screams rang out, and were silenced, the sound of those dying cries liquid.
Reaching out from that first village, a great shadow spread over the desert from the south and west, a terrible darkness that washed across the sands like the Nile at flood, save in reverse. Another village fell, with no one to remark on it.
Then another.
From a third, a single survivor managed to escape. Terrified, he fled, collapsing at the next settlement.
Word spread beyond the villages that lay closest to the deep desert.
Something came out of night… It came from south of the great oasis, spreading eastward toward Thebes.
Irisi studied the man who lay on the pallet before her, bewildered. He had terrible wounds down the length of his back, injuries that were already suppurating and infected. She washed them carefully but she’d never seen anything like them. A lion hadn’t made them – she was familiar with the look of those from when hers hunted in the King’s preserve – nor had a leopard.
“How old are these?” she asked the woman with him, clearly the man’s wife, gesturing.
“Days, priestess,” the woman said, her dark eyes worried and frightened. “I put poultices on them, my lady, but they didn’t help.”
Lifting her head, Irisi looked across the grounds to where Saini stood washing his hands at a basin. They all washed their hands and arms after touching each patient.
“Saini,” she called, “would you come look at this?”
He glanced at her, his face darkening at her summons, but he came as she’d known he would. Courtesy demanded no less of him.
Once she’d been fond of Saini and he of her, but his increasing displeasure at Banafrit’s preference in a successor had become obvious and it had made things between them difficult.
“What caused this?” she asked the woman as Saini joined them. “Do you know?”
Clearly terrified, the woman shook her head. “It came from darkness that was not night. We heard the screams of the others and saw the darkness like a black cloud, like smoke come to earth, come toward us. Something was in it, was in that cloud. We gathered everything we could and ran. The screams of the others were terrible. Ashai fell behind, burdened. He cried out…the darkness was close behind him…”
Her voice trailed off, her eyes wide.
“Saini,” Irisi said to the older healer, “have you ever seen anything like this?”
The wound was terribly infected, yet the cuts appeared clean.
Frowning a little, looking carefully at the gouges but he was clearly as puzzled as she. Saini shook his head.
Irisi looked out over the plaza. Far more people sought aid than usual.
Something out of the darkness…a cloud come to earth… Something was wrong here. Very wrong.
“Would you take care of him for me?” she asked Saini. “You’re the better healer.”
It cost her little to say so. It was no more than the truth and gave him less to complain of her.
Even so, she went in search of Banafrit, finding her in her quarters with her husband Awan, the High Priest of Osiris. As befitted the Gods they served, they were also devoted husband and wife.
With a small bow to each, Irisi asked, “Have you heard the tales from the south and west?”
Banafrit said, “We were just speaking of that. All of the temples are seeing it, and hearing the stories.”
“Why hasn’t the King responded?” Irisi asked.
“That,” Banafrit said tersely, with a glance toward Awan, “is a very good question.”
One to which she had as yet no answer.
Her own requests to meet with the King had gone unanswered. Kamenwati simply stated the King had other matters on his mind.
What matters other than the welfare of Egypt? Banafrit wondered.
The assassination attempt had been some weeks past now. No other attacks had been forthcoming.
Banafrit’s gaze went to Awan.
The bodies of the acrobats had been revealing. All had suffered some form of abuse before their deaths and they’d stunk of dark
Reaching out from that first village, a great shadow spread over the desert from the south and west, a terrible darkness that washed across the sands like the Nile at flood, save in reverse. Another village fell, with no one to remark on it.
Then another.
From a third, a single survivor managed to escape. Terrified, he fled, collapsing at the next settlement.
Word spread beyond the villages that lay closest to the deep desert.
Something came out of night… It came from south of the great oasis, spreading eastward toward Thebes.
Irisi studied the man who lay on the pallet before her, bewildered. He had terrible wounds down the length of his back, injuries that were already suppurating and infected. She washed them carefully but she’d never seen anything like them. A lion hadn’t made them – she was familiar with the look of those from when hers hunted in the King’s preserve – nor had a leopard.
“How old are these?” she asked the woman with him, clearly the man’s wife, gesturing.
“Days, priestess,” the woman said, her dark eyes worried and frightened. “I put poultices on them, my lady, but they didn’t help.”
Lifting her head, Irisi looked across the grounds to where Saini stood washing his hands at a basin. They all washed their hands and arms after touching each patient.
“Saini,” she called, “would you come look at this?”
He glanced at her, his face darkening at her summons, but he came as she’d known he would. Courtesy demanded no less of him.
Once she’d been fond of Saini and he of her, but his increasing displeasure at Banafrit’s preference in a successor had become obvious and it had made things between them difficult.
“What caused this?” she asked the woman as Saini joined them. “Do you know?”
Clearly terrified, the woman shook her head. “It came from darkness that was not night. We heard the screams of the others and saw the darkness like a black cloud, like smoke come to earth, come toward us. Something was in it, was in that cloud. We gathered everything we could and ran. The screams of the others were terrible. Ashai fell behind, burdened. He cried out…the darkness was close behind him…”
Her voice trailed off, her eyes wide.
“Saini,” Irisi said to the older healer, “have you ever seen anything like this?”
The wound was terribly infected, yet the cuts appeared clean.
Frowning a little, looking carefully at the gouges but he was clearly as puzzled as she. Saini shook his head.
Irisi looked out over the plaza. Far more people sought aid than usual.
Something out of the darkness…a cloud come to earth… Something was wrong here. Very wrong.
“Would you take care of him for me?” she asked Saini. “You’re the better healer.”
It cost her little to say so. It was no more than the truth and gave him less to complain of her.
Even so, she went in search of Banafrit, finding her in her quarters with her husband Awan, the High Priest of Osiris. As befitted the Gods they served, they were also devoted husband and wife.
With a small bow to each, Irisi asked, “Have you heard the tales from the south and west?”
Banafrit said, “We were just speaking of that. All of the temples are seeing it, and hearing the stories.”
“Why hasn’t the King responded?” Irisi asked.
“That,” Banafrit said tersely, with a glance toward Awan, “is a very good question.”
One to which she had as yet no answer.
Her own requests to meet with the King had gone unanswered. Kamenwati simply stated the King had other matters on his mind.
What matters other than the welfare of Egypt? Banafrit wondered.
The assassination attempt had been some weeks past now. No other attacks had been forthcoming.
Banafrit’s gaze went to Awan.
The bodies of the acrobats had been revealing. All had suffered some form of abuse before their deaths and they’d stunk of dark
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