CHAPTER 3: "GUARDIAN OF AUSAR"
Terrified, I found myself tumbling from side to side inside the dark mouth of the huge serpent. Sure that my end had come, I waited for the huge ivory teeth to crush me and for the massive, rough tongue to press me down into the tunnel-like gullet. Long minutes passed as I felt the serpent moving and heard strange sounds, like waves of the ocean, coming from somewhere inside its body. Finally, the giant head lowered, the mouth opened and I slid out, landing gently on a glowing, golden floor.
Dazed and surprised, I looked around at a tremendous cave with walls that glowed like heated bronze. Behind the serpent was a huge pool of blue water with speckles of light playing beneath the surface. Next to the water stood Neftiji.
"Oh, Memna," she cried as she ran toward me. "He said you would come! The serpent said you would come and he was right!"
The serpent slithered its huge bulk into the blue water and turned around towards us. A smile appeared on its strange face as it nodded its huge head knowingly.
I hugged Neftiji close, thanking Amen for bringing her back to me. Then I turned back toward the huge creature, stepping protectively before my sister.
"What...who are you?" I asked. "What place is this?"
The serpent dipped its head into the pool, brought it back up and vigorously shook off the water. Moisture and light sprayed in all directions as soft musical notes chimed from the scraping of its silver scales.
"I am the king of this island. Who are you, little ones?"
"I am Memna-un, and this is my sister Neftiji. We are Kamitians. You said you are a king. Where are your subjects?"
"I am my own subject. I am my own king."
"Are there no others like you, then?"
"So many questions, little one! Do you not wish to refresh yourself? Allow your sister to show you the way."
Neftiji took me by the hand and led me from the cave. Nearby was a grove of beautiful silver trees, filled with delicious looking fruit. As we neared one large trunk, a limb lowered, putting a juicy red fruit in reach of our hands. I marveled at this and turned towards Neftiji as it hovered near my head.
"Take it," Neftiji said with a smile. "You will like it."
I plucked the fruit and the branch rose back into place. Neftiji took it from my hand, twisted it, and it split perfectly down the middle. Biting into her half, she smiled, juice dripping from the corners of her mouth. Then I bit into mine.
An explosion of sensations engulfed me. Waves of pleasure washed over me and I found myself greedily devouring the fruit. Neftiji plucked more and we consumed several before she led me back into the cave.
As we walked, I felt as if I were floating. Every sense seemed to be heightened, my mind was clear and my weakness had gone away. We stopped before the pool again, standing beneath the gaze of the serpent.
Looking deeply into our eyes, he spoke gently.
"You have passed the tests of worthiness to come unto this land," he proclaimed. "The test of intelligence from the creatures who fly. The test of strength from the beasts who swim. And the test of courage from the beast who is not a beast. You have earned the high fruit of the Tree of Life and great knowledge can now be yours."
My mind tingled. The fruit seemed to draw out long forgotten memories, and I recalled where I had heard of this serpent before. As he spoke, Neftiji and I looked at each other. I knew she recognized him also, from stories we had heard as young children.
"I am Kam-Atef," the serpent said at last. "Guardian of Ausar. It was I who safeguarded the body of the sacred one after the treachery of Set, for the salvation of all Children of Geb."
We fell to our knees and bowed our heads in reverence.
"Know this also chosen ones: You have not come to this Island of the Ka by chance, but by destiny ordained by the Neteru and by your ancestors. Prepare yourselves! Tomorrow your lessons begin!"
The great serpent shook his glowing coils again, then disappeared beneath the surface of the pool. Neftiji and I went to a corner of the cave. There we lay down in each other's arms and fell into a peaceful sleep.
Our lessons indeed began the next day, at the rising of Aten, with Kam-Atef leading us to see the wonders of his island. There were hills made of gold and precious gems. There were groves of the sweetest myrrh and fields of fragrant khol and cypress trees. Delicious fruits were everywhere and there were gardens where vegetables rose from the soil into your hands at the beckoning.
Small, beautiful animals with brilliant colors and many strange forms roamed at will. Some resembled squirrels or hares, while others were puffs of fluffy blue hair with large eyes and small human-like claws. These proved to be the friendliest, running up and down the trees and tossing down fruit when we could not reach it. All around we saw nothing but peace and joy. It was truly an enchanted island.
We stopped near a stream that had the fragrance of fruit incense, with brilliant red bushes burdened with fat purple berries lining its shore. As Neftiji and I dined upon the berries and drank from the stream, Kam-Atef settled his huge body into a spiral and spoke of the nature of his land.
