Reawakened (The Reawakened Series) (13 page)

“Isis told her husband that Seth’s advances had become more and more intolerable and that their brother had finally gone too far—he actually attempted to lay his hands upon her. Fortunately she was able to use her magic to deflect his unwanted attention. Osiris questioned Seth, but the ruler’s brother had become a smooth liar. He accused Isis of misunderstanding his intentions and assured Osiris that he was happily married to not only one wife but several. He asked, ‘What need have I to take my brother’s wife as well?’ ”

“Devious,” I murmured as I made a note.

“Osiris, a good-natured man, believed the best of everyone, including his brother, and he soothed his wife, telling her she must have misunderstood. But Isis was clever. She guessed that Seth was up to something, and soon she was proved right.”

“What did Seth do?” I asked, fascinated by the story.

“He ordered a beautiful wooden chest made. It was exquisitely crafted, overlaid with pure gold, and built to the exact dimensions of Osiris.”

“A chest for a body? Like a coffin?” I waved my hand. “I mean, a sarcophagus?”

“Exactly. Seth threw a great feast in honor of Osiris and then offered this beautiful chest to whoever could fit in it. Several people tried, probably thinking of winning all that gold, but there was no one who fit exactly.”

“No one except his brother.”

“Correct. Soon everyone had tried to fit into the chest, but no one had yet won the item. Seth taunted his brother, saying that perhaps it was only ‘fit for a king,’ and invited Osiris to try his luck. Isis begged her husband not to attempt it, for she sensed a deception, but Osiris saw no harm in it and was delighted that his brother would bring him such a prize.

“Osiris climbed into the box, and immediately Seth and his servants sealed the lid with molten lead. As the men carried the box containing Osiris out of the palace, Seth cornered Isis. He had an amulet that protected him from her magic, and he was determined to take possession not only of the throne but of his sister as well. The only thing Isis could do was to use the power of the moon to escape. She leapt upon a moonbeam and vanished.

“Later, she discovered that the chest had been thrown into the Nile. By the time she was able to raise the box, it had been broken into by crocodiles and her husband’s body had been torn to pieces.”

“That’s horrible!”

“Yes.”

“I don’t understand. If Osiris was dead, how was Horus born? Was he a child when it happened?”

“Ah, well, you see, Isis was a very determined woman. She did not accept the demise of her husband. She called upon all the power at her disposal and was able to gather the pieces of his body, slaying many crocodiles in the undertaking.”

I wrinkled my nose. “Ew. For what purpose?”

“Resurrection.” At my raised eyebrow, Amon shifted toward me and explained, “After all the pieces were gathered, Isis summoned Anubis and told him she needed his help to get her husband back.”

“Did it work?”

“After a fashion. Anubis carefully wrapped the pieces together, placing foot to leg and leg to torso until he formed the shape of a man. If a leg or an arm was too mangled, or if a finger or a toe was missing, Isis filled the body in with the limbs of the crocodiles she’d cut her husband’s remains from.

“With Isis chanting spells the entire time, Anubis embalmed the remains of Osiris and was able to unite the five components of her husband. He had re-formed the body, had loaned his own
ba
—his power—connected the
shuwt
—the shadow—and called the ka to return, naming the bound form with its
ren,
or name: Osiris.

“Together Anubis and Isis generated a powerful wind that swirled around the form, raising it into the air. The figure moved and was brought gently down to stand upon its feet. Osiris was Egypt’s very first mummy. Weeping, Isis removed the wrappings from her husband and found him once again whole and perfect except for his skin, which had become as green as a crocodile’s. She rejoiced, but Anubis sadly informed her that the magic that brought her husband back to life came with a price.

“Anubis explained that Osiris must be forever bound to the afterlife. Isis and Osiris were allowed to remain together one night, and then he had to depart from her side and take his place with Anubis. There he watches over the scales of judgment and commands the Land of the Dead.”

“So during that one night she got pregnant?”

“Correct. Seth, thwarted in the pursuit of his sister, took possession of the throne. He was confident that there was no one to rival him since Osiris had never fathered an heir.”

“But then Horus was born.”

Amon nodded. “Horus was the delight of his mother, and he inherited a portion of her power. His mother channeled the moon in her magic, and Horus was granted a great gift from the moon. He was born with filmy eyes that could see in the darkness. It was said that his eyes could create light. Horus could see great distances and he could discern the tiniest detail. Prey could not hide from him and he could find the truth amidst lies.

