Chapter Text
The City of Sias
Ancient Egypt, 570 BCE
(Late Period, Twenty-Sixth Dynasty)
The crowds hushed, showing their reverence. This was the Festival of Neith, Neith being one of the first goddesses in the crowded Egyptian pantheon. In fact, Neith was so old, she was commonly referred to as “The Ancient Goddess,” by the great scholars. Neith was a Big Deal.
Neith was there before Creation existed. Before Time began. It was She who caused the Earth and Heavens to be created. Some said it was She who mothered Ra, Geb, Osiris, Set, Isis, and that whole cosmic bunch. It was She who was supremely concerned about ma’at, the spiritual balance of the universe.
It was Neith who controlled the fate of Egypt. All others had to bow to Her will.
And today was Neith’s annual festival! All of Egypt both looked forward to and dreaded this day. If the Mother-Goddess was pleased with the rituals performed in Her name, well then! There would be amble harvests! Prosperity for merchants! Victories in foreign wars! Good fortune for all! Yayyy!!! Party times.
…but if Neith was unimpressed by her tributes…
Youch. What happened then? All the bad stuff: Famine, plagues, invasions, rampant crime, civil unrest, you name it. Egyptians didn’t like to think about what would befall them if the Mother-Goddess was in a foul mood.
So now, the worshippers had come from all across the empire, making a pilgrimage to the Great Temple of Neith. The temple’s largest public chamber, the Hypostyle Hall, had been opened to the public. And today, the place was packed! Perhaps five thousand common Egyptians had squeezed into the hall, craning their necks up at the Great Dais in both wonder and fear.
The Hypostyle Hall was an architectural marvel. It was an enormous limestone structure, flanked by twenty massive columns on both sides. Those columns supported a high, gently sloping ceiling, painted dark blue with golden stars to symbolize the heavens. Every last surface of the temple was carved with intricate glyphs, all chiseled there by master stonemasons. Millennia of history were retold in those carvings. Small clerestory windows at the tops of the high walls allowed for some natural sunlight to stream inside, but not very much.
All eyes were locked upon the Great Dais. The Dais was a very wide platform of smoothed stone, built up high so that all could see it and worship. Right now, Egypt’s most important rulers stood upon that stage, soaking in the attention of the masses.
At the center of the Dias were nine of the High Priestesses of Neith, standing in a perfect triangle formation. The priestesses were all young, very beautiful women, each proud and regal. To gaze upon these ladies was to admire their shapely, water-rich bodies, swathed in light ceremonial robes of linen. Shining amulets and bracelets of gold adorned their figures. They were barefoot. Elaborate headdresses decorated with Neith’s symbols rested upon their heads. The priestesses’ lovely faces were all carefully painted by masters. Their black eyeliner, exaggerated to echo the All-Seeing Eye of Horus, was notable to even those worshippers standing against the back walls of the temple.
The other rulers of Egypt also shared the Dais, but off to the sides. We’ll get to them in a bit. For today, they were both figuratively and literally sidelined. Today belonged to the Goddess.
Soft drumming began. As the beats sounded, the most gorgeous of the priestesses now stepped forward. She was a unique beauty, with perfect cheekbones, expressive brown eyes, the tiniest of noses, and shining, bronzed skin. Her shoulder-length hair was entirely beaded, the beads arranged in impressive colors and patterns. Multiple golden toe-rings glittered on her feet.
The faint breeze that reached into the temple briefly rustled the priestess’s thin robe, allowing all to appreciate her very womanly figure. She had round breasts, a thin waist, graceful hips, and highly toned muscles from swimming in the Nile. Men in attendance stared at her, and found themselves entertaining idle fantasies that really weren’t in line with the solemn religious tone of the day.
The beautiful priestess raised both her thin arms. “Hear me, O Egypt!” she called out, her strong voice echoing against the high walls. “I am the High Priestess Nebet-Ka, She Who Attends the Goddess! I call upon all of thee to witness the benevolence of Neith, our Great Mother!”