"You stand upon an island that was one of the first in creation. This Island of the Ka has all that men desire. It is a paradise, like Ausar's Fields of Peace, but it exists in this world and not the next."
"Great serpent, why is it so difficult to get here?" I asked, drawing a cool handful of water from the stream. "Why so many challenges and hardships?"
"This place is only for the worthy, only for those whom the Neters deem it necessary to send," Kam-Atef replied. "When there is great strife in the world, a few Children of Geb are called to this place to gain knowledge for the world's salvation."
"Are we in such a time now, great serpent?" asked Neftiji.
Kam-Atef nodded. "Yes, little one. It is revealed to me that the Children of Geb will be plunged into a great war. Dire times, unknown since the slaying of Ausar, are coming to all your lands."
I rose and stepped towards Kam-Atef, who looked down at me as I raised my hands excitedly.
"This is why I long to be a warrior, like my pa. He fought to preserve Maat, and I would do the same. This my mut could never understand..."
Kam-Atef's long forked tongue flicked out, nearly striking me. I jumped back, startled into silence.
"Your mut has much wisdom, young one," said the great serpent. "I myself can see the state of your ka. You are not yet ready to fight as a true warrior."
I sat down next to the stream and pondered Kam-Atef's words for a moment. "What do you mean?" I asked, finally.
"You have fire without discipline. Strength without humility. Knowledge without wisdom. Tell me, little one, would you fight in the service of Ausar or in the service of Set?"
"Ausar!" I replied quickly. "Yes, Ausar of course!"
"Then you must first develop Heru, the son of Ausar, inside yourself. You must conquer the evil forces within your own spirit, if you would fight against it in others. Right now you are strong with the influence of Set. This is why you have been sent here."
"Why have I been called here?" asked Neftiji.
"You have come to learn to heal, my child. With the help of the fruit of the Tree of Life, you both will achieve your destinies upon this island. As I said, great evil is rising among the Children of Geb, and you must help fight against it."
"What is this evil, great serpent?" I asked.
Kam-Atef rose, his scales chiming and gleaming in the light of the new day. "Follow me."
We went back into the cave and stood before the pool of sparkling blue water. The flickering lights flashed beneath the surface, looking almost alive as Kam-Atef waved his head above them. The lights came together and formed glowing orbs, then the orbs blended to form a surface which shone like a polished mirror. Images started to form upon it as Kam-Atef began to speak.
"There are other beings like myself in the world of Geb. Most play no part in the affairs of men, as they await their time to go back home to where we all come from: the Taut.
Our home is in the higher regions of the inner planes and we are explorers of the worlds without. We are spirits who travel to different regions to experience and gain wisdom. Do not ask me why. This is our nature; it is what we do."
The pool showed groups of serpents gathering and moving together. Landscapes changed from cold mountains, to hot green forests, to long flat plains. Gradually, the serpents changed also, some becoming larger, some shrinking in size and some changing in different ways: growing legs, or wings or fins. Some remained more snakelike, while others took on more human features like Kam-Atef. The images gave the impression of the passing of immense time.
"We have lived here since your world was young, little ones. All was well until the Great Neter caused your numbers to grow and your abodes to expand. For we are beings that adapt to the ways of the dominant creatures of the worlds we live upon, and sadly, some of us have fallen under the influence of the immature Children of Geb."
Images of human beings worshipping serpents, running in terror from them, making war against them and other activities flashed upon the surface.
"We are beings of great power and intelligence who prefer to remain neutral to the affairs of your world. This is why we live far away from you in remote places. But sometimes you move near us, influencing us according to the nature of your spirits. Luckily, I dwelled near Kamit and fell under the sway of a righteous people, the Kamau...."
"As your priests say, I protected the body of Ausar, while Heru battled Set for the throne. But after the time of Heru, I was forced to leave, for the turmoil in the spirits of the Kamitians after Ausar's time became too much to bear. Now I live here, protected by my ancient magics and the Neteru of your world, who send me pupils to teach when the Children of Geb become endangered. You see, there are others like me who are not in league with good forces. Look here! These are my brethren who have fallen under the sway of unjust peoples."
More images of serpents appeared in the pool. Some were being worshipped like deities. To my horror, they appeared to be receiving human sacrifices. Knives in the hands of black-robed priests fell upon victims lying on bloody altars before them. Other more terrifying images appeared, showing thousands of people gathered before the serpents and their bloody priests. Their backs bent low in reverence, most of the worshippers looked like the northerners who ran with Kho-An-Sa, but some were Kushites, and some were Shashu.