“Isis nurtured her son and his gifts. He was raised in secret, and his mother took on a new identity to prevent Seth from finding them. When Horus was of age, Isis took her son and approached Amun-Ra himself, asking for his help in returning her son to his rightful place as a ruler. Amun-Ra was disinclined to help. Horus had no experience and Seth had become very powerful.

“Frustrated, Isis turned to magic. She called an asp from the desert and hand-fed him a rat that she had poisoned with magic. The vermin did not kill the snake, but the poison made the asp’s venom powerful enough to harm a god, even one as potent as Amun-Ra.

“Knowing where the god liked to walk every evening, Isis placed the snake in his path. He ignored it as he did most creatures since he could not be harmed, and when the snake bit, he chuckled and continued on his walk.

“At sundown, Amun-Ra rode the ceremonial barque through the underworld, and just as he emerged to begin a new day, he collapsed, a victim of Isis’s poison. Runners were sent out to find a cure, and Isis quickly made her way to Amun-Ra’s side. She whispered in his ear that if he told her his true name, she would give him the antidote. Desperate, he agreed.”

“What was his true name and why did she want it?” I asked.

“I do not know. As part of their arrangement Isis was never allowed to reveal it. Isis healed Amun-Ra and then used his true name to force him to help her son. When you know the true name of a being, be they god, human, or animal, you gain power over them.”

“But I have only one name.”

“That is because you have not yet discovered your true name.”

“I’m not sure I have one.”

“Every living thing does. Your true name represents your ideal self. The person you are at the center. The name that is engraved upon your heart.”

“Do you have a true name?”

“I do.”

“And it isn’t Amon?”

He shook his head. “I was given the name Amon when I was called to my purpose.”

“Then why wouldn’t Amon be your true name?”

Amon took my hand and pressed my palm against his chest. “In my heart, I know it is not.”

With his hand wrapped around mine, I could feel the familiar warmth from his fingers, but I could also feel a more intense heat coming from his chest.

I moved my hand away, though he seemed reluctant to let go of it. Clearing my throat, I picked up my notebook and skimmed through my scribblings. “The eye power you were talking about seems different from what you do.”

“It is both the same and different. Shall I continue the story?”

Nodding, I nibbled on the pencil eraser and crossed my legs, shifting the notebook to my lap.

“Isis invoked the true name of Amun-Ra in a spell that would release him only when three demands were met. Her first request was to instate Horus to his father’s position. Second, she asked to accompany Amun-Ra on his nightly journey to the underworld as often as she wished so that she might visit Osiris.”

“And third?”

“She asked for something no other had ever dared. Isis told Amun-Ra that she wanted her son not only to be the rightful heir of Osiris but also to be named the heir of Amun-Ra himself.”

“That’s how he became the son of Amun-Ra?”

“Yes. Amun-Ra had to grant the three wishes of Isis, and, as a result, adopted Horus as his own son.”

“I’ll bet Seth didn’t like that.”

“Not at all. Seth immediately challenged Horus and they began a series of tiresome battles.”

“Didn’t Amun-Ra try to stop it?”

“No. He thought battling Seth would be a good opportunity for Horus to prove that he was worthy of the great god’s attention. Three tests were arranged—a test of strength, a test of skill, and a test of power. To show strength, they fought for three months as hippopotamuses, but they were evenly matched. Next, they were both to build ships of stone and race them down the Nile, but Horus cheated and painted a wooden ship to look like stone. While Seth’s boat sank, Horus won the race, but his trick was discovered and once again there was no winner.

“Finally, a hunt was organized. Whichever man could find Nebu, the golden stallion that roamed the desert, tame him, and bring him to Amun-Ra would be declared the winner.

“Seth had heard the rumor that Horus had very powerful eyes and he worried that Horus would likely be the first to find Nebu, so in an act of desperation, he stole upon Horus while he slept and ripped his eyes from their sockets. He hurled the orbs across the dunes and left a blind Horus to die while he went in search of the famous horse.

“Without his eyes, Horus was stripped of immortality. For months, he wandered the desert alone but for a falcon he befriended. The bird brought him meat, which he ate raw, and it became his faithful companion. Horus realized that his ambition and power had made him arrogant. Every day he turned his face to the desert sun and promised his new father, Amun-Ra, that he would change his ways and become the kind of leader the people needed.

