Under the Stone Paw by Theresa Crater

Author:Theresa Crater
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Crystal Star Publishing

* * *

Sunday morning dawned bright and the birds sang the sun up with all the abandon of a kindergarten playground. Anne was beginning to see the wisdom of the schedule Tahir had laid out for them. Up at dawn, out to the sites early to beat the heat and the other tourists, a late lunch, and back to the hotel to nap in the afternoon. Evenings would be spent answering questions or just relaxing. She reached into her drawer to pull out a T-shirt, but found the one she’d wanted to wear at the bottom, slightly wrinkled. It surprised her. She was usually careful to fold her clothes because she hated wrinkles and ironing equally.

She dressed in a khaki skirt, cotton T-shirt, and a broad-brimmed straw hat, then knocked on Arnold’s door to receive her escort for the day, this time the man himself. They headed down for the breakfast buffet. As early as she was, Tahir was already sitting before a plate piled high with scrambled eggs, fruit, and bread. Anne filled her own plate and joined him. Arnold sat at an adjoining table.

“You slept well, I trust?” Tahir asked.

“Yes, now that the Sphinx has decided to let me be.”

He looked up. “What happened?”

Anne described her experience the first night she’d arrived in Egypt. In the middle of her story, Michael joined them with a plateful of eggs, hummus, olives, and pita bread. Arnold nodded cordially to him. Apparently Dr. Abernathy had put an end to the frisking. Anne filled Michael in on what he’d missed.

“So what was that all about?” she asked Tahir.

“You Michael? Any experiences with the Sphinx?”

“I always feel that I should see her first thing every time I come to Egypt, and she welcomes me,” he said. “This time she told me to go see you.”

“It is appropriate to begin with the Sphinx,” Tahir said. “Why do you say ‘she’?”

“The voice has always sounded female to me.”

“According to our tradition, the Sphinx’s proper name is Tefnut. You know Nut?”

“Yes,” Michael said.

Anne shook her head.

“I will show you as we go to the temples. Nut is the great cosmic mother of all. She is the vault of the sky, the darkness behind the stars.”

“Like the Black Virgin?” Anne asked. “Thomas told me about her.”

Tahir raised his eyebrows.

Michael explained. “The Black Virgin is the Christian version of the primordial dark mother.”

“Nut is shown as a woman. Her hands and feet are on the ground, her back is the sky and stars in the background of blue. In the beginning of the current cycle, Nut spit on the Earth. From that came the Sphinx. The name ‘Tefnut’ means ‘spittle of Nut.’ Tefnut was the first manifestation on the planet of the ancient civilization. She is an aspect of the Great Mother, which is why you felt overwhelmed by her energy, Anne. When she pounces, the lioness can frighten the cub.”

Anne smiled at the idea.

“How old is she then?” Michael asked.

“This particular statue? At first it was an outcropping of limestone where the people used to go to energize themselves.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.