There were also yellow- and red-skinned people that I had never seen before. All carried swords or spears and seemed to be preparing for war. I shuddered at the evil these serpents emitted, and at the eagerness with which their worshippers seemed to revel in it. Individual images of serpents appeared one by one, as Kam-Atef spoke their names:
Narti-ankem-sen, allied with the wicked of the Fenku.
Herfekem-qeb, allied with the wicked of the Indu.
Ankh-em-fentu, allied with the with wicked of North Atl-anta.
Sam-em-qesu, allied with the wicked Az-tec-a.
Ha-hu-tiamsau, allied with the wicked of South Atl-anta.
Shept-temesu, allied with the wicked of the Basilia.
Un-em-sahu, allied with the wicked of far eastern K'un Lun.
Sam-em-snef, allied with the wicked of the southern homelands.
Akh-embetu, allied with the People of the Sea.
Kam-Atef shook his head sadly as he continued.
"These are the 9 fallen ones of my kind, who have absorbed evil and developed a taste for blood. They give support to those who would bring them power and influence through sacrifice, and they in turn, empower evil men and negative forces from the Taut. Prepare yourselves well here, little ones! For the evil in men's minds is becoming flesh. Monsters now walk your world, and you, Memna-un, must use your skills as a scribe to prepare for the war against these evils."
"How, great serpent?" I asked. "What must I do?"
"You must sit before me and write what I relate to you. Only this knowledge will save the Children of Geb from the Reckoning."
"What is this Reckoning?" asked Neftiji.
"Those with the hearts of beasts shall become them," replied Kam-Atef. "And other creatures so terrible that men will come to call them myths and legends. But they are real, and you must know them to defeat them."
Thus began our time of learning on the Island of the Ka. Day after day, we sat before Kam-Atef, fulfilling our destinies as his students. Due to the enchanted fruit of the Tree of Life, our minds opened tremendously, allowing us to learn in months the equivalent of years of study in the House of Life. The great serpent gave me stylus and papyrus and assigned me to prepare a sacred volume for the salvation of the Children of Geb.
In the shadows of sparkling hills of gold, I learned the nature of the Taut underworld and the creatures that dwell within and those that can come forth from it. Among glorious groves of rainbow trees, I learned that all dreams and all nightmares exist in the Taut and that at certain times and places, they emerge into the realm of the living. I named this sacred volume "The Book of Knowing the Creatures of the Taut."
This book, I was told by Kam-Atef, would ensure that all the great Kushite nations, those who most adhered to the spiritual sciences and held fast to the Universal Principles, would be equipped to combat the forces of the Reckoning. In preparation for my task as the keeper of the book, I was required to learn the languages of these other Kushite peoples, three of whom I had only heard of in legends and tales told by my pa. But, according to Kam-Atef, they were real, and one day I would be required to deliver a copy of the book to each of them.
I also prepared for being a great warrior by learning to calm my restless spirit. The great serpent taught me to rest my mind and to breathe properly, in order to go within and keep my heart stable. This technique, called the great ritual of Men Ab, was once taught to Heru by Tehuti in the war against the usurper Set.
Neftiji also fulfilled her charge by studying the great Spiritual Sciences used for healing. In this enchanted place where every herb needed for healing grew, my sister mastered their use by learning the speech of the plant world and the nature of the minerals in the body of Geb. Kam-Atef also taught her to detect the Patterns of Life in the body, and how to manipulate them by hand or by small sticks inserted into their flow.
I found that Neftiji's ministrations brought ease to aching muscles and that her herbs gave vitality to the heart and mind. She kept us both vital and strong as we filled our charge as students. I knew that my sister would be a truly great healer in the world.
Time seemed to stand still upon the island, and for a long while we forgot about our lives in the outside world, until one fateful evening. That day's lessons were ending for me, while Neftiji sat mixing herbs in a pot over a small fire. The sweet fragrance filled the cave and put me as ease, but when I turned to ask her what she brewed, I found her sobbing. Excusing myself from my discourse with Kam-Atef, I rushed to her side.
"My sister," I cried. "What is it? Why do you weep?"
She tossed a mushroom into the pot and a puff of yellow smoke wafted toward the ceiling. "Memna," she answered tearfully. "We have not spoken of Meri-Ta for a long time. I miss her so..."
I lowered my head and my mut's sweet face automatically came to mind. "You are right, my sister," I replied. "We have not given her or pa their honor, nor have we sent them our love. We will libate for them both tonight."
