Kiya and the God of Chaos

by Philippa Bower

  Chapter Thirty Nine: A Blessing

  Kiya’s soul was troubled. Night after night she lay upon her back, listening to her parents gentle breathing and looking up at the sky. She would touch the gold band on her arm, her fingers running over the complex pattern of waves and stroking the bull’s head with its broad forehead and curved horns. It was a precious gift and she would always treasure the memory of what might have been.

  As the moon swelled towards fullness it seemed to be a face frowning down at her. Anubis, her beloved god, how would he fare now the temple had closed? She had sworn to serve him but, when danger came, she had fled her responsibilities. In the pitiless moonlight, she felt shamed by her cowardice.

  Her heart lamented the loss of love, but more troubling were the memories that weighed upon her soul. Her part in Eopei’s death and her willingness to choose another sacrifice, were terrible deeds that she never thought herself capable of. Gone was her innocence, gone her conviction that she was a good and caring person, gone the safe passage of her ka into the eternal pastures. She wanted to pray, but to whom should she offer her prayers? If the gods were immortals, with no control over the lives of mankind, who was left to watch over her? There was one unknowable god who created the heavens and the earth. One who was beyond man’s understanding. Kiya closed her eyes and prayed to Neter.

  “Oh Lord God, the one true God, hear my prayer. Forgive my sins. Let my ka not be damaged by the wickedness of the temple. I offer my life to you if you grant me your blessing.”

  A feeling of peace came over her. She opened her eyes and gazed up at the stars. One shone more brightly than the others and grew larger until it resembled a golden ball. Kiya realised that it grew because it was coming towards her! She wanted to flee but she could not move and lay paralysed until the ball of light rested on her bed. It illuminated the sleeping figures of her parents but they did not stir and, after a few seconds, the star descended through the blanket and into Kiya’s belly. She felt its warmth spread through her and her fear changed to wonderment, as if a miracle had happened. Then she slept.

  A few weeks later, Kiya stood beside the Nile, drawing up water with the shaduf and pouring it into the irrigation canal for the germinating seeds. It was the beginning the sowing season and already the new soil, deposited by the flood, was drying out. She felt queasy and paused. Was something wrong with her? For several mornings she had felt sick but the sensation quickly passed and she had not bothered to tell her mother.

  As she sat and rested, Kiya watched a mat of tangled vegetation drift past and wished that she, too, could be carried on the water to the new city of Akhetaten. She longed follow her friends there but, without money or prospects, she feared that she would be stuck on the farm forever.

  Her gaze followed the flotsam downstream and sharpened as she noticed two figures walking towards her along the path beside the river. The man was bent and wearing a cloak, the hood of which hid his face. The woman was tall and thin. They walked arm in arm, like an elderly couple but, as a breeze stirred the papyrus reeds, Kiya smelled honey and new-mown grass. With a thrill that was partly fear and partly excitement, she recognised Anubis and Hathor. Kiya rose to her feet and was debating whether to flee when, with an unnatural burst of speed, the two immortals stood before her.

  “Good morning, Kiya,” said Hathor. “I have someone here who would like to talk to you.”

  Kiya gave, what she hoped was, a welcoming smile.

  Anubis straightened up and threw back his hood with a dramatic gesture. “Greetings, Kiya.”

  Kiya bowed. Why were they here? What did they want from her? Her mind was in a turmoil but she managed to keep her voice steady. “Greetings, my Lord.”

  “Well?” Hathor said to him. “Go ahead and tell her.”

  Anubis looked as sheepish as his jackal head allowed. “I regret that our relationship will have to end.” He spoke as if his speech was rehearsed and he could not meet her eyes. “Hathor wants me to marry her.”

  Hathor gave a mooing sigh. “You got it wrong, stupid. You should have said - I want to marry Hathor.”

  “I want to marry Hathor.” Anubis corrected himself.

  “Oh!” Kiya didn’t know what to say. The cowed creature who stood before her was so different from the god she had once loved that she found no trace of lingering emotion. They were waiting for a greater response and so, after a pause, she added, “Congratulations.”

  “We feel that the closure of the temple absolved Anubis from his commitment. The situation is different now,” said Hathor.

  “You mean, he no longer needs me?” said Kiya, to help clarify matters.

  “Don't be bitter, child,” said Hathor.