“Weeks passed and Amun-Ra decided that Horus had been punished enough. Disguised as an old woman, he approached Horus and cried out for help. Horus sent his falcon to find the woman and followed the call of the bird until he came upon her. He offered what assistance he could and, to his surprise, the woman changed form. Feeling the warmth of the sun god, Horus knelt at Amun-Ra’s feet and begged for forgiveness. He asked not to be instated but to be taken to his mother so he could be comforted by her love before he died. Amun-Ra took pity on Horus and exclaimed that not only would he see his mother with his own eyes, but his power would be restored as well.

“This time one eye, his left eye, retained the power of the moon, but in his right eye, Amun-Ra bestowed the power of the sun and made Horus his heir in truth. The Wadjet, or Eye of Horus, can be seen in art and carvings all over Egypt. It is said that an amulet made with the Eye of Horus can ward off evil, shielding its bearer from harm. The symbol is a sign of the protection of the god Amun-Ra and is a reminder that when we are stripped of all we hold dear, we can finally see the truth.”

“So, in a way, you are under the protection of Amun-Ra and you can see the truth when you look at people?” I asked.

“There are other powers associated with it as well. I can draw energy from the sun, see in the darkness, and seek out things that are hidden.”

“Is that how you found me in New York?”

“Yes, that and my connection to you. I probably could have found you without our connection, but it would have taken a long time. Your city is the largest I have ever laid eyes upon.”

I grunted. “It’s one of the biggest in the world, but I think there are a few in China that are bigger.”

“It is hard to conceive of.”

“It’s hard for a lot of people, even for many who have been born in this time. So did Seth ever find the golden horse?”

“He did, but he could not capture it. After Amun-Ra healed Horus, he banished Seth, who was enveloped by a desert storm, never to appear again until my own time. Nebu the golden stallion became a legend. Many men died seeking him in the desert. Amun-Ra’s challenge has never fulfilled, and there were many who thought they could become the heir of the sun god if they captured and tamed the famous horse.”

“Will you tell me about that, too?”

“Perhaps later, Young Lily.”

“I didn’t know sun gods needed rest.”

Amon closed his eyes and murmured, “Your questions have finally tired me.”

“Well, you are
very
old,” I teased.

Opening his eyes to slits, Amon turned his head toward me. “Not old enough that I cannot rein in lovely tormenters who bedevil me with questions and delight in afflicting me with all manner of inducements.”

I was going to ask him what he meant by inducements, but then he sighed and nestled his head against my shoulder. My nose was pressed into his hair. It was as soft as a newborn’s and I couldn’t help but inhale the scent of him—warm amber and myrrh. Adjusting himself by shifting even closer, he covered both of us with a blanket and quickly fell asleep.

My body was lulled by the contact as little pulses of warmth sank into my skin. Questions still swirled in my mind, but I turned off the light and let the darkness of the plane envelop me. I tried to quiet my thoughts, but instead I imagined what it must have felt like to wander the desert, blinded. A falcon cried and I jerked awake just as the captain announced our descent into Cairo.

With his sunshine smile, Amon bade each crew member best wishes before disembarking. By the time he was finished, he was confident enough to not only find his way around the airport, which would have been challenging even for me, but to gain us access to a VIP lounge where we could refresh ourselves.

After I’d rinsed out my mouth, brushed my hair, and washed my face, I met Amon in the waiting area, where he handed me a bottle of water. I was exhausted, and not just because I hadn’t slept very long. It was something deeper, and I sensed that my connection to Amon was a primary cause. Amon noticed my exhaustion, too.

“You are weary, Young Lily.”

Sipping my water, I nodded.

“Come,” he said, leading me to some very comfortable-looking chairs next to large windows. I sat in one while he stood directly in front of me. The sunlight helped a bit, but my eyes still felt swollen and, despite my having downed my water, my mouth felt gritty and dry.

Amon pressed his fingers against my cheek and his eyes remained closed for several moments. “Well, doctor? What’s the diagnosis? Am I going to live?” I asked, half joking and half fearing his answer.

Frowning, Amon picked up my hand and squeezed it lightly. “You need to rest,” he announced.

“I already knew that.”

Though concern was written all over his face, he tried to hide it. “Then let us be on our way,” he said gently.

Amon helped me stand and then wrapped his arms around me. Immediately, I panicked. “Whoa, there! Wait a just a minute, Mister
I Dream of Jeannie.
Why don’t you save the sand travel for when we really need it?”

Pausing, Amon took stock of our surroundings. “Perhaps you are right. Let us find a golden chariot.”

