said.
Tira hunched her shoulders. As people dispersed she slunk away. All her life she’d avoided trouble. Even if she wasn’t a suspect she knew too much about Luci’s friends and suppliers to be safe. She needed to hide and think. Where could she go?
As she retraced her steps she noticed the home boys had vanished from the corner. Show’s over or just about to begin, she thought. She feared she was destined to become the star in a life or death drama. She continued the slow amble away from the apartment building.
Every instinct urged her to run but that would attract the attention she didn’t want. As she passed the alley someone grabbed her arm and dragged her into the shadows. The man who held her arm and the other at his side were large and scary but not as menacing as the slender man who joined them.
Tira fought to control rising panic. She felt as though she would faint. Center. She had to escape. All she needed was an opening. Her muscles tensed in preparation. “What do you want?” Had her voice remained calm or had fear coated the edges?
“My drugs. My money.”
“I know nothing about either.”
The slender man laughed and the sound chilled her. “She was your sister. She told you everything.” His smile turned feral. “Her last words were, ‘Tira knows.’”
Anger flared and slashed the fear and grief holding her immobile. “And you believed her?”
“Why not?”
His silent companions edged closer. One held a knife. The other reached for her. Tira sucked in a breath. She whirled and kicked. The toe of her sneaker caught the knife holder’s arm. Her sudden movement pulled the second man off balance. She grabbed his arm and knocked him into the knife man. They landed in a tangle.
Tira ran. As she darted around the corner something whizzed past her. She didn’t stop to learn what. Where to go? Just ahead she saw the steps leading to the subway. She pulled her Metro card from her pocket and bounded down the steps. A shout sounded. She kept running. At the gate she swiped the card, ran onto the platform and into a waiting car. A bell dinged. The doors closed.
As she peered through the smudged glass she saw one of the thugs reach the platform. She breathed a sigh of relief. For the moment she had escaped. Where did the rattling car take her?
Was there a way to get the things she needed from the apartment? The drug dealer’s men would keep watch. Who could she ask? Not the cops who either believed she had killed Luci or wanted information she didn’t have. She barely knew the neighbors. She and Luci had moved into the building in June. Could she sneak into the building after the cops left? Doubtful. Her few friends from college wouldn’t be willing to enter the scene of a murder.
Tira sank on a seat. Once again tears threatened. Why had Luci lied? Tira swallowed convulsively. When she understood the reasons for the betrayal she could grieve. Now wasn’t the time.
For seconds or minutes Tira blocked the groping fingers of fear. At the moment she was safe but she couldn’t ride the subway forever. She considered her options. She had some change, her Metro card and the twenty she always kept for emergencies. Not enough to rent a room. Going to work at Louie’s was out. Until her first pay check from the teaching job arrived she was broke.
Think. Plan. Where was the nearest homeless shelter? Sure they could be dangerous but she could protect herself. Tira wiped her hands on her jeans. Even if she could hang out for ten days she couldn’t begin her first day as a teacher wearing dirty jeans and a sweat-stained tee shirt.
On the seat beside her she noticed a crumpled piece of paper. Curiosity stabbed. She smoothed the wrinkles and read the words twice.
Life got you down? Have you unsolved problems?
Looking for escape? The answer is in your stars.
A counselor is available night and day.
Dial 1- 800 – 555 – ASTRO
Tira frowned. She could answer yes to all the questions. Had the paper been left for her to find? She smiled at her magical thinking.
When the car stopped at the next station she grasped the paper and rose. She followed people to the street. Should she take a chance? Did she have a choice? Across the street she saw a coffee shop. She had to consider her options.
She jogged to the small restaurant and entered the dingy place with the paper clutched in her hand. A flutter of nervousness settled in her chest. What to do? Call or not call? Go to the cops? Find a shelter? She sat at the counter and ordered coffee. As she sipped the bitter brew her thoughts raced. The answer to the last two options was a definite no. She frowned. If the answer was in her stars they certainly hadn’t brought her a sliver of luck. Would making the call produce a change?
Tira swallowed the last of the coffee. She would make the call. If the paper was a hoax she would devise another plan. She stepped outside and opened her cell phone. In the fading light she read the number and dialed.
“Can I help you?” a woman asked.
“I can answer yes to all your questions.”
“Do you need help?”
“Yes.” She wasn’t sure what this woman could do. By accepting the offer she would be off the street and buy time to plan.
The woman gave an address. Tira repeated the street and house number.
“We’ll be waiting for you. Ring the bell. Remember, the answers are in your stars.”
At the corner Tira looked at the street sign. Fourteen blocks. Not that far. Unless a bus came along she would walk. Though the neighborhood wasn’t the greatest, hers was worse.
She walked briskly and directed her attention to the surroundings. Occasionally she glanced over her shoulder to check for followers. Once she glimpsed a large man and nearly froze. Her heart skittered but the next time she looked he had vanished.
Her imagination took fire. The drug dealer might not know where she had left the subway but the route was known. He could have snitches everywhere. He believed she knew where his drugs and money were hidden. Luci, what did you do?
She glanced at the numbers on the buildings she passed. Would the drug dealer’s men try to discover where she went? Probably a given. By the time she neared her destination her heart pounded. She saw three men behind her and knew she’d been made.