The ceremony had begun. The masses bowed their heads. Lesser temple priests, positioned beneath the Dais, began the sacred chants, low and hypnotic. In the back of the hall, other temple servants lit the incense. The drumming grew faster.
With graceful precision, High Priestess Nebet-Ka – “Nebbe” to her sisters – turned and made reverent bows to those other Noble Borns upon the Dais.
To Nebbe’s right was none other than Pharaoh Apries Wahibre Haaibre himself! Fourth king of the Twenty-Sixth Dynasty of Egypt! Number #171 in all the Pharaohs in history! Bestie of Ra the Sun-God! The Crowned One! The Throne-Holder! The Chosen Ruler! The Main Dude! Literally no-one else in the Egyptian world was so revered as Pharaoh Apries.
The pharaoh, a stout, grim-looking man in his fifties, occupied a carved throne that had been carried onto the Dias. He was replete in splendid ritual attire. The double-crown of both Upper and Lower Egypt was perched upon his stubby head. He also wore a regal Usekh collar, a flowing robe of thin cotton, a leopard skin about his pudgy waist, and a false beard tied to his shapeless chin. As per custom, the pharaoh clutched two ceremonial wands: his crook and flail were dutifully crossed over his chest. A disgruntled frown also rested upon the God-King’s broad face, but thankfully, most of the worshippers couldn’t see that.
As always, the pharaoh was surrounded by a cluster of loyal flunkies, also dressed in their finest. These men were careful not to upstage their master, although there had been a competitive flurry of activity when it came time to decide who directly stood on either side of the monarch.
Nebbe performed a grand gesture of welcome to her king, making it look good. The worshippers murmured in approval. Pharaoh Apries replied with a tight nod.
Next, Nebbe turned to bow to the other High-Borns, on the opposite end of the Dias. These men were imperial governors and lords, from all across the Egyptian Empire. Normally, these aristocrats wielded almost unlimited power. But today, in the Temple of Neith, they were reduced to squirming figureheads.
Once more, the crowds muttered appreciatively. Nebbe’s performance was spot-on.
As a matter of rank, Nebbe was actually the Second High Priestess of the Temple. Only Chief Priestess Karaneith outranked her. Karaneith – “Kara” for short – stood behind Nebbe, coolly watching the ceremony unfold. The Grand Headdress of Neith rested upon Kara’s brow. To honor her Chief, Nebbe now turned and bowed low to Kara. The two priestesses’ eyes met.
Kara’s expression was unreadable.
Nebbe hesitated, flicking another quick glance over Kara. The Chief Priestess was youthful and very beautiful, with shining olive eyes, rich, cream-colored skin, and a delicate feminine presence. Her thick hair was a dark amber color, which Egyptians considered a trait of nobility. Perhaps Kara was descended from a pharaoh? Nebbe had often wondered if her Chief was high-born.
Like the other priestesses, Kara was well-fed, giving her a very curvy body. In fact (Nebbe noted with wry pleasure) Kara had actually put on some weight since the last festival. That extra touch of fat had gone to make her breasts, buttocks, and cheeks a little rounder.
Nebbe straightened, and now Kara moved to join her. This regal pair – the Chief Priestess and her Second – were shoulder-to-shoulder, standing proud. All of Egypt admired them.
It was said that the two women who led this temple were to be known as The Daughters of the Ancient Goddess. This wasn’t an official title, mind you, but the Egyptians had always been fond of such grand, symbolic names. Now, on the day of this festival, the priestesses seemed to embody the hopes and prayers of all the faithful. The ceremony rested in their hands alone.
Following the ancient rituals, Kara and Nebbe extended their arms skyward, moving in near-perfect unison. They began to recite the traditional opening of the ceremony.
Kara, as Chief, spoke first. With her husky alto voice ringing loudly, she proclaimed, “Hear us, O Mother Neith!” She gestured. “We greet Thee with glad hearts!”
