Warrior of the Nile (The Gods of Egypt) Read Free Page B

all be well with you, may you flourish and return to us,” the prince said, no doubt repeating something he’d once heard his father utter.
    Touched, Khenet bowed. “Thank you, your highness.”
    Ashayet and the prince moved away, toward the bowing librarians. Khenet gazed after them for a moment before going into the hall and heading toward the gates of the palace, and the start of his journey.
    * * *
    Escorted by a second chariot full of armed guards, Khenet arrived at the entrance to the forbidding temple of Nephthys by midmorning, as commanded. As soon as the vehicle stopped, Khenet jumped down. “Wait for me,” he said to the driver. “I’ll be returning at some point with the woman I’m to bring to Pharaoh.”
    Not waiting to answer the salute from the captain of his escort, Khenet strode into the long passageway to the temple entrance, his rapid steps echoing over the inlaid sandstone pavement. Tall columns towered on either side of him, topped with carvings of stylized lotus and papyrus flowers. Black-kilted guards stood at the open door to the first ring of the temple; they passed him through without challenge.
    The inner courtyard was highly decorated, with hieroglyphics praising Nephthys and her glory painted everywhere—on the walls, the ceiling, the floor. Priests and priestesses stood about in small groups, whispering. They stared at Khenet as he marched through the area, ignoring them, heading straight for the door to the next chamber, moving closer to the presence of the goddess. He ascended the stairs with a measured pace, although his heart was pounding, not knowing when or if he would meet the Great One herself today. It seemed likely.
    A young priest stationed just outside the doorway to the next chamber held up a hand. “We welcome Pharaoh’s representative to the temple of Nephthys. May I know your name, my lord, so I may announce you to those who wait?”
    “Khenet.”
    Inclining his head, the priest got a better grip on his golden staff, ornamented with a winding coral-and-turquoise serpent, and stepped through the doorway. Khenet followed.
    “Khenet, emissary of the Great One Pharaoh Nat-re-Akhte, has arrived,” said the priest in sonorous tones that filled the room, putting a stop to all the nervous conversations that had been going on.
    As he stalked past the herald, five black-clad priests of Nephthys turned to him. Each man’s gaze was measuring, sweeping from Khenet’s head to his toes. He stared back, unflinching. I’m not going to be intimidated by a bunch of priests. Peripherally, he was aware of three small family groups, highborn nobility by their attire, clustered off to the side, under a wall mural depicting Nephthys spreading her wings to protect those who worshipped her.
    The head priest walked forward to meet him. “Welcome to the temple. Are you ready to observe the selection of the woman who will serve the goddess in this matter?”
    “I am.” Khenet nodded, wondering how much these people knew about what Nephthys intended for her human servant. Just because she’d told Pharaoh about her plot to infiltrate the Viper Nome didn’t necessarily mean anyone else was privy to the information. Maybe I’m not even supposed to know.
    “Come with me.” The priest led him up the stairs to the dais in front of the door to the inner sanctum, which was firmly closed and locked, guarded on either side by statues of the goddess standing taller than a man. Khenet positioned himself off to the side while the priest took front and center position, rapping his tall gold and white staff on the floor to get attention.
    “The moment for selection of the candidate has arrived. Let this generation’s Daughters of Nephthys, bearing her mark, stand forth.”
    Daughters? Were these women semi-divine? A chill ran down his spine but the three females who detached themselves from the crowd of family members looked like ordinary women to Khenet.
    First to step forward was a young girl, who