Page 17 of Ra (The Scarab Prophecy #1)

Later that afternoon, completely sated on cherry cheesecake, and chocolate eclairs, Azi sat at her laptop, still looking through the intake photos of antiquities taken from the Tomb of Ra that were now housed with the Department of Antiquities.

She scrolled through them slowly, taking her time, assessing.

When she came across one that seemed especially interesting she’d click on it and consider it more closely.

She’d been at it for more than two hours, and with every item she clicked on, Ra would make some kind of grunt — either an approving one, or a disgusted one.

“Are you going to do this with every single piece I select?” she asked, turning to look at him where he hovered near her ear, watching from over her shoulder.

“Yes,” he said on a yawn.

“I think you need a nap,” she said, turning back to her computer.

“I am rather tired.”

“Then go nap.”

“I must oversee all the pieces you choose.”

“There will not be that many pieces coming with us. We will present most of the items in photos displayed on the white boards behind me while I speak and describe the individual pieces and what we believe they were used for, and if they’re inscribed, the meaning of the inscriptions on them.”

“It would be much easier if you’d just choose one,” Ra said.

“It’s not that simple. There is no one antiquity that would clearly convey the opulence of the tomb.”

“Why do you continue to call my temple a tomb? It is not a tomb, it’s a temple. And yes, there is one.”

“Because it’s named the Tomb of Ra. That’s how it’s known. And let’s just clarify that if someone was entombed there, for any length of time, and in any way, it becomes a tomb, even if it was once a temple.”

“But I wasn’t dead.”

“You certainly weren’t alive!”

“But I was! I was simply waiting!”

Azi turned in her chair to look directly at Ra. “Waiting for what?”

“For Neith to decide I’d waited long enough,” he said grouchily.

“I don’t understand,” Azi said.

“Neith locked us away in my temple. She even built the temple to lock us away in.”

“Us?”

“All of us! It’s her own fault, really. She should not have given the other gods free will. It should only have been myself, and her.”

“What did you do?”

“Me? Nothing. The others… everything. They continuously complained, constantly caused arguments, demanded equal respect and treatment to that which I received. Demanded that I have limited access to regions they oversaw. Which is completely ridiculous, because I created everything, and everyone. Even them! One cannot be prevented from having access to areas they created!”

“I thought Neith was the primordial goddess. Wouldn’t that have made her your creator?”

“Yes, yes. She created me, then I created all else. I created everything but her.”

“And everyone demanded that she step in and make everything equal.”

“They demanded lots of things, every day. She grew tired of the noise and chaos.”

“Okay, I’m beginning to see things clearly. She punished the lot of you. She just wanted peace and quiet and when no one would give it to her, she put you in a place that no one could bother her anymore.”

“It was an impulsive decision. She’s very impatient.”

“She sounds very reasonable to me.”

“I’m not speaking to you anymore,” Ra said, as he looked down his nose at her and sauntered out of her office.

“Hey! You didn’t tell me. Which one piece would you choose to display if you could only choose one?”

“The throne, of course.”

“I can’t take the throne! It’s still in the tomb.”

“Temple,” Ra corrected. “You should have it removed and have it displayed behind you on a dais during all of your presentations. There is no need for anything else if you present the throne.”

Azi spent another hour on her laptop searching through photos of antiquities not only from the Tomb of Ra, but from other digs she’d assisted her father on before she gave up, signed out of the shared database she’d been searching through and placed a call to the director of the Department of Antiquities who was responsible for sending her on this tour.

After several different secretaries and assistants, she finally heard her voice across the line.

“Good evening, Dr. Clement. How may I be of assistance?” Dr. Neti Weaver asked.

“Dr. Weaver. Thank you for taking my call.”

“Of course. What is it that my assistants weren’t able to help with?”

“I didn’t discuss my needs with them. I didn’t feel it was appropriate considering the scope of my request.”

“Well, now you have my curiosity at an all time high. What do you want?” Dr. Weaver asked, as usual not enjoying spending time on pleasantries.

She sat behind her huge desk, examining her highly polished, bright red pointed nails gleaming in the light reflected from the array of antique mirrors positioned just so around her over-crowded office.

