The early morning sunlight glinted on the sand and bounced
off the rocks rising in erratic patterns from the ground. Merin gripped the
saddle with one hand and the reins with the other. The swaying rhythm of the
camel lulled her into a fugue state. Her eyes drifted shut and her thoughts
wandered to the past. Once again she stood in the courtyard of the women’s
court of the temple the priests of Aken Re had stolen from the priests of Toth.
The fat priest raised his hands. The strange words he
chanted rose in pitch. Dark clouds gathered. Bast Ka, sacred cat of the
goddess, grew larger and attacked. Merin screamed.
A soft meow and a rumbling purr pulled her from the scene
that had haunted her for days. How much longer would she continue to see that
incident on the day of her escape? That had been the moment she deserted Tira.
Merin’s stomach lurched. She swallowed again and again to keep from spewing all
she’d eaten and drunk during the long days of aimless flight.
Was Bast Ka an avatar of the goddess? With one hand she
stroked the cat’s silky gray fur. With each touch she repeated the command
she’d been given. “Go to the delta. Find the pharaoh-to-be.” Would
finding him complete her task or was there more?
She glanced at the rising sun and knew midday would soon
arrive. Shelter was needed. She scanned the horizon for a refuge from the sun’s
hot rays. Did those distant rocks promise shelter? Were they really there or
was this a vision caused by the bright light?
She touched the nearly empty water sack. What would she do
if she couldn’t find a source of sweet water? Even with the water, her
remaining food supply had dwindled and she had no coins to buy more. Once again
she regretted the spooked flight,
She neared the jagged rocks and saw an order to their
placement. Merin urged the camel forward. Bast Ka leaped to the ground and
dashed away. When the camel reached the fallen stones she found a pool of clear
water shaded by a rocky overhang. She tapped the camel and dismounted.
As she explored the rocks she realized this had once been
a temple of Bast
Before setting camp, Merin prowled the ruins. She found no
bones of humans or sacred cats, only the shattered images. Though she wanted to
blame the enemy for destruction there was no proof. The temple could have been
laid waste during the war that had occurred in the year of her birth. She would
never know the answers.
She hobbled the camel in a patch of grass beneath a palm
tree. This done she set her camp. Bast Ka brought a huge lizard. Merin skinned
the creature. She seared some of the meat in a small fire and added the rest
and the last of the lentils to water and set it to cook beneath the sun’s
heated rays. With a sigh she curled on her blanket beneath the wide overhang.
The cat lay beside her.
Merin’s thoughts churned with questions. Would she ever
learn what had happened to her friends? Were Namose, Tira and Kashe safe? Had
they delivered the symbols of the rule to a safe place? Why had Bast Ka
deserted Tira? Not that Merin disliked the cat’s companionship. Did the
avatar’s presence mean she was now the focus of the goddess’ power?
A shudder racked her body as images of the death of Pian
and the fat priest surfaced. The screams had deafened her and sent her into
panicked flight, only pausing long enough the grab the packs she had prepared.
The arrival of a saddled camel driven from the animal pens by a jaguar had
seemed welcome. She had planned to stop at the temple for the queen’s jewelry
but the animal had bolted through an opening in the gates.
Merin wasn’t sure how many days had passed since the
escape. She’d succumbed to the panic and days had flown past before she’d
thought to count. She shifted position and finally slept.
MY PLACES
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BUY MARK
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