by Rai Aren
As was customary for the Head Priest, Odai’s head was shaved and would remain so for the rest of his life. Gone was his long tight braid, which was custom for both male and female members of the priesthood.
King Traeus stood at the wooden altar before the assembled guests, who were seated on wooden benches with cushioned seats. A large golden ankh hung on the wall behind him reflecting the light of the candles lit all around the main temple. With heads bowed, the King recited an ancient prayer:
‘May the symbol of the ankh bless you with long life
May you guide our people in their spiritual journey for the rest of your days
We pray that your wisdom and your deeds in the days to come
Will bring light and hope and faith to the Kierani people
May you serve your Royal Family faithfully, with courage and sacrifice
As they carry the joyful, yet difficult burden of leading our people
With grace and compassion, kindness and understanding
May the life that you dedicate to the role of Head Priest, be for all time
Remembered well’
The people raised their heads. The King opened an ornately painted wooden box. From it he took the heavy, ceremonial ankh pendant that Assan had worn, which symbolized the position of Head Priest. It was larger than the ones worn by the members of the priesthood, which had each member’s name inscribed on the back and was set with a gleaming stone the color of gold topaz. The ankh of the Head Priest was intricately inscribed with the Kierani glyphs for light, hope, faith, and courage.
“Odai,” the King addressed him, “I know it was Assan’s wish that you succeed him as Head Priest. You have proven yourself to me, to my Family and to the Kierani people as worthy of such a great responsibility. I hereby present you with the ceremonial ankh.” He held it out for all to see. The large, faceted stone shimmered beautifully in the candlelight. “May you honor your duty as Head Priest all of your days, and may this symbol of life protect you in that duty.”
Odai fought back tears. Before accepting the offering from the King, Odai took off his own pendant, walked over to Auraelion, bent down on one knee and presented it to his son. Auraelion’s eyes went wide as he gazed at the precious item.
“For you, my son,” Odai said, as he kissed the top of the young boy’s head. He placed it gently around his son’s neck. Auraelion looked up at him with awe. Odai then stood, glanced at his wife who looked on proudly, her arm around Auraelion and she nodded encouragingly. Odai walked back to where the King stood and bowed his head.
The King carefully placed the heavy ankh around Odai’s neck. “Odai, as your King, with the power of the ankh and the love and support of our people, I appoint you Head Priest.”
“I accept this great honor, your Majesty, and commit myself to the faithful service of the Royal Family and the Kierani people.”
It was done. Those gathered got up to congratulate and embrace Odai. It was a poignant, yet somehow joyful moment, borne of such sorrow and loss.
Princess Anjia came forth to offer her own words of encouragement. “Odai, you have always held a special place in my life.” She looked deep into his eyes. She took his hand and placed her other hand on the ceremonial ankh pendant that he now wore. “I want you to have faith that you are meant to be exactly where you are. Assan would be proud of you. His spirit will forever be with you. Take comfort in that.”
Her words had a powerful effect on him. Odai lowered his head, trying to compose himself. He, Senarra, the Princess and Assan, all had a bond that came from shared pain and shared circumstances. “I will do my best to honor his memory and to be a blessing to our people.”
“I know you will, Odai,” she replied.
Chapter 35
Regret
ODAI, in his new role as Head Priest, saw how the King suffered in the days since Assan’s murder. Odai was now one of the closest advisors to the King. He had to help him cope with this latest tragedy, sadly one of many, in the young King’s life. Odai had spent a good deal of time in the inner chamber of the temple recently, seeking guidance and clarity through the use of the Sun Disk. Letting the sun’s rays be reflected off of the metal onto him never failed to help him sort through difficult matters. It sharpened his focus, yet instilled a warm calming sensation in him, as though it could clear away the superfluous, and show him where his focus needed to be, guiding him to better paths.
He found the King one day in the main temple, alone, praying.
Odai sat down next to his King. It was warm in the temple. He looked up at the large ankh that hung behind the altar. A single candle had been lit just below it. A slight breeze blew in. The candlelight flickered, shining on the ankh. “He is missed,” Odai said.
Traeus knew exactly whom he was talking about, but he did not say anything at first. He was unprepared for company, unprepared to share his thoughts. He closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. “Many died that day.”
Odai understood his King’s reluctance, but he knew the situation must be addressed. He touched the ankh that hung around his neck to give him guidance and strength. “Yes,” he replied, “that is true.” He hesitated, but decided to continue. “Though each life is equal and to be valued, Assan’s death is not the same for you.”