A rush of heavy footsteps sounded. She dashed up the steps of the brownstone. With a staccato rhythm she pressed the bell. Hurry, she thought. She glanced over her shoulder. One of the men was the knife wielder from the alley.
“Tira,” he called.
The door opened. An elderly woman pulled her inside. “Welcome.” She closed the door. “Why have you come?”
“The answer is in my stars.”
The woman’s eyes held kindness. “What is your name?”
“Tira.” The woman’s eyes, her voice and smile eased some of Tira’s fears. No matter what happened here she would rather face this woman than the men outside.
“Follow me. We have time to find your proper place.”
As Tira walked down the hall she noticed a series of photographs on the wall. One caught her attention. A temple with statues of cats perched on plinths and a crook behind them. Hieroglyphics were carved above the feline. She traced the figure.
The woman turned back. “So that’s the world to hold your interest.”
Tira smiled. “Reminds me of ancient Egypt, a place that’s always fascinated me.”
“Perhaps your stars will show you the way there.” The woman beckoned. “Come along. We must be ready when the planets align.”
Tira inhaled the aromas of cooking food. Had she interrupted the woman’s dinner? Tira’s stomach rumbled. She’d had nothing besides the coffee since noon when she’d bought a hot dog from a street vendor. They entered a large room. The woman indicated a table. “Sit. Food is on the way.”
Tira stared at the wall across from the table. A large circle divided into twelve segments covered most of the wall. She moved closer and saw this was a horoscope wheel. She had no idea what the wheel could be used for.
“Sit, child.” The woman tapped a bell.
A second woman arrived with a tray of food. Plates and glasses were taken from a buffet. “Help yourself.”
Tira studied the tray. Rice, meat and vegetables. Once she filled her plate the second woman poured a fragrant beverage into three glasses. The women joined her at the table. Little was said until the meal was finished.
The oldest of the women smiled. “When were you born? We need the day, the month, the year and the time as accurately as you know.”
“May tenth, twenty three years ago. My mother said my cries greeted the dawn.”
“Aries.” Both women went to the wheel. They turned an inner segment and placed colored balls in segments of the circle. “A warrior born. Quick to anger. Speedy in action. Sometimes given to rash decisions. A seeker of justice. A lover of adventure. Now tell us about yourself and why you called for help.”
Some quality in the woman’s voice eased the tension and fear riding Tira’s spirit since she had arrived outside the apartment building and learned of her sister’s murder. Between sips of the fragrant tea she spoke. The reality of her sister’s betrayal slammed into her awareness. Her voice broke. “Luci, why?”
The second woman touched Tira’s hand. “She did not mean for you to be hurt. She was afraid and reached for your strength.”
“How do you know?”
“The seeds of the betrayal were written on your chart. This aspect has passed but you must release your pain.”
Tira drew a deep breath. Without warning the tears she had held inside gushed forth. Sobs racked her body. She cried until no more tears came. A cloth was thrust into her hands and she wiped her eyes. Another glass of a different beverage appeared.
The older of the two women clasped Tira’s hand. “If you could go to ancient Egypt tonight, even if the Two Lands was not the one you studied, would you go?”
If, Tira thought. A dream she had desired but impossible. “Maybe.”
“Even if you had to remain there for all your days?”
This had to be a joke. Tira could think of nowhere she would rather be. There was nothing left for her here. “I guess.”
The second woman stood behind her. “Drink.” She touched Tira’s shoulder. “The price of the journey is a quest you must undertake. The only knowledge you take with you is what will fit in the time period you reach except for your fighting skills. You will be unable to speak of this world or of modern conveniences.”
“Tell me more.”
“Many years ago invaders swept through the Two Lands usurping the rule and spreading unrest and chaos. The army lay defeated. The pharaoh became a prisoner. The priests of the invaders brought their god, Aken Re, and sought to make him supreme. The people rejected the new god. For years the land and the people were crushed beneath the sandals of the foreigners. Twenty years ago the men of the Two Lands rose and drive the aliens away.”
The older of the two women nodded. “The sacred symbols of the rule were hidden and the location lost. Though the invaders were driven away some of their priests remained. They scheme to place a pharaoh of their choosing on the chair. Should this come to pass the Two Lands will be destroyed.”
Tira felt confused. Their stories deviated from anything she had read about Egypt. Remnants of her flight, her fear and her grief coalesced. “And if I don’t go?”
“You will leave this house and face whatever waits. Will you go?
Tira thought about the men who waited outside. If she left the house she would die.
“Will you go?” The women spoke as one. “If so, drink.”
Tira lifted the glass and swallowed the beverage. What choice did she have? As she drifted into a fog she saw the giant wheel on the wall spin.
Kashe of Mero sat on his bed in his chamber of the family compound. His head pounded. When he opened his eyes he saw the day had progressed into late afternoon. The bright light made him wince. He recalled the past night’s celebration for the retirement of the family’s arms master. Tuten had been Kashe’s mentor and friend. From the older man he had learned the skills of a warrior. Last night Kashe had finally defeated his mentor with weapons and a capacity for beer.
“Kashe.” His father’s voice stabbed like a dagger.