  “I am not!” exclaimed Kiya. “I am happy for you both.”

  “That is good.” Hathor nodded. “I like a girl who can put a brave face on her disappointment.”

  “How did you escape from the temple?” Kiya asked Anubis.

  “With Hathor’s help.”

  He sounded dejected and Kiya tried to hide a smile. Hathor had been quick to take advantage of his desperate situation. Poor Anubis had swapped one imprisonment for another. “I hope the price was worth paying,” she said.

  “What are you talking about?” said Hathor sharply. “Price? Would I demand payment for something I did for love?”

  Kiya was nervous of Hathor’s uncertain temperament. “I am glad things turned out well for you,” she said, “but I must return to the house, my parents are expecting me.”

  “Don’t go. We have a favour to ask of you,” said Hathor. “We want you to find the ka of Osiris and restore it to his body.”

  Kiya stared at her in bewilderment. “The ka of Osiris?”

  “Yes. Without his soul he cannot be brought back to life and it is vital for the future of Egypt that he is resurrected.”

  “But how can I find his ka?”

  “You can smell the essence of immortals, can’t you?” said Hathor. “We know of no other person with this gift. Seth has hidden the ka somewhere and only you can sniff it out."

  “But I don’t know what Osiris smells like.”

  “Isis keeps his coffin with her,” said Hathor. “Osiris’s corpse remains fresh and ready for reanimation. All you need do is lift the lid to discover his scent.”

  Kiya grimaced at the thought. “Where is Isis?” she asked

  “She has disguised herself as a mortal and has married the King,” said Hathor. The light dawned on Kiya. The wondrously-beautiful Queen Nefertiti was the goddess Isis!

  “What about the King?” asked Kiya. “Is he never curious about what is in the chest?”

  “The man is a simpleton,” said Hathor. “He thinks of nothing but worshipping this new god of his – the Aten. I doubt if he has given the chest a thought, which is fortunate for him. Isis would kill anyone who tries to look inside.”

  “When she is angry she can destroy people with her eyes,” said Anubis

  “What?” Kiya stared at them, appalled at the dangers to which they were so casually exposing her.

  “Her search for the ka has driven Isis mad,” explained Anubis. “She wishes to take revenge upon us all. I could have starved in that prison.”

  Hathor gave him a hug. “Don’t worry, my darling. We will find a nice tender mortal for your monthly feast.”

  Kiya stared at Hathor, aghast. Would she be on the menu? As long as they needed a favour from her she would be safe, but the option of refusal was vanishing. “Has Isis moved to Akhetaten?” she asked. Hathor nodded and Kiya felt comforted that she would meet her friends again. But the enormity of the task dismayed her. “Even if I discover the scent, where would I start looking?”

  “Seth might have left a clue at one of his shrines, or perhaps dropped a hint to a priest,” said Hathor. “Few such places exist. Massui’s palace is one of them. You could start there as you are already familiar with it.”

  “I was lucky to get out alive,” said Kiya. “Besides, won’t Seth tr
y to stop my search?”

  Hathor waved a dismissive arm. “You don’t have to worry about Seth. He has disappeared to Nubia.”

  “He prefers to be in the wilderness,” said Anubis.

  “I saw him before he went,” said Kiya. “He said I was his daughter.” She was expecting an amused reaction from them, but Hathor nodded.

  “I have heard the rumour,” she said. “I have also heard that he is disappointed in you and wants nothing more to do with you.”

  Her words hit Kiya like a knife. She had realised as much, but hearing it put so brutally wounded her. She would show her father that she was a person to be reckoned with. She would defy his wishes and restore the ka of Osiris. Only one thing stood in her way. “I have no money,” she told the immortals. “How could I pay for such a journey?”

  “Here.” Hathor handed her a small leather bag. It was surprisingly heavy and when Kiya looked inside she saw that it was full of gold nuggets. “We immortals do not lack wealth, thanks to a secret mine in Nubia.”

  Kiya was overwhelmed and handed back the leather bag. “I could not take this much. It is a fortune.”

  “It’s your payment for undertaking the task,” said Hathor and pushed the bag at her.

  Kiya relented. She had never seen so much money. It would keep her and her family in comfort for the rest of their lives. Even revisiting Massui would be worth the risk for such wealth.