Grasping the hot pot with two pieces of cloth, Neftiji removed it from the flames. Then she looked past me to Kam-Atef, who sat on his coils nearby. "Great serpent," Neftiji said. "Is this Taut you are teaching my brother about the same underworld in which the dead dwell after life on Geb?"
"Yes," said Kam-Atef. "It is all a part of the endless otherworld created by Amen for spirits who live without flesh."
"Can you show us our parents, then?"
Kam-Atef uncoiled himself and rose high, his head poised above the sparkling pool. Then he looked at Neftiji and asked in a serious tone, "Are you sure this is what you want, little one?
Often the condition of a newly passed spirit is not pleasing to see." Then he nodded at me and added, "And you, Memna-un, do you wish this also?"
I thought about the last time I had seen my mut. I had lost her during a time of violence and we never spoke parting words. As for pa, he simply left one day when I was small and Neftiji newly born. He said he was going to aid allies in a battle at Troy, and never returned. I longed to speak to them both and to hear their voices again.
"Yes, great serpent," I replied. "I would like to speak to my parents."
"As you wish," Kam-Atef said, waving his silver head above the pool. Light mists washed across the surface and colorful images flashed by. Bright corridors appeared with strange walls that pulsated as if alive, leading to a door that opened to a shining chamber. There, sitting high upon his throne of pure white, sat Ausar. He was wrapped in white cloth from the neck down, his face black as charcoal, with the crook and flail held tightly across his chest. His head slowly turned and he seemed to be looking at us. Then he slowly nodded, as if giving us permission to go on.
The view then flashed past Ausar, down long corridors where tendrils of darkness and light flitted to and fro. Finally, I saw my mut. She was Iying upon a silver bed, her hands entwined peacefully across her breast.
"She sleeps the slumber of the newly passed," said Kam-Atef. "If you would take council with her, you must libate."
Neftiji and I looked around the cave, then back at Kam-Atef. "There are no libation bowls nearby," Neftiji said.
"Use your hands," said Kam-Atef.
Neftiji and I reached into the pool, withdrawing two handfuls of water each. We poured it onto the ground and spoke the libation words.
"En en Neter, Keper-ankh. Ea Ti En Meri-Ta!"
Small flashes of light appeared to sink into my mut's head. Her brows moved and she stirred, but only slightly.
"Again," said Kam-Atef. "Say it louder."
We dipped our hands into the water and poured it onto the ground again, shouting the libation words in unison.
"En en Neter, Keper-ankh! Ea Ti En Meri-Ta!"
This time much more light engulfed my mut. She shook and moaned, then opened her eyes and sat up. Meri-Ta blinked and looked directly at us.
"I am awake, my children."
"Mut!" Neftiji cried, her eyes filling with tears. "We miss you so!" I said nothing at first due to the knot welling up in my throat. Holding back tears of my own, I bowed my head in shame.
"Mut, I am so sorry...." I finally exclaimed.
"Shush, Memna," spoke Meri-Ta. "Look at me."
Gazing into my mut's face through the mist of the pool, I found her smiling sweetly. I could still feel the affection she had always given me as she gazed into my face.
"You did the best you could, Memna, and I am proud of you. Mourn no more for me, my children, for I have only crossed over. It is you who have work to do in the world of Geb."
"Mut, we are here on the island of the Ka," Neftiji Said. "We are with Kam-Atef, the great serpent from the stories you told us of Ausar."
Meri-Ta sat up higher on the silver bed and turned her face toward the great serpent. "Hail, Kam-Atef! My children are blessed by your presence."
"Hail, Spirit in the bosom of Ausar! " Kam-Atef said in reply. "Your children are to be prepared for a great struggle that threatens their entire world. Does this have your blessing?"
My mut gazed first into my eyes, then into Neftiji's. "Is this what they will to do?" she asked.
I grabbed Neftiji's hand and we nodded our heads in unison.
"Yes, mut," Neftiji declared. "It is."
"Then teach them well, great Kam-Atef. This endeavor has my blessing."
"Mut," I said. "Where is pa? Can we speak to him?"
My Mut shook her head. "When I first arrived, he did not come to greet me. I do not believe your pa is here."
"What?" I cried. "But why is this so? Surely, he is not consigned to the outer darkness. Our pa was a righteous man, he would not be in the place of sinful spirits...."
My Mut held up her hand to silence me. "Memna, your pa is not here in the Taut at all. He still dwells in the bosom of Geb. He is still alive."