He groaned and sat up. The drum in his head banged. Leave me alone, he wanted to shout. The nomarch of Mero’s anger toward his middle son was nothing new. What did he want now?
As second son Kashe had been marked for the priesthood. He had no desire to become a priest. He found satisfaction in his role as a warrior. Yet, duty called for obedience.
If any other temple had been chosen he might have agreed. He had no taste for this newly risen cadre of men seeking to force their god into the circle of goddesses and gods of the Two Lands. Aken Re had been unknown until the invaders had arrived. The army of those men had been defeated so why did their priests linger?
The beaded curtain jangled adding cacophonic notes to the beating in his head. “Answer me.” The nomarch entered and halted at the foot of Kashe’s bed. “Rise and present yourself in the central hall. We have guests. Your older brother has news of importance.”
Kashe groaned. He and Pian were a year apart in age and generations in philosophy. In embracing the new religion Pian had seen an advantage for bringing his ambitions to fruition. He believed the priests would smooth his path to the pharaoh’s chair.
Kashe sat on the edge of the bed and considered his brother and his plans. Pian was slender and shorter than Kashe. Pian fit the picture of an ideal pharaoh in appearance but not in character. He was cruel and selfish. His sense of justice and honor were lacking. He had no love for Kashe. “Throwback” was the mildest of the names Pian used as needles to jab his younger brother. Kashe had strengths Pian lacked. Every match on the training field had ended with Kashe as the victor.
He rose. He couldn’t help that in stature and build he resembled the Nubian ancestors his father and older brother chose to forget in their desire for power. If Pian became pharaoh the nomarch of Mero would become his son’s chief advisor.
“Are you coming?” his father asked.
If he said no who knew what would happen. Kashe stretched. “As soon as I wash and dress.” Though he would rather have bathed he would make do here. He glanced in the polished metal mirror. His warrior’s braid was neat enough. He poured water from a pitcher into a basin and washed. After donning a fresh kilt he fitted wrist and arm bands and selected a collar necklace.
As Kashe left the family sleeping quarters, he braced for the evening meal, the main one of the day. He entered the central hall and hid a desire to duck behind one of the pillars. On the dais his parents sat with a pair of priests. Their gold medallions glittered in the torch light. Pian stood before the men.
As Kashe neared the platform he noticed the robes were embroidered with gold-rayed discs representing their god. The pair were opposites. One was rotund, smiling and fluttering his hands while speaking. The other was lean with a hawk-like nose and a somber expression. Kashe noticed his younger brother lingered in the shadows near the dais. If anything was to be learned Namose would know.
The nomarch gestured. Kashe strode past his sisters who were engaged in a board game and gossip. When Pian’s voice took on a tone both servile and arrogant Kashe grimaced.
“My lords, Oris Aken Re and Hebu Aken Re, has the daughter been found? I so desire to look in her face and claim her as my chief wife. The honor you offer humbles me.”
The rotund priest’s smile broadened. “As yet we have not found her but the signs point to where she is hidden. When the auspicious hour arrives we will claim her.” He turned from Pian to the nomarch. “You know the price.”
The nomarch pointed to Kashe. “My lords of Aken Re, this is Kashe, my middle son. He is skilled with weapons and has a vast knowledge of strategy. He will enter your temple as a priest.”
Both men studied Kashe. Their gazes moved from his head to his feet. Embarrassment and shame over the avidity of their appraisal made him flush. He was not some piece of livestock or a slave to be purchased. A cauldron of anger bubbled.
Oris Aken Re rubbed his fleshy hands. “Indeed, he is magnificent.”
The thin priest’s eyes narrowed. He addressed his companion in an unfamiliar language. “Nomarch, he will do nicely,” he added.
Kashe wanted to rub his arms to ward off a sudden chill but he wouldn’t allow the pair to see his distaste and fear. He kept his gaze steady and examined the thin priest. Hebu’s eyes were serpent-like, dull and flat. Kashe’s hands formed fists. Though Oris had been named as the chief priest, his companion was the more dangerous of the pair. Another thing became clear. Hebu belonged to the defeated enemy. Kashe had heard that language from a prisoner his father had brought to the compound as a slave.
Oris nodded. “He will be the perfect battle leader for our men.”
Pian made a face. “He will be yours when I become pharaoh.”
The nomarch shook his head. “He will be theirs when I decree.”
Kashe drew a deep breath. “Father, I beg you to change your mind. I have no desire to serve in any temple. I’m no scholar and have no knowledge of portents and omens. I’ve no wish for easy living or in having my days ordered by rituals that allow no freedom.” He turned to leave.
His father grasped his arm. “You will obey. Your sacrifice will undo all your willfulness and the shame your tainted heritage has brought to me. When this new moon completes the cycle you will enter the temple of Aken Re.”
Though Kashe remained until the evening meal ended, his thoughts centered on finding a way to escape his father’s command. He had to leave home but where would he go? He listened to his father, older brother and the priests as they made plans. Finding the missing daughter of the last pharaoh was their goal. The priests sought her. So did his father. The one who found her first would control the future of the Two Lands.
As soon as the meal ended Kashe retreated to his sleeping chamber. He had no desire to listen as more schemes were hatched and scenarios developed. He thought of escaping to his favorite beer house but not tonight. The entourage accompanying the priests was quartered on the roof of the house and in the garden. He had no desire to have his departure noted.