Next was Nebbe’s line. With hand motions of her own, Nebbe called out, “We offer Thee great tribute and praise!”
“We beseech thee to hear our petitions!” Kara hollered.
“Hear us, O Great Neith!” both priestesses cried in unison.
The ancient scripts had been followed exactly. This was a good thing, as the assembled faithful would demand no less. Indeed, many of the worshippers had mouthed or whispered these exact chants along with Kara and Nebbe.
The ceremony had officially begun.
Now, the drumming slowed, becoming deeper and more reverent. A solemn procession was entering the chamber, heading towards the Great Dais. The common people murmured in excitement and worship.
For now, eight robed priests carrying a tall statue were shuffling through the hall’s grand entrance. This statue was of the Goddess Neith herself, carved from hard sycamore wood, then painted in lifelike colors. The goddess sat proudly upon a small throne, her cool eyes staring blankly before her. She was dressed in an elaborate cloth robe, and her surface glistened from the holy oils that had been used to anoint her. The bearer-priests supported her upon a portable shrine. They moved with slow, even steps.
The crowds gasped in reverence. To the common Egyptians, the goddess Herself was embodied by this statue. Everyone dropped onto their knees, murmuring little prayers of hope.
It was Nebbe’s duty to give the invocation chant. “O Great Mother-Goddess!” the Second Priestess yelled aloud, “we gladly welcome thee to thy house! All hail Mother Neith, She Who Was There Before Time, She Who Wove the Universe into Creation, She Who…”
The Second High Priestess now began a detailed litany of Neith’s many immortal accomplishments. The speech was quite long, as Neith had been around for more than three thousand years of Egyptian history. But also because Her statue was quite heavy, and Her statue-bearers were not in the best of shape.
As Nebbe clocked through her long recitation, she sensed Kara shift on her feet. The Chief Priestess seemed on-edge. Why? What might be irking Kara this time?
Eventually, the statue of Neith hobbled its way to the lip of the Great Dais. Nebbe and Kara and Neith were now eye-to-eye-to-eye with one another. Well, at least that’s what the common worshippers saw. To them, the statue was the goddess.
“O Great Mother Neith!” Kara sang out, gesturing with both arms. “Now we, your grateful followers, make tribute to thee! And we ask thee a boon for the days ahead!”
Every last worshipper sucked in a nervous breath. This was it! The High Priestesses were about to commune with the goddess. To learn Her Divine Will. What Neith chose to reveal would make or break lives. No-one dared so much as cough. The suspense was excruciating.
Kara turned to Nebbe. As ancient tradition demanded, the Chief Priestess allowed her Second to be the temple’s mouthpiece. Nebbe had the honor of directly talking to the goddess. Kara nodded reverently to her sister.
But in a stage whisper that only Nebbe could hear, Kara muttered, “…don’t fuck this up, Nebs.”
Offended, Nebbe muttered back, “I got this.”
Kara smiled, a broad smile that was purely for the show. There was no life to that smile, no real warmth or affection. Kara’s green eyes remained cold. Nebbe wondered: Was Kara pissed at her, or something?
Shoving aside her suspicions, Nebbe directly faced the statue. She extended both arms forward, symbolically embracing the goddess.
“We beseech thee, Mother Neith…” Nebbe cried out.
…pause for dramatic effect…
“…will the harvest be bountiful this season?” asked Nebbe.
…pause for dramatic effect… …again…
And then, with the subtlest motion, Nebbe rotated her ankle and pointed her small foot outwards.
Seeing this, the altar-bearing priests at the front of the statue crouched, just a little. This caused the figure of Neith to dip forward. The movement was slight, but notable.
Throughout the gigantic hall, the whole crowd gasped in wonder. Neith had nodded “yes!” Everyone had seen her do this!
