Chapter Thirty Two: The Deed is Done
Kiya passed a restless night. Trouble upon trouble weighed upon her mind. Would Eopei avoid being sacrificed? What would Urshu think if no sacrifice took place? How would Anubis react to being deprived of a meal? The bed she lay on was wide and the mattress made from the softest down, but it might as well have been the cold, hard ground for all the sleep she got.
Finally, as the sky lightened into dawn she fell into a doze, only to be woken by a knocking on the bedroom door.
“Come in.”
Slaves entered carrying a bowl of hot water, a folding stand and towels. They set up her washing facilities then bowed and left the room. Kiya lay in bed feeling dazed. She smelt the steam from the bowl. It was scented with jasmine, and she rose to wash while the water was still hot. There was a pot of swabu, which she used to lather her body and clean her hair. By the time she had finished and wrapped herself in soft towels, she was glowing.
Another knock. This time it was presumptive, and the door opened before Kiya could give permission for entry. Urshu stepped into the room and gave a brief bow.
“I regret you found it necessary to discipline a dancing girl,” he said. “In future you can refer such problems to me.”
“I do not tolerate insolence,” Kiya replied and summoned up enough courage to add, “Please respect the privacy of my bedchamber.”
He ignored her admonition, crossed over to the bedside pillar and put something inside the hidden compartment. “It is the time of sacrifice. Remember to bring the sleeping drug to the ceremony.”
“Of course,” said Kiya.
Urshu bowed and backed out of the room. Kiya stared after him. He was the maggot in the pomegranate, the ant in the honey. She had always disliked the man, but now she feared him.
Later, having been dressed and made-up, Kiya was left alone in her splendour to wait for the long morning to pass. She wandered around the bedchamber and then around the throne room, surely there was something she could be doing. In need of fresh air, she entered the courtyard and sat on a bench. The shadows crept downwards as the sun rose higher in the sky. Thoughts of Eopei tormented her. She should have spoken to her for longer, made sure she understood. Even though Eopei had teased her about Dennu, she should not have cut the interview short.
A slave entered the courtyard carrying a tray. She unfolded the legs to form a table and placed it beside her, then backed away, bowing low. Kiya regarded her lunch. There was a goblet of wine, a fruit bowl and a plate of cakes. She picked up a fig and sank her teeth into its juicy sweetness. It tasted delicious but a person should not have to eat alone. Kiya longed for the conversation of friends and family. She sighed, dreading the years of loneliness that faced her.
After lunch, Urshu returned. “It is time for afternoon dance practise, Highness.” He looked meaningfully at her and she understood that it was time to collect the sleeping draught.
“Wait here,” she said. She went into her quarters, through the anteroom, with its murals of the life she had left behind, through the throne room with its splendour of the life she now led, to the bedroom where the true purpose of her existence lay in the tiny phial hidden in the stand. She took it out and stared at it. The sun shone through the glass making the magenta liquid inside glow like a jewel. She shook it and the sleeping draught clung to the sides like an oil.
Kiya slipped the phial into the folds of her belt and walked from the room. She would not be poisoning Eopei by giving her its contents, merely causing her to sleep. What happened next was up to her friend. If she heeded the warning, she would remain safely in the temple - or did Anubis hunt his prey like a beast? Kiya shivered at the thought.
When she returned to the courtyard, Urshu looked her up and down. "Do you have it hidden?" he asked.
"Of course."
"Very well." He turned and led the way to the assembly room.
Kiya paused in the doorway, gazed upon the girls and felt pity for their innocence. “Good afternoon, dancers, may the blessings of the gods be upon you.”
“Good afternoon, High Priestess,” came the reply.
“Today we will practise the farewell dance. This is performed on the quayside while the statues are carried onto the boat. A full orchestra and singers will accompany you to celebrate the joyous occasion. You dance as individuals, each one of you wishing the gods a happy holiday and a safe return.”
The girls already knew the steps and twirled and waved, while Kiya checked that all performed the dance correctly.
All too soon it was time for the sunset ceremony. The dancers were prepared, the wine placed upon the table and Kiya handed a goblet to each girl.
Every time Kiya turned to the table her cloak hid the goblet from the line of girls. It was easy to pour the contents of the phial into Eopei’s drink, when she was next in the queue. Kiya glanced at Urshu as she did so and saw that his hawk eye was upon her.
Music started in the temple and the line of dancers moved into the great hall. Kiya watched Eopei as she followed the others into the shadows.
“I will return to my rooms,” she said to Urshu, keeping her expression bland to hide the turmoil inside her. He bowed and said nothing.
As Kiya walked back she noticed that the corridors were deserted. The slaves, servants and guards who usually peopled this part of the temple had gone, leaving no witnesses to the happenings of the sacred night.
When she reached her room she found a supper laid out of cold meats, bread and beer. She had thought she was not hungry, but the smoked duck and venison were delicacies rarely enjoyed before and she ate and drank.
When she had finished she clapped her hands. Immediately several slaves entered the room with a basin and stand. One removed the supper tray. Others undressed her and placed her robes and wig on a clothes stand and the crown on the plinth beside her bed. She was bathed in warm scented water and dressed in a simple night shift, then the slaves bowed and departed.
Kiya lay in bed and listened to the distant sound of music coming from the temple. Tonight Anubis would be released from the Sacred Lake. Tonight she would be reunited with her god. Despite her fears for Eopei, excitement flooded through her. Kiya rose from the bed and danced across the room, slowly at first but with increasing speed, whirling to the tempo of the drums. The dance ended with a sudden silence. In the temple her erstwhile friends would have sunk to the floor. Alone in her chamber, Kiya stood, her stomach a field of fluttering butterflies.
What should she do now? Should she wait in her room for Anubis to come to her? Would he be angry if there was no sacrifice? Perhaps she should go to the Sacred Lake and greet him and try to explain what had happened.
Wearing only the shift and with bare feet she walked through the throne room and across the anteroom to the door and peered out into the deserted courtyard. Should she go or should she stay? In her agitated state of mind inaction was intolerable and she decided to go and greet Anubis at the lakeside.
She reached the Great Hall of Amun-Ra and paused. Without oil lamps the darkness was absolute. Kiya crept forwards, feeling the same stirring of panic that she had experienced in the hidden passageways of Massui’s palace. Somewhere in the blackness lay Eopei, sleeping off the effects of the potion. Kiya hoped she wouldn’t trip over her. At last she saw the silver glimmer of the Sacred Lake and with eager footsteps she hurried towards it.