Kashe parted the beaded curtain and strode into his chamber. A pile of scrolls stood on the low table. He opened one and crushed the thin papyrus sheet. “The Ways of Aken Re, the True and Only God.”
Distaste curved his mouth into a scowl. He wanted to burn the scrolls or slash them to shreds. Not a good idea, he decided. Know your enemy. His mentor had repeated those words until they were engraved in Kashe’s mind. Though Tuten had meant this advice for contests of arms Kashe believed they applied to his current situation. He would read the scrolls but not tonight. The crescent moon didn’t provide enough light. Neither would the saucer lamp. He retired to bed for a night’s sleep filled with dreams he wanted to forget.
For two days Kashe read. The contents of the scrolls disgusted him. The priests of Aken Re had diluted and twisted the teachings of the temples of the Two Lands and skewed them to fit their version of the world. They intended to make their god supreme. There were tales in the scrolls telling how Aken Re had defeated the ancient goddesses and gods of the Two Lands, major and minor and eaten their essences.
He finished the last scroll. What now? Did the rotund priest intend to remain here until the moon ended? The serpent-eyed one had vanished. Most of the entourage was now housed near the river. The departure of the strangers had relieved some of Kashe’s fears. Not all, for he had no plan to escape the fate his father had decreed.
With a scowl he scooped the scrolls and carried them to the west loggia. There, he dumped them in a heap on one of the low tables. As he neared his chamber he heard two of the slaves speaking. Their gossip made him smile. The remaining priest planned to leave in two or three days.
Kashe returned to his chamber and went to the window. When a large hawk landed on the sill he stepped back. He stared at the avian. The bird made no attempt to attack. Kashe held out his arm. The hawk dropped a scroll and an amulet that landed on the floor with a click. The avian settled on Kashe’s wrist cuff. He stared into its eyes.
“Horu,” Kashe said.
The hawk’s head bobbed as though in answer. “Horru.”
Did hawks have names? “I’ll call you Horu Ba, soul of the god of the skies.” The bird returned to the window. Kashe picked up the gold amulet. A grin crossed his face as he read the hieroglyphics. “Chosen of Horu.” Here was the perfect reason to refuse his father’s plans for him. Would the nomarch and Pian accept the calling? Kashe was sure he would learn.
He lifted the scroll and read the words.
Three will come from afar, warrior, ruler and advisor will be joined by three from the Two Lands. United they will drive away those who seek to destroy the land and the people. Success brings prosperity. Failure means death. During the time when each pair works to complete their task they may not join flesh to flesh. Celibate they must remain until their quest ends lest disaster strikes the Two Lands.
He walked from his chamber into the central hall where the family and the priest had gathered for the evening meal. His father gestured. “You’ve been hiding in your chamber for days. Have you decided to obey?”
Kashe shrugged. “I’ve been reading the scrolls. They’re in the loggia. The words left me with no desire to become a priest of Aken Re. What I read sounded like lies.”
Pian jumped to his feet. “You will not usurp my place. I will be pharaoh. All the power and wealth of the double crown will be mine.”
“I have no wish to rule or serve the priests.”
The nomarch glared. “You have been promised to them. Your battle skills will be needed to bring the stubborn people of this land to worship the one and only god.”
Oris Aken Re smiled. “You cannot resist. You are ours.”
Kashe sucked in a breath. We’ll see, he thought. The amulet burned against his chest. He leaned forward and wondered why they didn’t see the medallion. Was it invisible for a reason? He ate and fled to his room. As he walked down the hall he heard the slap of sandals on the stone and braced for an attack.
“Kashe, you must listen to them,” his younger brother said. “If you disobey Father, the priest will send serpents after you.”
“Don’t fret, little brother. Come to my chamber. I’ve something to show you.” Kashe parted the curtains so Namose could enter first. “This is why I can’t go.” He held out the amulet. “A hawk brought this to me.”
Namose studied the gold circle. “Chosen of Horu.” He looked up and gasped. “At the window.”
Kashe grinned and extended his arm for the bird. “Horu Ba, this is Namose, my younger brother.” The hawk tilted his head. “As you see I’ve been selected by the god of the skies.”
Namose nodded. “And you will leave home.”
“I believe I must.”
“I want to go with you.” The youth’s dark eyes held a plea. “If you can’t serve them I fear Father will send me or one of our sisters to their temple. The priests have a son or daughter from every nome except Mero in their service. They want Father and Pian to follow their orders. Our nome is the largest and richest of all. I don’t trust the priests. If I must serve a god I would choose Toth, the god of wisdom.”
Kashe looked away. Since he had no idea where to go, how he could take a boy who had just reached his fifteenth year? “You must remain here until I can find a safe place. Then I will send for you.”
“Do you mean that?”
“Yes.” Kashe studied his younger brother. Here was the male member of the family with a strong knowledge of the land. If only their father didn’t favor Pian. The oldest son was their father’s favorite. Namose, the youngest, was ignored by the nomarch and favored by their mother.
“When are you going?”
“Not tonight. I’m going to a beer house to think.” He pushed Namose to the door. “Better if you don’t see me leave. If they discover I’m out you can truthfully say you left me in my chamber.”