Relieved murmurs of “Oh, thank Ra!” and “How wonderous!” and “Blessed be the goddess!” rippled throughout the temple. There were a few lone whoops of gratitude and even bubbling laughter. One could feel the tangible joy in the air! Neith had nodded “yes!” The harvest would be a good one! Yesssss! Score Egypt!
Nebbe repressed a shiver of excitement. It was fun, controlling the masses like this. Now for the next part of her performance…
The Second High Priestess bowed her head low. “Thank you, O Great Mother!” she bellowed. “Now, again we beseech thee…”
The people fell silent, held in rapt suspense.
“…will the great river flood and ruin the planting fields?” Nebbe yelled louder. Her voice echoed off the hieroglyph-carved walls.
Now she pointed her foot inward.
In response, the bearer-priests arched their backs. Neith appeared to sway backwards, if just slightly.
The answer was “no!” Once again, whispers of grateful devotion swept across the vast hall. “Neith says the river will not overflood!” the worshippers told themselves happily. “The Mother-Goddess smiles upon us! Oh, blessed day, blessed day!” More celebratory laughter rang out. There was even some grateful applause.
You get the idea.
How were the common Egyptians falling for this sham, you may ask? Were the masses so unobservant?
Well… yeah, pretty much. The people were not stupid, but they were definitely caught up in the moment. Nebbe’s stage management was so effective, the worshippers were effectively hypnotized to believe they saw the real, living goddess sitting upon that carved throne. The illusion was complete and utterly convincing. Nobody was looking at Nebbe’s feet.
Of course, the pharaoh and lords of Egypt were not so dazzled. They saw Nebbe’s trickery as plain as day, yet they could do nothing. Today belonged to the Goddess. They could only remain in position, smiling gamely, and watching the whole ceremony in glum acceptance.
From the pharaoh’s entourage, there was a slight coughing noise.
Nebbe frowned, shooting a quick glare to the royal side of the Dias. The Grand Lord Vizier Horsiese Sasobek, Pharaoh’s highest minister, was staring at her. An expectant look was in Sasobek’s eyes. The vizier was an impressively chubby man, with rolls of fat spilling over his belt and ceremonial kilt.
Staring directly at Nebbe, Sasobek loudly cleared his throat, again.
The Second Priestess sighed. Okay, fine, whatever, she thought at Sasobek.
“O Wise Mother Neith!” Nebbe now bellowed at the statue, holding her arms skyward. “We pray, do tell us: Will our Great King – He Who Is Exalted – He, the Noble Son of Osiris – our beloved Pharaoh Apries – will he be triumphant in his most holy war against the Libyan aggressors?”
Once again, the crowd sucked in a sharp, collective breath. War? War was coming? Oh, cripes.
The masses dreaded war; it meant the rationing of their food and the blood of their sons. If the Mother-Goddess frowned upon the Egyptian armies…
Nebbe let the suspense linger. How should the Mother-Goddess respond, she wondered? Should Neith forecast doom, upset the people, and cause Pharaoh to shit his robe? That was an amusing thought. Or maybe-
“Apep’s balls, Nebs,” growled Kara, still standing beside Nebbe. “Make a choice, okay?”
“…fine,” Nebbe grunted back.
Deciding to err on the side of caution, Nebbe pointed her foot outward. The Neith statue bowed.
And immediately, a thunderous cheer welled up from the crowd! “Victory will be ours!!!” the masses cried out joyously. Mothers wept openly. “The Goddess Neith favors our king!!! We will win!!!” the people roared with delight. Their wild applause could be heard outside the temple for miles.
“Hmmgh,” was Kara’s lone comment.
But Lord Sasobek was not satisfied. When the cheering settled down (it took a while), the Top Vizier coughed yet again. This time, his eyes bulged.
The people were still chortling, their attentions divided. Nebbe judged it safe enough to risk a direct question to Sasobek.
Annoyed, she hissed, “What???”
Quite peeved, Lord Sasobek hoarsely whispered back, “The slaves! The Levantine slaves!”
Oh, right.