Neftiji and I looked at each other in utter amazement.
"But, mut," Neftiji said. "They said he died at Troy."
"Your pa does not dwell with Ausar, dear one. Somewhere, he still lives."
Feelings of joy, fear and confusion overwhelmed me. Ever since I was a young boy, I had grieved over the death of my pa. To find he had survived brought only one question to my mind. "Mut, where is my pa?" I asked.
"Alas," Meri-Ta said sadly, "this I do not know."
"But you of the Taut can observe the doings of Geb. How can you not know where he is?"
My Mut placed her hand upon her brow. Lowering her head she spoke solemnly. "This is true. But when I seek to observe my husband, I see only darkness. Darkness. Your pa yet lives, but he is held down in darkness and he cannot move. I can tell you only this...it is in a place in the north, for I can feel the cold that he feels. His place of captivity bears a harsh and bitter chill that never ends."
The thought of my pa being held in cold darkness disturbed me greatly. All my life I had been told that he died an honorable death defending Maat in a far-off land. I turned towards Kam-Atef.
"Great serpent! You have heard this yourself. You must let us leave to find our pa. We must leave here now!"
"You are no prisoner here, little one," Kam-Atef said. "But your lessons are not yet finished. Would you give them up now, so close to completion?"
I opened my mouth to speak, but my mut's voice was there before mine. "My son," she said. "I too would see my husband freed from the cold prison in which he dwells, but you have a task there that needs completing."
My mut's tone was as it had always been when scolding me for impetuous behavior. I bowed my head. Even after her death, I was humbled by her wisdom. Neftiji held my hand as we both listened respectfully to the shade of Meri-Ta.
"My children, you have been given a sacred task. You must learn all from great Kam-Atef and go back to give the wisdom to the world. Then go and find your pa, with my blessings. You must fulfill this destiny. Promise me you will!"
"I promise, mut," I said.
"I too, promise," said Neftiji.
"My children, you make me proud. Libate for me and I will send you help when I can. Be strong and listen to the great serpent. I am tired now, my children, farewell."
Meri-Ta lay back down upon the silver bed and the images faded from the pool. Kam-Atef then disappeared beneath the surface of the sparkling water, and Neftiji and I retired to our corner of the cave. Though I stilled my emotions with the breath of Men Ab, I went to sleep thinking of my pa and dreamed of him being held down in cold darkness.
Twelve moons went by during our stay on the Island of the Ka and my sister and I learned diligently from the great serpent. All was peaceful until one sunny morning when Neftiji and I were out picking fruit. A strange object appeared suddenly in the sky. High above the trees it hovered, looking like a stiff sort of bird. As it came closer, I saw that its wings did not move and that it gave off a low musical hum. As it flew back and forth over the island, like a bird of prey seeking victims, Neftiji and I ran back to the cave to inform Kam-Atef.
When we burst into the cave, he was Iying atop the pool, floating serenely as the sparkling lights reflected off his glowing scales.
"Great serpent," I puffed excitedly, "there is a strange flying thing above the island."
"Yes," added Neftiji, "its wings do not move and it makes a strange noise."
Kam-Atef glided from the water and rose up before us. "Where is this object?"
"It is near the grove of the Tree of Life," I said.
The great serpent listened to our fearful voices and a huge grin appeared across his face. He then let out a loud peal of laughter that shook the entire cave.
"Ah ha ha ha ha! Look at you, little ones, shaking in
fear. Have I not taught you to be more observant than this? Follow me!"
We trailed Kam-Atef back to the grove, strolling through the trees until we came to a well-worn clearing. Kam-Atef looked to the sky, pressed his lips together and let loose a piercing whistle. Soon the object appeared directly above the clearing, emitting an identical sound. Then it began lowering to the ground. As it came closer Neftiji and I looked on in amazement, finally realizing what this strange object was.
"A sky-boat!" I cried.
As it came closer to the ground I could see it clearly. Its wings were stiff and attached to each side of the vessel to cut through the wind. It had a tail that stuck upright for steering and was perhaps 50 cubits long. Painted white on the top and black on the bottom half, it bore a mix of Kamitic symbols along with other odd and unfamiliar signs. Neftiji and I had heard of these magical vessels in tales told to us as children. Now, like Kam-Atef and his island, we knew they were actually real.
The great vessel floated gently to the ground, landing a few cubits away. Then a door opened on the side and two very small Kushite men stepped out. Both wore loincloths in the style of early Kamit and bore wreaths of white flowers around the tops of their heads.