Namose paused outside the curtain. “Good thinking.”
Kashe waited until his brother vanished before crossing to the window. He slipped out and crept across the garden to the rear gate. Once beyond the wall, the hawk landed on his wrist guard. Kashe strode to the riverside village. A few mugs of beer and a good fight might be an outlet for the energy coursing through his body.
Tira opened her eyes and stifled a gasp. Where was she? The surface beneath her was softened by a thin pad. She turned her head and bumped her temple against a hard surface. Some kind of headrest prevented her from appraising her vicinity. The substitute for a pillow wasn’t very comfortable. The cover felt like linen rather than the thin cotton sheet she used. She raised herself to a sitting position and the sheet slid to her waist. Light streamed through a series of openings set high on one of the white plastered walls.
Her heart fluttered in a series of rapid beats. Think. Had she been kidnapped and sold as some kind of sex slave? She drew a deep breath. Why did nothing smell familiar? She was Tira. Tears trickled down her cheeks. Someone had died. Why couldn’t she remember who had betrayed her?
Tira wiped her face on a corner of the sheet. With that word memories prickled with the same sensation in her head as when an arm or leg woke after falling asleep.
If you could go to ancient Egypt tonight even if the Two Lands is not the one you’ve studied, would you go?
She had agreed. Had she somehow been transported to another Egypt? So far she’d seen nothing to prove or disprove the theory. The bed and the headrest had been pictured in books she’d read about the ancient land of the pharaohs.
Now what? She couldn’t remain in bed and she definitely couldn’t leave this room in the nude. Clothing was her first objective. She slid from the narrow cot and nearly fell. The bed stood on a wide platform. Tira visually explored the room and noticed a stack of near-white cloth on a backless bench. She wrapped the sheet around herself and crossed the room.
On a low table she found a pottery pitcher and a bowl. She dipped a cloth taken from the rim of the bowl into the water and washed. The heated air dried her skin.
As she studied the bench she noticed the legs were shaped like the feet of a feline. She drew a deep breath. She had arrived in ancient Egypt. One by one she lifted the pieces of cloth from the bench and studied them. Get dressed and learn where you are and why you’re here.
After several attempts she managed to clothe herself. One strip formed a breast band. A second, she used as a loincloth. The third was a wraparound short skirt rather like a kilt. A leather belt held a knife and a pouch containing a black substance she decided was kohl. Since she had no idea how to apply the stuff she decided to pass.
She looked for shoes and found sandals. She sat on the bench and slipped a foot beneath the leather straps. She drew the shin guards up her leg and fastened the leather ties. Surprisingly they fit. The leather soles didn’t slip on the stone floor when she performed a series of warm-up exercises.
The beaded curtains in the doorway rattled. Tira slid into an attack position. Two elderly women entered the room. Tira stared. Were they the ones who had sheltered her for a time? They looked similar.
One of the women wore the same clothes as Tira. Her graying hair was cropped short like Tira’s but the woman’s didn’t curl.
The second woman’s hair was dark and cut shoulder length. Was it a wig? The woman’s ankle-length sheath bared her breasts. A collar necklace covered her upper chest.
When Tira tried to talk about the world she’d left the words wouldn’t form.
The only knowledge you can take with you is what will fit into the time you reach except for your fighting skills. You will be unable to speak of this world or of modern conveniences.
She glided toward the women. If they proved to be a threat she would attack.
“Welcome to the Two Lands,” the older of the two said. “I am the chief priestess of this temple of the goddess Bast, protector of women and children.” A cat with a cream-colored coat wove a path around her legs.
Bast. She had read about the goddess, one of the minor ones in the ancient Egypt of her world. Was Bast a major player in this time and place? What other changes would she find? She swallowed a gasp. How odd that she understood the language. “My name is Tira.” She could speak it as well. She crouched and allowed the feline to sniff her hand.
The priestess smiled. “Come and join us for a meal. We will tell you why you are with us. You are one of the awaited ones. There is a task the goddess has set for you.” She turned to her companion. “Do you have the amulet that marks her as a warrior of Bast?”
“I do.” The other woman smiled. “I am the head of the warriors of this temple. Do you willingly accept your task?”
Even if you must remain for all your days.
Again she heard part of what the elderly women of the brownstone had asked. She was here and there was no possible return. “I do.” She met the woman’s gaze. “What if I fail?”
The priestess shuddered. “There will be imprisonment or death.”
Tira swallowed. But she would have found the same future in her own world. “I won’t fail.” She made the vow aloud and silently.
The warrior held a chain of silver links with a large silver medallion hanging from the center link. Tira studied the piece. A cat formed from smoky blue-gray gems formed the center of the circle. Above the image were lapis hieroglyphics. Tira read them. “Chosen of Bast.” She bent her knees so the shorter woman could slip the chain over her head.
“Where in the Two Lands am I?”
“In the nome of Mero.”
Tira pictured a map of the Nile and didn’t recognize the name. Was she in the north or the south? “Where exactly is this nome?”
“Near the first cataract,” the chief priestess said.
In the south, Tira thought.
“Come.”
Tira followed the women along a corridor. The wall on the left was higher than the one on the right. Did the left wall form the rear of the temple?
