The God's Guardian by Preston Irene

Author:Preston, Irene
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Irene Preston
Published: 2024-10-21T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

Later, Bhaskar lay draped over Anu’s impressive chest. Lazily, he stoked his hand against the dark skin. A wealthy pilgrim to Badrinath had once showed him a black sapphire. Gazing into the polished stone, Bhaskar had felt as if the very essence of the night sky had been crystalized into its core. Anu’s skin was the same dark hue, as if he held power over light itself. If oiled, his skin would gleam with the same brilliance as the precious jewel.

Something strange occurred to him. “How did you know about the chariot?”

“Many people told me.” Anu sounded just as lazy. “You are known in this quarter, my star.”

Who knew him—and they had told Anu? The thought that Anu had shown enough interest for his friends to notice soothed the irritation of feeling as though he stood out as some exotic curiosity among the throngs of Alexandrians.

In the days that followed, he realized that once again he still had not learned as much about Anu as it seemed. He didn’t know where he lived, for instance. He knew that Anu’s family was from Kush, but not if they had recently arrived in Alexandria or had been here for generations. Anu spoke fluent Greek and Egyptian, but Bhaskar could not tell if his accent was that of a native Alexandrian.

He was not a pankratiast, but he had somehow failed to mention his actual profession. They had spoken at length of Bhaskar’s job, and Anu had followed the conversation with more understanding than Bhas had expected. This indicated a degree of education which contrasted with his simple attire. His shenti was of fine linen, but with no decorative dye or embroidery and his utilitarian sandals of good quality leather. The talisman from his grandfather was of irreplaceable worth; it was impossible to gauge its monetary value. The only other adornment had been the copper bands at his biceps one night and the stones in his ears tonight. He had obviously wanted to appear well. If his most prized jewelry was copper, Bhas thought it likely he had very limited funds. Perhaps Kushites did not adorn themselves, but Anu appeared to have adopted Egyptian fashion and the Egyptian elite placed a high value on fine clothing and jewelry to fit their status.

At least he no longer needed to fret over whether he would see the man again. After each meeting, Anu always suggested another outing. He had taken Bhaskar into the labyrinth of souks for shopping, surprising him with the discovery of a spice merchant from Pataliputra. Both Bhas and the merchant had been delighted, instantly lapsing into Sanskrit. He had not realized how much he missed his native tongue.

And the merchant had cardamom and cumin! The servants eyed the strange-colored powders with skepticism but did their best to incorporate them into his meals at home.

They had gone to several plays. Anu enjoyed phlyakes best. Bhaskar found them entertaining, but was not yet enough of an Alexandrian to appreciate the satire. They had even attended some poetry recitals.

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