Curse of the Sands by Martin Ferguson

Author:Martin Ferguson
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Published: 2020-04-27T04:00:00+00:00

28

ISIS, PRISONER OF SET—Palace of Tjenu, Capital of the upper & lower kingdoms of ancient Egypt

‘Isis,’ calls voice from the darkness. ‘Isis, where are you?’

‘Nephthys?’ I reply. ‘Sister, I am here! Here!’

‘Ra’s blessing that I found you,’ she says, reaching to me through the bars.

‘I thought you were dead,’ I say with joy until I see Nephthys properly in the dim light. She is dressed in lavish robes and glitters with jewels. A golden crown is upon her brow; it is my crown.

‘Sister, did you know?’ I ask of her.

‘No,’ she says. ‘I swear to you, I had no idea. Set had his men escort me away as the prayers began.’

‘You had no suspicion?’ I question, my anger rising. ‘You had no idea your husband would betray Osiris, our king? You had no idea he would murder my beloved?’

‘I swear it to you,’ she pleads. ‘Ra strike me down if I lie. I did not know. I pray for your husband’s soul…’

‘That will wander the underworld in eternal suffering because of your husband’s actions.’

‘I cannot undo what happened,’ Nephthys says. ‘But I can help you now.’

She places a key into lock of the cell door, opening it and freeing me before hurrying to the cell of Anubis.

‘You do not have much time,’ Nephthys urges. ‘I tainted the wine of the guards but they will not sleep forever. Set will kill you all if he finds you. Get out of the city and never return.’

‘Come with us, Mother,’ Anubis says, leaving his cell and reclaiming his jackal helmet from the ground where Set discarded it. ‘Don’t stay here with that monster.’

‘Though I did not know of Set’s plot, I must atone for my sins in not coming to your aid during the feast. For that, I shall eternally seek forgiveness. You must go. I cannot let my son and sister be executed.’

In the next cell, we find Rivonous, with cuts across his body. He is heavy and limp. He had fought to protect me after Osiris fell, defeating countless men before they finally overwhelmed him. How he still lives is a miracle; a gift of Ra. Anubis finds two more of his men, Oxa and Paydun, guards of Osiris captured at the feast.

‘My Queen, we ask for your forgiveness,’ Oxa states. He is a big, dark man with long hair tied back with a leather strap.

‘We should have protected him,’ Paydun says. He wears the mark of Ra across his cheek and his head is shaved of hair. ‘We swore oaths to protect our king and we failed him.’

‘If you wish it, we offer our lives as penance,’ Oxa swears.

‘No,’ I tell them. ‘There was nothing you could have done. Claim your freedom and escape this place.’

‘We will remain with you, my Queen,’ Paydun says. ‘We offer our lives in service, as we did to our true King, Osiris.’

‘I am no longer your queen,’ I say.

‘You are still our queen,’ Oxa states firmly.

I see there is no point in arguing further.

‘Thank you,’ I say.

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