“The what slaves, now?” Kara wanted to know.
“Levantines,” replied Nebbe, keeping her voice low. “The navy captured about four thousand Levantines, sailing off the coast. They’re being held in the city’s slave pens.”
“Yeah? So?” Kara frowned.
At this, Nebbe grinned. “I have plans for those Levantines,” she said loftily. “In fact-“
“HOLD!” Kara yelled, extending her arms out wide.
The Chief Priestess’s shout cracked through the great hall like the lash of a whip. Instantly, the crowds fell completely silent.
Alarmed, Nebbe breathed, “Kar! What the fuck are you doing???”
The Chief Priestess gave her a sour look. “O Great Mother Neith!” she bellowed at the statue. “Hear me! I seek thy Wisdom in another matter!”
Nebbe couldn’t believe it. In over three thousand years of this ceremony, the Chief Priestess had never stepped on the toes of her Second. Only the Second Priestess addressed the Goddess!
What was Kara doing???
“Hey!” snarled Nebbe, then yelled up at the statue herself: “But by the ancients’ traditions, I shall speak for all of Egypt, and-“
“Not so!” Kara roared. “No, Great Mother, speak only to me, your Chief Priestess!”
Throughout the great hall, people were muttering and shaking their heads at Nebbe. The pharaoh and his lords now eyed her with scandalous interest. The beautiful Second Priestess felt her cheeks burn as the crowds turned against her.
Nebbe tried to save face once more. She cried out to the statue, “But Great Mother-“
“SILENCE!!!” Kara hollered, and now, there was no mistaking the hostility in her voice. “Mother Neith has commanded that only I commune with her. Stand aside!” she loudly added to Nebbe, quite firmly.
All of Egypt stared at Nebbe, seeing her in dishonor. With no other choice, Nebbe stepped away, bowing her head. Her body trembled with shame and rage.
Using deliberate flourish, Kara turned her back on her Second Priestess. Talking solely to the statue, she now shouted, “O Great Mother Neith, tell me, your humblest servant: What is to become of the Levantine slaves? Shall they go to our Great King, so that He may direct them as He sees fit?”
Without hesitation, Kara pivoted her foot inward.
The statue-bearing priests were certainly confused by Nebbe’s unexpected demotion… but they sensed their new instructions plainly enough. The Neith statue dipped backwards. Neith said ‘no.’
The crowds gasped in horror. The goddess was displeased! The worshippers couldn’t believe it. Neith was refusing the pharaoh??? Oh, this was bad. Really, really, really bad. Egypt couldn’t endure with a king who didn’t have Neith in his corner.
Nebbe could feel spirits throughout the temple plummet. The drawn faces of the masses were now anxious and wary. There would be unrest among the peasants tonight. The muttering of the people grew deeper and angrier.
Kara seemed to ignore everything except the figure of the goddess. Once more, she stretched out both arms.
“We thank thee, Mother Neith, for thy wisdom and blessings!” the Chief Priestess shouted with emotion. “Tonight, we honor thee in our feast! Blessed be the Great Mother!”
Then, Kara bowed low, very low. That was the signal to conclude the ceremony.
Nebbe ground her teeth. By rights, she should be giving that bow!
On cue, all the other priestesses began to sing the Exiting Chant. Nebbe joined them. The statue-bearers moaned to themselves, and turned slowly to haul the carven goddess out of the great chamber. The common people prostrated themselves upon the stone floor.
As the procession got underway, Kara rose to her feet, a pleased little smirk on her red lips. She bowed to the pharaoh, then to the lords, then moved to rejoin her priestess sisters. She joined in the Exiting Chant, too.
Still stewing in her outrage, Nebbe refused to look at her Chief Priestess. Kara couldn’t have humiliated Nebbe more if she’d ordered Nebbe to stripped naked and then spanked in public. The people would never look at their Second Priestess with respect again.
What was Kara’s game???
Nebbe was so furious, she couldn’t think straight.
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