Tagging along behind him, I said, “They might not be golden in Egypt, you know.”

“Ah, yes. Cairo is likely much more advanced than your city of Manhattan. We will find some fast horses.”

“Um, you might want to prepare yourself for a little culture shock,” I cautioned as we headed toward the doors. “I don’t think you’ll find Egypt like it was a thousand years ago.”

“They are still my people. I am sure the city will be much like I remember.”

“Okay, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Amon’s face darkened when we stepped out into the bright sunshine. The city stretched before us, and it was undeniably not what Amon had been hoping for. He glared at me when I quipped, “See? Not even a camel.”

Approaching an airport security guard, Amon adjusted my bag on his shoulder and began speaking with the guy. When he returned, I saw the guard on his walkie-talkie. “What’s up?” I asked.

“He will arrange a VIP chariot for us.” Pointing to one of the small black-and-white taxis that sped by, Amon added, “I will not bend my body to fit into a chariot so small. My sarcophagus was more spacious.”

I laughed, shifting closer to him so a large group of people could pass us, and Amon wrapped his hands protectively around my shoulders. There were many tourist groups from several different cultures and countries. Amon cocked his head and listened as they passed. “There are so many languages,” he said finally.

“Egypt is a pretty popular tourist destination.”

“What does this mean, ‘tourist destination’?”

“Well, many visitors come to Egypt to see the pyramids or other relics of the past.”

“What kinds of relics?” The car arrived, and the driver rushed out to take the bag from Amon.

“Artifacts like pottery, art, jewelry, old writings on papyrus, mummies, that sort of thing.”

Amon had my door halfway open but halted. “They visit Egypt to view the dead? See the bodies of those who have left this life?”

Suddenly, I became aware of how disrespectful that seemed. “Um, yes. Though I think some of the more fragile mummies are kept locked away from the public. I suppose you could think of it as the people of this time paying their respects to the kings and pharaohs of old. No one is allowed to touch them, and they’re usually preserved under glass.”

Amon didn’t say anything for a moment, and I could tell he was rolling the idea around in his head.

When we were settled in the car, Amon said to the driver, “We are VIP travelers seeking respite from our journey. We require refreshment, new clothing, and supplies.”

The driver raised his eyebrows at Amon, chanced a look at me, and asked in English, “Where do you like to go?”

“Take us to a nice hotel.”

“Cheap nice, or pay-the-money nice?”

Amon leaned forward. “The fee is immaterial.”

“Pay-a-lot-of-money nice,” I clarified.

“Very good.”

The driver sped off, taking what I suspected was the long route, but I didn’t complain. It was nice to watch Amon as he took in the changes to the city.

“How far are the pyramids of Giza?” I asked the driver.

“Not far. Maybe thirty-five, forty kilometers. You want to go today?”

“No. Today, we rest.”

“Very good.”

“The weather is cooler than I expected. Is this normal?”

“April is spring in Cairo,” the driver explained. “Very nice.”

I played with my phone and discovered that the pyramids were about twenty miles from the airport. Converting to cubits, I whispered, “Sixty-seven thousand five hundred cubits.”

Amon just grunted in response, totally transfixed by the scenes outside the window. Modern Cairo was a bustling city. Like New York, it had a mix of both old and new buildings, except that
old
had an entirely different meaning in Egypt.

We passed mosques and bazaars, cemeteries and museums, luxury towers and apartment buildings, and theaters and shops, but unlike New York, Cairo had an ancient feel, and it wasn’t hard to imagine that if the people slowed down enough, the desert dust that constantly lapped at the edges of the city would rise up like a hungry wild beast and consume civilization, dragging it back into the sand and burying it so completely that Cairo would quickly be lost, like the cities of old.

The driver finally pulled up in front of a large hotel with a beautiful circular pool and fountain. Palm trees lined the drive, and two large columns, carved to look like ancient obelisks, stretched to the sky on either side of the pool.

We got out, and as Amon spun in a slow circle, I fumbled for my credit card. Amon then turned his attention back to us. Fixing his gaze on the driver, he murmured a few words, and without further comment, the man turned his head, put the car in gear, and drove off.
I wonder how long we’re going to be able to keep doing this.

The hotel was opulent, and other than the decor, I could have easily mistaken it for an upscale building in Manhattan. The lobby boasted a five-star restaurant, and the outer sections were lined with expensive shops selling women’s clothing, designer handbags and luggage, and souvenirs; a bar; and an after-hours lounge. There was even a perfumery.