They entered a large room where ornate columns braced the roof and allowed a view of the garden. Backless stools were arranged in clusters. Women dressed like the chief priestess sat near small tables.
The priestess chose seats in a secluded niche. “Sit. Food will be brought.”
Before long, women carried plates and trays of food to the table. Tira selected from a variety of dishes, some she recognized and some she didn’t. There were lentils and chickpeas, beef and some type of fowl, a variety of lettuces, onions both cooked and raw, and cheese. Wine and beer were offered. Tira accepted beer. She sipped the bitter brew and put the cup down. The alcohol content of the beverage was more than the kind she knew. She needed food to counter the effect of the alcohol. Once she finished the food on her plate honey-sweetened dates appeared.
She swallowed the last of the beer and looked from one woman to the other. “What would you have me do?”
“You are our hope,” the priestess said. “With the help of the goddess you were brought from a far land to this troubled place. The invaders came with their horses and chariots. Like a plague of locusts they swept through the land leaving destruction behind. Three treasures, gifts from the major gods, were removed from the pharaoh’s house. Before those who took the symbols of the role were able to report their location they were killed. Their deaths took place in the Valley of the Pharaohs. Thus the flail, the crook and the double crown were lost.”
The warrior took up the tale. “Twenty years ago the invaders were driven from the land. The pharaoh and his sons were killed. We have sought the symbols and have unearthed a clue as to where they were hidden. At present the land is divided and the nomarchs vie for the rule. Your quest will help us establish a new dynasty with ties to the beginning.”
Tira looked up. “How can this be done?”
“Though the pharaoh and his sons reside in the afterworld one woman of his house remained alive. She fled the estate and vanished in the desert. Word came that she gave birth to a daughter. That child, now a young woman, can trace her lineage to the first dynasty. The man who weds her will sit on the pharaoh’s chair.”
“Where will I find her?” Tira asked. “How will I know her?”
“She is not your quest. When the time is right she will be revealed.” The priestess leaned forward. “Your quest is to find the hidden symbols. When you leave the temple, seek the compound of the nomarch of Mero. Among his scrolls I believe you will find information to aid your search. During the rebellion against the invaders he carried many scrolls from the temple of Toth. When you reach the town near his estate you will meet a warrior of Horu, the god of the skies. He will join you in the search.”
Tira frowned. “How will I identify this companion?”
“He will wear an amulet marking him as Horu’s choice.”
Tira closed her eyes. “Can you tell me more about these symbols?”
The priestess rose. She crossed the room and entered an alcove. A short time later she returned with a small scroll. After unrolling the papyrus she showed Tira the pictured objects. Tira studied them. Beneath each of the symbols she saw another picture. There was a cat, an ankh and a hawk.
The priestess rolled the scroll and tied it with a strip of linen. “Take this with you to help in your quest. Other clues will be found.”
Tira had seen pictures of the flail, the crook and the double crown in books. In the images on the small scroll she noticed small differences from the ones she remembered but she thought she would recognize the objects when she found them. She accepted the scroll. “How do I find this nomarch and his compound?”
“You will be shown a road.” The priestess leaned forward. “Be wary. Ramis of Mero is no friend of the goddess. He is an ambitious man and wishes to see his eldest son named pharaoh. Though Mero sits at the gateway to trade with the dark lands, Ramis wants more wealth. With his son as pharaoh he will become the power behind the chair. As vizier he will gain power. To achieve his goals he has allied with the priests of Aken Re, the abomination.”
“If he is the enemy why will he allow me into his house?” Was the quest for the symbols a true one? Did the priestess want her to spy on the nomarch and the priests?
The warrior smiled. “When he sees your amulet he will offer his help. He will act like a friend. He plays a double game and wishes a sandal in each camp. He may try to learn what you know. He might decide to give you to the priests. Do not trust him. Learn what you need and depart as soon as you have the knowledge.”
The chief priestess nodded. “You are a woman who will remind him of a past he chooses to ignore. His ancestors were slaves from Nubia who won their freedom and through marriage rose to power. You are also unlike the women on his court for you will not bear to be confined and controlled.”
Tira swallowed. She had known men with the same nature as the nomarch and she hadn’t liked them. “How far must I travel to find this compound?” Another thought arose. She had never ridden a horse. Driving a chariot was beyond her imagination.
“You will be guided to a path along the river. If you walk north you will reach the town where traders come and workers live. Anyone you meet can direct you to the nomarch’s compound. You should be there by dark.”
Tira rose. “I’ll leave now.”
The priestess clasped Tira’s hand. “May the spirit of Bast guide and guard you.”
Tira paused. “When I have these objects should I return here?”
“The goddess Bast and the god Horu will guide you. There are other temples to the goddess.”
The warrior beckoned. Tira followed her down the hall. The older woman slipped into one of the rooms along the hall. She returned and handed Tira a heavy pouch and a bundle she could fasten on her back. “A blanket and five changes of clothes. Coins for the journey.” She strode along the hall.
Tira pushed the small scroll into the bundle and fit her arms through the straps. The warrior opened a door into what Tira believed was the main temple. Drawing a deep breath she entered, halted and stared. A huge mural on the back wall showed the goddess surrounded by a variety of felines. One of the views showed Bast as a warrior, one within a circle of children and another of her offering the crook to a man and a necklace to a woman.