They stepped forward holding spears, bowed to Kam-Atef, then took their places at both sides of the door. Then a very small woman with radiant, reddish-brown skin stepped from the ship. She was dressed regally in a long blue robe held at one shoulder by a pin with a huge clear diamond. Around her neck was a wreath of flowers of brilliant colors and vibrant hues. Her hair was closely cropped in the style of southern Kushite women and her eyes were large, liquid and expressive.
She stepped aside and a small man emerged. He too had striking red dish-brown skin and was dressed as she was, with blue robes and a sparkling wreath, but his pin held his robe on the opposite shoulder. Looking closer, I noticed a soft golden light radiating from their skin. They bowed to Kam-Atef and spoke in unison.
"Hail, great Kam-Atef. We bring you greetings from the land of the Anu."
"Hail, princess Nu-At. Hail, prince Aunk-At. Welcome once again to the Island of the Ka."
Neftiji and I were shaking with delight. Here again was another legend come true. The great Anu, the sacred little people, stood before us. Kam-Atef noticed how we were shaking and nodded at us with a chuckle.
"These are my charges, Memna-un and Neftiji," he said. "Kamitians who have come to the sacred island to learn."
The prince and princess bowed their heads towards us.
"Hail, Memna-un. Hail, Neftiji," they said in perfect unison again.
We both bowed nervously, too overwhelmed to speak.
The royal Anu turned towards the sky-boat and clapped their hands. Out came lines of Anu men and women carrying baskets. There were dozens of them. Most were black-skinned and looked like the small peoples far to the south of Kamit. But some had the reddish-brown complexions of the prince and princess. They all ran joyfully into the trees and started picking fruit, singing songs of transcendent beauty as they worked.
As their exquisite songs filled the air, the atmosphere became charged with a vibrancy unlike anything I had ever known. Neftiji and I swayed to and fro as we experienced the legendary music of the Anu, the songs of healing that only a privileged few had ever heard.
The prince and princess excused themselves and went among their people, directing them and overseeing their harvest. Neftiji and I were speechless for long minutes as we watched them work. Finally I pulled my mind away from their songs to pursue the questions raging in my mind.
"Great serpent," I asked, "what is your relation to the Anu?"
Kam-Atef watched the little people dashing amongst the trees, nodding his own head to their music. He answered me without taking his eyes off them. "They come to harvest during this season yearly. They are the only race of Geb's Children, who as a whole, are worthy to eat of the Tree of Life. They are the oldest of your kind, those who for the longest have given thanks to Amen-Ra."
One small Anu ran by, a basket balanced precariously upon his head. Hesitating, he winked at Neftiji before scurrying on his way. My sister giggled. "They must be very wise to eat so much of the Tree of Life," she said.
"Indeed," Kam-Atef replied, "they are the most wise of all the races. Very soon they will leave the world of Geb behind. They will be the first race to cross over all together, and go on to be one with the Neters."
I was astonished at the implications of Kam-Atef's words.
"You mean their people will die all at once?"
Kam-Atef shook his head. "No, little one. No. Soon they will gather on their sacred island of Agaru for the great ritual of Coming Forth. As a people, they will give up this world and go to live in the Taut forever."
We watched their flurry of activity for hours and listened to Kam-Atef's many stories about these little magical people. Finally, they hauled the fruit aboard and prepared to leave. As we stood watching the small folk file into the sky-boat, the royal couple walked up to us, giving us an open-handed salute I had never seen. As we bowed in return, they stepped closer.
The princess took the colorful wreath from her own neck and placed it around Neftiji's, whispering something in her ear. Then the prince took a ring from his forefinger, and, seizing my hand, pushed it upon my finger.
I did not believe it would fit me since his hand was like that of small child. But as it moved up my finger, the band grew, slipping onto my forefinger easily. The band was solid gold and bore a pitch-black stone of a sort unknown to me. It was carved in the likeness of the head of a great cat, with a face that seemed to change expressions. Upon the cat's brow was a symbol I had only observed in the most ancient of Kamitic documents. It was the symbol for a chief or great leader. Then the prince whispered into my ear.
"By this ring you will be known."
I had no idea what he meant, but Neftiji and I thanked them reverently for the gifts. They saluted Kam-Atef and then disappeared into their sky-boat. As we watched it rise among the clouds, Kam-Atef made a fateful announcement.
"Little ones, you have received everything you came to this island to get. Your world awaits you. It is time for you to leave.