and her pulse raced as her eyes scanned the royal palace of Mantu. Which of those rooms would be hers, she wondered? Glorious visions flashed through her mind. Of golden couches, lavish drapes. Food served on silver platters as harpists strummed in the corner.
A far cry from - where was it? oh, there - that puny arrowslit which represented her current bedroom window. Ha! Donata wouldn't miss that cramped crate of a room, devoid of furniture apart from a narrow bed, a chest and stool! Imagine her surprise when, two nights ago, she had returned from prayers to find a goblet waiting beside her pillow, full of wine. Wine, when only beer was served at mealtimes. Wine. The nectar of the Pharaoh.
Who left it there, or when, were mysteries, but Donata had drunk the wine and maybe she had drunk it too fast, because almost immediately her head had begun to swim, her limbs had felt weighted, paralysed. Figures had started to swirl before her in the mist. One minute Anubis, his black jackal head thrust close to hers, then the ferocious beak of Horus was peering at her, and then Thoth.
'Sister, you have been chosen,' Thoth announced, 'as the next Bride of Ra.'
With clouded vision and a drumming in her ears, Donata could not form a reply, but she recalled Thoth's ibis beak moving up and down as he informed her in a low undertone that the decision was, as always, secret and that if she told a living soul, just one, she would be discarded as unworthy for the god. Did Donata understand?
Donata understood. She had no intention of remaining among that lot of bitches any longer than she had to, and they'd find out soon enough that it was she, Donata, who had been the chosen one, and never mind their spiteful tongues about her squint. Ra saw beyond the physical and knew her spirit to be pure, and who would have the last laugh then, eh?
The following morning - yesterday - when she awoke, the goblet had gone and Donata feared it had been nothing but a dream. A raising of her hopes. A silly vision. But the directions
had been so specific that, after the early hymn to RA, she had slipped away and there, where Thoth had told her, she had found the twisted chestnut tree. And now, as she watched the hive of activity down in the valley below, the fetching in of vegetables from the fields, the harvesting of the beans and barley, she knew it had been no dream.
'You have told no one?'
Gasping with surprise, she turned, and saw that it was Horus who had descended silently from heaven to escort her to the bridal chamber. His falcon eyes glittered behind the mask, his long silver-threaded cloak splayed about him on the ground.
'Not a living soul, my Lord, and Thoth will bear witness, for he is the God of Wisdom from whom no secret can be hid.'
'Perfect.' The beak nodded solemnly. 'Perfect, my child. Now kneel you before this holy stone.'
Donata fell to her knees, grateful beyond words that she hadn't succumbed to the urge to sit on it!
'Close your eyes.'
Donata closed her eyes. She could hear a swish of clothing. Was it Ra? Osiris come to her? Or the blessed Pharaoh, Mantu? 'My lord, your servant waits,' she whispered. 'I am ready—'
The words ended in a gargle as something clamped round her throat and tightened.
'And so I am!' a harsh voice rasped. 'Oh, so am I, my beauty!'
Chapter Four
Claudia was taking breakfast in the shade of the peristyle when Julia came screaming in, clutching the message. 'Will you look at this!' she cried, waving aloft the scruffy piece of parchment. 'The monsters!'
Claudia speared a chunk of spicy sausage on her knife. Delicious. It had been smoked for months over pine ash until it turned red, and then grilled in the kitchen over charcoals.
'I should have thought, sister-in-law, you'd have affected at least a polite interest in the ransom note!' Lazy little baggage, breaking her fast at this ungodly hour, and her own stepdaughter's life hanging in the balance! Julia's
A far cry from - where was it? oh, there - that puny arrowslit which represented her current bedroom window. Ha! Donata wouldn't miss that cramped crate of a room, devoid of furniture apart from a narrow bed, a chest and stool! Imagine her surprise when, two nights ago, she had returned from prayers to find a goblet waiting beside her pillow, full of wine. Wine, when only beer was served at mealtimes. Wine. The nectar of the Pharaoh.
Who left it there, or when, were mysteries, but Donata had drunk the wine and maybe she had drunk it too fast, because almost immediately her head had begun to swim, her limbs had felt weighted, paralysed. Figures had started to swirl before her in the mist. One minute Anubis, his black jackal head thrust close to hers, then the ferocious beak of Horus was peering at her, and then Thoth.
'Sister, you have been chosen,' Thoth announced, 'as the next Bride of Ra.'
With clouded vision and a drumming in her ears, Donata could not form a reply, but she recalled Thoth's ibis beak moving up and down as he informed her in a low undertone that the decision was, as always, secret and that if she told a living soul, just one, she would be discarded as unworthy for the god. Did Donata understand?
Donata understood. She had no intention of remaining among that lot of bitches any longer than she had to, and they'd find out soon enough that it was she, Donata, who had been the chosen one, and never mind their spiteful tongues about her squint. Ra saw beyond the physical and knew her spirit to be pure, and who would have the last laugh then, eh?
The following morning - yesterday - when she awoke, the goblet had gone and Donata feared it had been nothing but a dream. A raising of her hopes. A silly vision. But the directions
had been so specific that, after the early hymn to RA, she had slipped away and there, where Thoth had told her, she had found the twisted chestnut tree. And now, as she watched the hive of activity down in the valley below, the fetching in of vegetables from the fields, the harvesting of the beans and barley, she knew it had been no dream.
'You have told no one?'
Gasping with surprise, she turned, and saw that it was Horus who had descended silently from heaven to escort her to the bridal chamber. His falcon eyes glittered behind the mask, his long silver-threaded cloak splayed about him on the ground.
'Not a living soul, my Lord, and Thoth will bear witness, for he is the God of Wisdom from whom no secret can be hid.'
'Perfect.' The beak nodded solemnly. 'Perfect, my child. Now kneel you before this holy stone.'
Donata fell to her knees, grateful beyond words that she hadn't succumbed to the urge to sit on it!
'Close your eyes.'
Donata closed her eyes. She could hear a swish of clothing. Was it Ra? Osiris come to her? Or the blessed Pharaoh, Mantu? 'My lord, your servant waits,' she whispered. 'I am ready—'
The words ended in a gargle as something clamped round her throat and tightened.
'And so I am!' a harsh voice rasped. 'Oh, so am I, my beauty!'
Chapter Four
Claudia was taking breakfast in the shade of the peristyle when Julia came screaming in, clutching the message. 'Will you look at this!' she cried, waving aloft the scruffy piece of parchment. 'The monsters!'
Claudia speared a chunk of spicy sausage on her knife. Delicious. It had been smoked for months over pine ash until it turned red, and then grilled in the kitchen over charcoals.
'I should have thought, sister-in-law, you'd have affected at least a polite interest in the ransom note!' Lazy little baggage, breaking her fast at this ungodly hour, and her own stepdaughter's life hanging in the balance! Julia's
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