The beauty of the mural held her attention until the warrior touched her arm. “Come.”
They strode along a walk with plinths on either side leading to an open doorway. The highest pair flanked the mural. On each pillar an image of a cat stood. Some were created from preserved skins, some modeled from clay and others carved from wood, semi-precious stones and various rocks. Had there been any temple like this in the Egypt she had studied? She couldn’t remember reading of one.
One of the statues appeared to be carved from a smoky gray stone. As Tira passed, the cat stretched, yawned and leaped to the ground. Tira knelt so the feline could smell her hand.
The cat nipped the skin between Tira’s thumb and fingers. A shock of awareness swept through her body. Truly she had been chosen by this feline as a companion. As Tira rose the cat rubbed her legs. Tira lifted the feline into her arms.
The warrior laughed. “Bast Ka has chosen to become your spirit guardian. She will go with you.”
A rumbling purr vibrated against her chest. Bast Ka leaped to the ground and padded to the temple entrance where pillars carved into likenesses of cats flanked the rectangular doorway.
Tira followed. Though she would have loved to remain and explore the temple an urgency to be on the way filled her. She would return another time. This was her world until death claimed her.
That thought remained as she trailed Bast Ka from the temple. Occasionally the cat turned and stared at Tira. Beyond the entrance they passed walled enclosures where lions, leopards, cheetahs and a tri-colored breed she had never seen roamed. The huge cats moved toward the low wall. Bast Ka halted and yowled. The large felines retreated.
The warrior waited at the end of the walk. “This is your road.” She pointed to a path of packed earth. “Good fortune to you. May we meet again in this time and place. If not, surely in the afterworld. Remember all we have told you. I leave you now. Good hunting.”
“I’ll do my best.” Tira set off along the path. How much knowledge did she have of this new world? The spoken language was hers. She recognized and seemed to understand the things the priestess and warrior had told her. She knew what most of the foods had been and she had easily figured how to dress.
Wish I had a car. She could think the words but when she tried to utter them she couldn’t. She had been warned that would happen. She could bring nothing from the future of the other world into this one.
The sun moved toward mid-afternoon. To the right she saw the rushing water of the river. The sound of the cataracts seemed distant. On the other bank she saw granite cliffs. Along the edge of the path reeds grew.
Would she encounter crocodiles or other unfriendly creatures? She edged closer to the cliffs. She was alone but this wasn’t unusual. She seldom allowed others to cross the barriers she had erected. Her sister had been close but Luci had cared only about drugs and escape. In this time and place Tira regretted her sister’s death and the loss of a life poorly spent. Bast Ka purred. The sound brought comfort.
As she continued to walk, the sun sunk lower in the west. She wondered how far she had walked since leaving the temple. One thing she discovered was how much easier walking on dirt was than the concrete sidewalks she had known.
As the sunset flared in brilliant colors the river turned red and orange. When the light faded the water darkened. Tira smiled. She was almost where she had dreamed of being. Here was a different Egypt and a different time but she felt as if she belonged.
A crescent moon edged above the horizon. Stars appeared, more than she’d ever seen. There were no city lights to dull the night sky.
The cliffs on her left were further from the river. Ahead she saw the outline of buildings. Her stomach rumbled. Perhaps there would be a place where she could buy a meal and find somewhere to sleep. Were there restaurants and hotels in this land? She hoped to find someone to ask. Though she was wary of speaking to strangers perhaps the amulet would protect her.
Bast Ka jumped from her arms. The cat yowled and took the lead. Tira trotted after the feline. Where were they going and what would they find?
Kashe sat on the edge of his bed and stared at the sky. Ever since the priests of Aken Re and the hawk from Horu had arrived he had felt restless. One night he’d managed to escape and find relief at his favorite beer house. Three wins at arm wrestling had eased his edginess. His problems remained. He had to leave the compound before this moon ended to escape being further enmeshed in his father’s plans. Something held him back. He wasn’t sure what loomed ahead but he hoped he would soon learn.
The moon was a quarter full. The days until his father’s command must be obeyed oozed away. Kashe wore the Horu amulet and wondered why the remaining priest, his father and older brother had failed to see the medallion. Several times he had tried to inform the nomarch about being chosen by the god of the skies and discovered he couldn’t speak the words. Was there a reason? How would his father accept the news that his plans to rid himself of his troublesome son had failed?
With a groan Kashe walked to the window and searched the sky for his unusual companion. Hawks were birds of the day but Horu Ba flew by night. Why was the avian different from others of its kind?
Kashe studied the bundle he had prepared for a stealthy departure. He considered what weapons he should take when he left to find a temple of Horu. He intended to find one even if he had to travel to the delta.
A whisper of wings and a harsh cry announced Horu Ba’s arrival. Kashe held his arm for the hawk to land. Instead the bird’s cry demanded action. Kashe slipped through the window. The avian flew toward the rear gate. Kashe followed.
Just as they reached the edge of the village Horu Ba shot into the air. Kashe checked the area. What had caused the hawk to depart? A group of burly men swaggered from a beer house. He noticed one of them had a club. He searched for some way to avoid them. He had no desire for a fight. The gang surged forward.
