lantern illuminates a sandy path leading into an obscure darkness.
“Looks like this is the only way out for now,” Aniya says to the little men. The leader motions to the other six and they line up in height from largest to smallest and stand ready at the door. The leader looks up at Aniya, a look of readiness on his face. “Here we go,” Aniya says and steps into black shadows beyond the land of the living.
TWELVE
Pebbles and sand crunch under their feet as Aniya and the seven little clay men walk through the darkness. With each step, the murky black fades away to a cloudless pink sky and a hint of light shining on the horizon. Aniya glances behind to look back through the door, but it is gone. There is nothing but sand as far as the eye can see. The light of the lamp flutters and goes out, though there is no breeze to douse it.
The sound of water lapping reaches her ears before she sees the river snaking through the desert. Small black waves ripple against the sandy shore. Although there is no vegetation growing, no papyrus reeds or tall grasses for crocodiles to hide in, Aniya can’t help but notice how much the river looks like her own beloved Nile. A lone barge sits at the river’s edge, its loading plank lowered onto the bank.
Aniya turns around in a circle looking for signs of life, but there is only empty desert dunes and the piceous water of the river as far as the eye can see. The clay men stand and wait at attention, though the leader looks up at her as if to say, “What next?”
“I guess we’ll see if anyone’s on board,” the queen says with a sigh and the shabti lead on. A feeling of uncertainty and helplessness presses down on her, making each step through the sand even more difficult.
The barge is small compared to the ones Aniya has become used to after marrying Pharaoh. And while those boats were always pristine and manned by the strongest servants, this one is not. Gaping holes dot the hull of the ship where the cedar has rotted through and a dingy grey rectangle of linen sail hangs limp and lifeless from the main mast. Aniya steps gingerly on the thin boards of the ramp and with a wary eye at the inky black water, makes her way up. Six empty oars sit on the deck and a small cabin rests near the rear of the boat.
Aniya steps toward the door of the cabin, but the leader of the shabti holds up his hand to stop her. Pulling his small, clay sword from its sheath he motions to three of the tiny soldiers to follow him. The other three stand guard in front of the queen as the leader and his men make their way toward the cabin. Before they can enter, a bellowing shout comes from the door.
“Where’s that lazy crew gone to now?” A withered, old man in a dirty loincloth hunches under the door frame and stomps onto the deck. He peers over the edge of the boat. “Where’d they go?” he asks absently.
“Excuse me, sir,” Aniya attempts to interrupt the old man. “Could I just…”
“That blasted snake probably tried to eat my crew again,” he says finally looking at the young queen. “You didn’t see them, did you?”
“No, I haven’t seen anyone. In fact, you’re the first person…” Aniya trails off as the old man wanders back into the cabin.
She gives a questioning look to the leader of the shabti, but he only responds by shrugging his shoulders. The sound of objects crashing to the floor explodes from the cabin. “Is there anything I can do to help?” Aniya calls inside to the old man.
“Help? Yes! You could help,” he answers as he comes back out of the cabin with two long, wedge-shaped oars. He moves aft, dips the flat of the oars into the river and attaches the handles to rigging, creating a rudder. “What do you know about sailing?”
Aniya looks to the shabti again. Another shoulder shrug tells her they know about as much about sailing a ship as she does. “Ummm...nothing actually.”
“Good. Then you won’t get in the way by telling me what to do.
“Looks like this is the only way out for now,” Aniya says to the little men. The leader motions to the other six and they line up in height from largest to smallest and stand ready at the door. The leader looks up at Aniya, a look of readiness on his face. “Here we go,” Aniya says and steps into black shadows beyond the land of the living.
TWELVE
Pebbles and sand crunch under their feet as Aniya and the seven little clay men walk through the darkness. With each step, the murky black fades away to a cloudless pink sky and a hint of light shining on the horizon. Aniya glances behind to look back through the door, but it is gone. There is nothing but sand as far as the eye can see. The light of the lamp flutters and goes out, though there is no breeze to douse it.
The sound of water lapping reaches her ears before she sees the river snaking through the desert. Small black waves ripple against the sandy shore. Although there is no vegetation growing, no papyrus reeds or tall grasses for crocodiles to hide in, Aniya can’t help but notice how much the river looks like her own beloved Nile. A lone barge sits at the river’s edge, its loading plank lowered onto the bank.
Aniya turns around in a circle looking for signs of life, but there is only empty desert dunes and the piceous water of the river as far as the eye can see. The clay men stand and wait at attention, though the leader looks up at her as if to say, “What next?”
“I guess we’ll see if anyone’s on board,” the queen says with a sigh and the shabti lead on. A feeling of uncertainty and helplessness presses down on her, making each step through the sand even more difficult.
The barge is small compared to the ones Aniya has become used to after marrying Pharaoh. And while those boats were always pristine and manned by the strongest servants, this one is not. Gaping holes dot the hull of the ship where the cedar has rotted through and a dingy grey rectangle of linen sail hangs limp and lifeless from the main mast. Aniya steps gingerly on the thin boards of the ramp and with a wary eye at the inky black water, makes her way up. Six empty oars sit on the deck and a small cabin rests near the rear of the boat.
Aniya steps toward the door of the cabin, but the leader of the shabti holds up his hand to stop her. Pulling his small, clay sword from its sheath he motions to three of the tiny soldiers to follow him. The other three stand guard in front of the queen as the leader and his men make their way toward the cabin. Before they can enter, a bellowing shout comes from the door.
“Where’s that lazy crew gone to now?” A withered, old man in a dirty loincloth hunches under the door frame and stomps onto the deck. He peers over the edge of the boat. “Where’d they go?” he asks absently.
“Excuse me, sir,” Aniya attempts to interrupt the old man. “Could I just…”
“That blasted snake probably tried to eat my crew again,” he says finally looking at the young queen. “You didn’t see them, did you?”
“No, I haven’t seen anyone. In fact, you’re the first person…” Aniya trails off as the old man wanders back into the cabin.
She gives a questioning look to the leader of the shabti, but he only responds by shrugging his shoulders. The sound of objects crashing to the floor explodes from the cabin. “Is there anything I can do to help?” Aniya calls inside to the old man.
“Help? Yes! You could help,” he answers as he comes back out of the cabin with two long, wedge-shaped oars. He moves aft, dips the flat of the oars into the river and attaches the handles to rigging, creating a rudder. “What do you know about sailing?”
Aniya looks to the shabti again. Another shoulder shrug tells her they know about as much about sailing a ship as she does. “Ummm...nothing actually.”
“Good. Then you won’t get in the way by telling me what to do.
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