The King felt himself grow tense. He was trying to quell his feelings. He did not reply.
Odai watched him for a moment. He saw his pain, the turmoil he was in. “I know that things had been…difficult between the two of you, since Princess Anjia’s return.”
The King took a deep breath, leaning back in his seat. “Yes, they were.”
“You know, Assan and I talked a great deal about you,” Odai said. “He respected and admired you to his last breath.”
This was not making it any easier on him. Traeus wished the conversation would end.
Odai continued, “In spite of what happened, he considered you family. His loyalty to your family was unwavering. Though the two of you did not speak much after Princess Anjia came home, he was never bitter. He understood your feelings. He expected nothing else.”
“Thank-you Odai,” the King replied, “but perhaps I should have expected more of myself.”
“If I may say, your Majesty, Assan always believed you were far too hard on yourself.”
That hurt him. Traeus looked down at the floor. “I should be harder, then maybe these terrible things would stop happening to my family, to my people.”
“Assan told me you often felt like a failure as a King. I think his death has caused that feeling to grow.”
Traeus pursed his lips. Odai had touched a very raw nerve. He swallowed hard. Suddenly the temple felt even warmer.
“Please understand,” Odai said shifting in his seat to face his King, “I do not say this to make your pain over his death any worse. I only wish to let you know that Assan did not harbor any ill feelings towards you.”
Traeus still did not look up from the floor. The feelings inside him were welling up.
“He accepted full responsibility for his actions. He had hoped one day he could help you to deal with your feelings. He never got that chance,” Odai said as he lightly touched the King’s arm, “but perhaps I can now.”
Traeus bent his head down and squeezed his eyes closed. “Some people you think will always be there, that there will be time to one day try to mend the hurt, the anger, to talk, to resolve even the most bitter of differences, but…” He shook his head, as he choked back tears.
The truth was he was haunted over Assan’s death. Traeus had never forgiven him for what he had done. Even the joy at having Anjia back, alive and flourishing, had barely been a consolation for what he felt he had lost. Not only the years, but the loss of trust in the one man he had always trusted above all others. It had shaken Traeus to his core. Now that Assan was gone, Traeus
felt empty and isolated and conflicted.
“I do not know that you can help me, Odai,” he whispered.
“What do you mean?” he asked, his brow furrowed.
Traeus put his head in his hands. “How can you help someone who cannot move past something, even though the other person is now dead? Assan kept his secrets from me, but he also died protecting Anjia, my family, and yet…”
Odai waited a moment. “And yet?”
“Some secrets cannot be forgiven,” he said, his voice sounding hollow. “Or perhaps I am just not strong enough yet to do so. I agonize over that. I do not know which it is.”
Odai placed a hand on his King’s shoulder. “Look deep within you. The answer is there. Seek to find peace, to find solace in knowing your family is safe. Then you will know.”
Chapter 36
Hide and Seek, Present-day Egypt
THE next afternoon, the four friends packed their belongings and equipment in the van and headed towards the city of Alexandria. They had spent the last evening making detailed plans about how they were going to proceed. They got a few hours sleep, had a good breakfast, and made a shopping list.
First thing in the morning, Mitch and Jack had made a quick trip out to a nearby market in Cairo and back, to get what they needed to change their appearances. It was decided that it was too risky to have the four of them travel together until they had altered their appearances, and Mitch and Jack were the least likely of the four to draw attention. They had changed into some of Khamir’s clothes, wrapped their heads in a couple of his keffiyehs and headed out for maps, hair dye, large sunglasses, extra hats, and clothes for the four of them. Before they left, Alex had also provided everyone, including herself, with haircuts. She had found some scissors in Khamir’s desk in his office. They weren’t very sharp, but she had done the best she could. Once they returned, she had taken care of changing their hair color as well with the dye they brought back. They all now sported shorter, slightly choppy, black hair.
They were now off to the next leg of their Egyptian adventure. They were scared, but decided they’d proceed with caution and do their best to keep low profiles. The port city of Alexandria was 140 miles northwest of Cairo. While Cairo was typically hot and arid, Alexandria blissfully offered the occasional cool breeze from the Mediterranean Sea.
“I love the smell and feel of the sea,” Alex said, feeling the air rush in from the open windows. She admired the stunning coastline views. It helped her forget for a moment all of the trouble they were in.