Amon hypnotized the guy at the front desk, and we were soon swept with our meager belongings up to the top floor. They gave Amon keys to the minibar and to a VIP lounge where we could dine in private if we wished. After teaching him how to order from the room service menu, I disappeared into the shower.

Donning a robe and thinking I’d head to bed wearing it instead of my rumpled clothes, I ducked my head into the next room to find Amon surrounded by dishes of food. He sat in the sunshine coming in from the window, not eating. Our view was incredible. Far below was the beautiful Nile, sunlight twinkling across its surface. Though his hair and skin were gleaming, I’d never seen him so melancholy.

“I see you’ve ordered a feast. Aren’t you hungry?” I asked.

“I have no passion for food.”

“That’s very unlike you.”

“Yes. Do you see, Lily?” Amon pointed to the Nile. “I have ridden on this very river countless times and yet I do not know this place.”

“I’m sure the water has eroded the banks over time—”

“I do not mean the dimensions of the river; I mean the land, the people around it. They have been lost, stolen. They have disappeared like the dew before the sun.”

“Amon”—I took his hand and gripped it in mine—“they…we…are still your people. We have new technology, we travel by different means, we have all kinds of jobs you’ve probably never even considered possible, but we are the same. We still have the same needs—we drink, eat, seek friendship and love. We worry over those we care for. We fight in battles. We are hurt. We become ill, and we die.”

“Yes. But perhaps you no longer need a…relic…such as me. Maybe it is time for me to sleep under the glass like the others, never to rise again.”

I wondered how it would feel to waken only once every thousand years, to see the world change and move on without me, to have no ties to anyone, no family.
He must be terribly lonely.
Though we were as different as two people could possibly be, I knew what being alone did to a person.

Turning my head, I stared at the blue river gleaming below. “The Nile has nurtured and fed countless generations, and it’s still here serving and providing for the people of Egypt. Many may walk along its shore and take it for granted. They may not even think about the kings who rode its waves or the people who depended upon it for drinking water or for crops, but that doesn’t lessen its impact. It doesn’t lessen its importance. Your people may not know you. They may walk past you in the street and never feel your power, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t
need
you.”

I didn’t know what else to say. I knew how different this raising must have been for him when compared with the other times. Then he was celebrated and now he was forgotten.

Looking up, Amon said, “You are right, Lily.”

“What? How?” I had just been thinking that I was very wrong.

“It does not matter if we acknowledge the sun; it continues to shine regardless of the heed we give it. If my efforts go without recognition, then so be it. I pledged my service to the people of Egypt, and I will continue to provide it until such time as Egypt no longer has need.”

“When might that be?”

“When there is no longer a threat of darkness.”

“That might never happen.”

“Then I shall continue to serve.”

Amon’s hazel eyes looked haunted.

“How are you handling all of this? I mean, all the changes you see in the world must be staggering.”

“You are how I…handle it, Lily.”

“What do you mean?”

“It is difficult to explain.”

“Can you try?”

“My mind can understand the world through your eyes. Take your phone, for example. If I concentrate, I can picture you using it. I see in my mind how you rely upon the device, and though I cannot understand it fully, I do not fear it.”

“What about the planes and cars and skyscrapers?” He cocked his head and focused on me. “Wait, you’re doing it right now, aren’t you? Are you looking for the definition of skyscraper?”

“Yes.”

“It means these large buildings.”

“Ah. Though I can catch pictures and emotions from any person I choose, there is a special connection to you. It is more than the Eye. Our bond not only provides me with energy but also steadies me. Without you I would be a barque tossed upon a stormy sea without sail or anchor. I would be truly lost.”

“So have you bonded like this with other people? When you rose before, I mean?”

“No. You are the first.”

“Why didn’t you bond with others? Didn’t you need their help?”

“A bonding is a fusing of all five aspects of myself with another. Boundaries between the two people involved can easily become blurred. It is an…intimate thing.”

“Is that why I have a hard time controlling what I say? I mean, it’s like everything I think just spills out of me whether I want it to or not.”

Amon nodded. “Your inner thoughts and feelings have been drawn to the surface. In the past, I have known where I was and the work I had to do. My jars of death were always near, so I did not need to rely upon another. My brothers woke the same day as I did, and together we accomplished our purpose without imposing our will upon a mortal. The bond was never enacted because it was never needed. I will always be sorry for the burden this connection places upon you.”