Her office looked like its own tomb, filled with far too many antiquities for one person to be buried with.

But she was quick to advise any who happened to be fortunate enough to enter her office that the decor was all imitations of the real thing.

Of course, they were, because no one would be foolish enough to surround themselves with the real thing and provide no more security for them than the simple turn of a key. Would they?

“As you know, Dr. Weaver, I’m expected to make our first presentation to the university here, just day after tomorrow.”

“As it was I who agreed to an academic tour of the findings in the Tomb of Ra, I’m well aware.”

“Yes, ma’am. I’ve been trying to choose which of the antiquities would be best to put on display and travel with me. I don’t feel that it is convenient to box up and account for multiple items, when none will quite speak to the opulence and uniqueness of the find, even when combined.”

“What do you propose, then?” Dr. Weaver asked, as she sat back and crossed the heels of her very pointy, very high, Louboutin heels on the edge of her desk. Azi of course, was completely unaware of the smirk she wore, waiting for her to get to the point.

“Well, as you and I both know, the purpose of the tour isn’t solely academic. We are looking for donations to bolster the Department of Antiquities and subsequent digs.”

“Go on,” Dr. Weaver said, her voice not quite hiding the ever growing lack of patience.

“I think it would serve us best if I were to amaze all who attend. And I think that would best be done by displaying Ra’s throne.

I would only need to bring the one item.

It’s easier to keep safe, easier to account for, and without a doubt would make the most impact.

I will supplement my presentation with photos of the rest. But the throne is the one I will bring with me. With your approval, of course.”

Dr. Weaver’s lips curved into a sly grin. “Impossible!” she exclaimed.

“I understand I’m asking for quite a lot, but I believe all of our needs would benefit from its usage.”

“It is still anchored in the tomb!” Dr. Weaver said, her voice still clearly unhappy with the idea, though the expression on her face clearly showed that she was quite delighted.

“I can have Abasi remove it, and secure it. It’s already been examined and found to be in excellent condition. Its movement would not endanger it in the least.”

“What would we possibly put in its place for those making the pilgrimage to visit the tomb?”

“Nothing. We’d just put a placard there stating that the throne is currently making an academic tour, or if you prefer we could say that it is undergoing restoration.”

“Perhaps you are correct. It would certainly make a greater impact than any other item you could display.”

“Yes, ma’am. I agree, and as I said, we will be displaying photos of the other items, as well. And we’d only have one item to travel with.”

“I’ll tell you what I’ll do. I’ll speak with Abasi myself.

If he feels he can secure the throne and prepare it for travel within the alloted amount of time, I’ll agree to it.

If he for any reason is not comfortable with removing it from the tomb, you will have to make other plans of which antiquities will go with you. ”

“That’s all I can ask, Dr. Weaver.”

“I know. I will be in touch.”

“Thank you, Dr. Weaver.”

Dr. Weaver disconnected the call and smirked at Abasi, sitting across the room from her, on the throne.

“I told you she’d call about taking the throne,” Abasi said.

“I don’t believe for a moment that this was Azenath’s idea. I have no doubt Ra put the idea in her head.”

“Does it matter, though? It’s a fantastic idea. It will gain so much attention, the very throne of Ra on display for all to see.” He looked down at the throne he was sitting on, and suddenly stood and walked around the throne to lean in beside it and smile brightly. “And take photos with!”

“It will be roped off. No one will be able to sit on it, other than Ra. It is after all, his throne.”

“They can still stand beside it. I think it’s a great idea. You can decide later if you would like to allow large donors and benefactors to have the opportunity to sit on Ra’s throne.”

“I don’t think so. They are not Ra. They are not gods at all.”

“You allowed me to sit on it.”

“You, are a descendant of the priests of Ra. Your people swore their allegiance thousands of years ago, and have remained loyal even in the silent years.”

“It will be a wonderful sight to behold when all the gods are walking among us once more.”

Dr. Weaver looked around her office once more, before allowing her gaze to wander back to the throne. “You are aware, each will have choices to make. The world is a very different place, with very different people and beliefs from the world they knew.”

Abasi nodded, but didn’t answer.

“They may not ever regain their status.”

“Is that a definitive development?”