“I’m just glad to be out of Cairo. The traffic was nuts!” Mitch said as he shifted gear. “I feel like I can finally breathe again with the smell of the sea air. Much better than Cairo’s thick smog.”
“I know what you mean. This is heavenly,” Alex said as she closed her eyes and breathed in the salty, sea air. “I feel like my lungs are being cleansed, like they’re expanding.”
They approached the city. Alexandria had a population of only 4 million, compared to the 16 million people that lived in Cairo.
“I can’t quite remember, when was the city of Alexandria formed again?” Jack asked from the backseat of the van.
“Alexander the Great founded it in 331 BC,” Alex replied. “In ancient times, Alexandria was an important trading port, linking Europe to Africa. Today it remains one of the top ports in the world, linking Europe, Asia and Africa.”
“Cool,” Jack said.
Bob rode quietly.
“Ok, Jack,” Mitch said, “I’m going to need some help navigating now.”
Jack already had the map open. He gave Mitch detailed instructions on how to get to their destination.
After a short time Mitch pointed, “There’s the Citadel over there, on the island of Pharos.” He parked the van near the site and the four friends got out. They each wore long sleeved cotton shirts, long cotton pants, sunglasses, and headscarves. They didn’t want to stand out as foreign tourists.
The small island of Pharos rested slightly off the coast of Alexandria. It was linked to the mainland via a man-made causeway called the Heptastadion. From a far distance, the Citadel of Qaitbay looked more like a castle than a fort. The parallel towers were designed to protect the fortress’ sides.
As they walked towards the site, the Citadel came into closer view. They could see that there were no windows in the fort except for small openings for gun placement. The citadel stood roughly 50 feet high. Canons were strategically placed along the base and top of the fortress. The golden brown color of the building provided a small glimpse of what the Lighthouse of Alexandria might once have looked like.
“Why was this fort built?” Jack asked.
“It was built in 1477 AD to be part of a fortification system, defending Egypt and all along the Mediterranean coast,” Mitch said. “Sultan Qaitbay used the fort to defend against the surging Ottoman Empire.”
“So, where do we start looking?” Bob asked, looking around the area.
“Let’s take one of the guided tours and see if we can find any clues,” Mitch said, rubbing his eyes.
“Stop doing that, you’re going to get your eyes infected,” Alex admonished him.
“I can’t help it. I’m not used to wearing contact lenses.” Mitch reached into his shirt pocket for some eye drops he had brought along. “Besides, I’m not the only one getting used to the changes. I noticed you playing with your hair all the way on the drive here.”
Alex grabbed her ponytail under the scarf and brought in front of her face. It was much shorter now. She had lopped off a few inches. “Dying my hair black didn’t turn out the way I wanted. I was hoping for a silky jet black, not this slightly grayish-hued black. It makes me look kind of sickly.”
“Speaking of changes, how are you doing, Bob?” Mitch asked, as he noticed him rubbing his face. “You were a little quiet on the way here.”
“Yeah, I don’t quite feel like myself. My head feels a lot lighter with this haircut and my face feels weird without the beard,” he said scratching his face. “I don’t think my skin is used to direct sunlight and it itches so much.”
“Look on the bright side,” Jack said, “just think of us as being undercover.” Jack looked paler than usual since his light brown hair had been dyed black and cut into an almost brush cut style.
“That’s easy for you to say,” Bob retorted. “I’ve had that beard since I was nineteen years old.” Bob looked at Alex, pouting.
“Sorry, Bob,” Alex said. “We had to do something.”
“I miss my beard,” Bob sighed.
“We all look weird, if you ask me,” Jack said. “And our hair is all choppy and uneven. I have spots that are almost bald thanks to you.”
“And you nicked my ear,” Mitch chided her. “You drew blood.”
“What can I say, I’m not a professional hairstylist,” she said shrugging her shoulders. “And Khamir’s scissors were really dull.”
“Sure, blame the scissors,” Bob said rolling his eyes.
yyyyy
The four friends signed up for a guided tour of the Citadel of Qaitbay. After the tour, they explored the Citadel on their own.
“We’ve been looking for hours and found no clues,” Jack said, exasperated. He downed a bottle of water.
“It’s got be here,” Alex said. “Maybe we’re just not seeing the obvious.”
“I need to sit,” Bob said, exhausted.