When they parted Kashe saw the reason for his uneasiness. Hebu Aken Re, his father’s recent guest, walked with the men. Why?
“That’s him,” the serpent-eyed priest shouted. “Bring him to the house on the waterfront where I’m staying. You will be rewarded.”
So Hebu wasn’t content to wait until the moon ended. Did this man of the enemy have an agenda different from the other members of his priesthood? Kashe slid his knife from the sheath and prepared to fight.
Hebu paused. “See that he arrives alive.”
Though those words brought a lessening of Kashe’s tension, the odds against him were eight to one. Still he intended to fight. The first of the attackers sped toward him. Kashe waited until the man’s intentions were clear. He slashed with his knife and a line of blood appeared on the enemy’s chest. The man howled and retreated. Kashe moved to the side in an attempt to prevent being encircled. He ducked a swung club. The dodge saved him from a knife wielder. Instead of Kashe, the club bashed the man with the knife.
A cat yowled. An eerie shout answered. For a moment the attackers froze. A stranger kicked one of the enemies beneath the chin. An ally, Kashe thought. Another attacker charged the new arrival. In a blur the man flew through the air and slammed against the street. Kashe evaded a fist and dove forward. He connected with an attacker’s stomach. His ally faced another of the enemy and slashed the side of a hand against the man’s throat. Before long the eight river men sprawled on the ground.
Kashe drew a deep breath and turned to thank his ally. He stepped over fallen bodies. “Don’t know who you are or where you came from but you have my thanks.’
“No problem. You were in trouble.”
His eyes widened. The new arrival was a tall beautiful woman. Her skin was a warm brown several shades darker than his. Black hair, clipped short, formed tight curls. Her eyes were as dark as night. Her gaze filled with desire.
She strode toward him. Her eyes glittered and he saw her beaded nipples press against her breast band. His body responded to her scent. He was primed and she seemed willing.
He pulled her into his arms and pressed his mouth against hers. The touch felt as hot as the growing season’s sun at midday. He cupped her rear. The aroma of sweat and woman surrounded him. Her nipples tightened against his chest. She fit against him perfectly.
She slid her arms across his shoulders and stroked the skin beneath his warrior’s braid. He slipped a hand under the edge of her kilt and pressed her closer. With his teeth he tugged on her lower lip and gained entrance to her mouth. His engorged member throbbed with an urgent need for release.
The cat yowled again. Horu Ba screeched. Awareness of where he was and what he’d been about to do slammed into Kashe. He drew a deep breath and released her.
“Don’t stop,” she murmured.
He didn’t want to let her go but continuing wasn’t for here and now. “Not a good idea. The river men are stirring. We must go.”
She drew a deep breath. “You’re right.” She moved away and retrieved a bundle.
As she slid her arms through the straps moonlight glinted on the amulet she wore. Kashe examined the medallion. “Are you one of Bast’s warriors?”
“Sort of.” A smoke-gray cat bounded from the shadows. She lifted the feline. “I am Tira and this is Bast Ka.”
Kashe held his hand for the cat to sniff. Ka, he thought. Was the feline akin to the hawk? Did Bast Ka hold part of the goddess’ soul? He led Tira into an alley between two houses. “What are you doing away from the temple? I thought the warriors remained to guard the priestesses. I’ve never seen one travel alone.”
She coughed several times. “I was sent.”
“You can’t be an imposter. You wear the amulet. The sacred cat would not accompany any pretender.”
“I was brought from a far land to undertake a quest.”
He frowned. Was she one of the three he’d read about in the prophetic scroll Horu Ba had delivered? If so he had to temper his lust. “I see.” They left the alley and stepped onto a street. “Why did you come to this town?”
“I was sent here by the chief priestess.” She studied him and smiled. “You wear the wings of Horu.”
He nodded. “I’ve been chosen by the god of the skies though I do not know the purpose.”
“The chief priestess of Bast told me to visit the nomarch of Mero and ask to see some scrolls he has obtained from a temple of Toth.”
He laughed. “Your luck is good. The nomarch is my father. I’ll take you to him but not tonight.”
“Why not?”
“A priest of Aken Re visits the compound. He leaves tomorrow.” Kashe halted. “Why were you sent at such a late hour? The compound gates are locked at sunset.”
She grinned. “Perhaps she knew you would need help.”
He laughed. “Maybe she did. To the gods and goddesses we are but pawns.” He paused. “Why did they send you to my father? Couldn’t the information be discovered in some other place?”
“The chief priestess knows he favors Aken Re but she believes he would like a sandal in each camp. Will he refuse the favor I ask?”
“Not for an instant.” Kashe considered the priestess’ view of his father’s nature and knew she had spoken the truth. “He will help and ply you with questions. He’ll set my brothers on you. Namose will be discrete and Pian will resort to seduction. My father will seek to learn what you are doing, especially if the knowledge will advance his plots.”
“Plots?”
“He’s sure to have a number. My father has great ambitions. If giving you to the priests of Aken Re will advance him he will have no difficulty in aiding them. Those priests have no love for any of the gods and goddesses who guard and guide the people of the Two Lands.”
“Just who is this god?”