The Heretic
Aten, the sun disc, stretched his arms as he sunk down over
the mountains, another night’s treacherous journey through the underworld lay
ahead of him. Amun-Ra watched in the shadows, wishing his fellow god good
riddance. Aten clawed at the mountain, desperate to remain in the land of the
living, before his endless cycle took hold of him and he disappeared from view.
Amun-Ra grunted. “Finally.”
He stepped out taking a physical form now Aten could no
longer see him. He ran his hands over his lean body, and straightened his
ostrich feather crown. He resented Aten more than he knew was even possible.
How dare such a lowly and useless god take his place among mortals! The Royal
god? Ha!
A dark figure emerged from the graveyard at the edge of the new
royal city. He walked steadily up the cliff face and stood beside Amun-Ra.
Amun-Ra glanced at the jackal-headed Anubis and said, “What news?”
“The Pharaoh’s body may be frail, but he is determined to
live.” Anubis folded his arms and twitched his ears. “I do all I can to force
his body to fail, but he is much too stubborn to die.”
Amun-Ra scowled.
A woman’s voice gradually faded in as Horus and Hathor
appeared behind them. Hathor was pointing at Horus with her hand on her hip.
“All you’re doing is hurting his wives! This is ridiculous.”
“Hathor,” Amun-Ra spoke sternly, causing her to snap her
mouth shut and turn to him, bowing her head.
“I’m sorry, your Highness.”
Horus approached Amun-Ra with a bow. “Where are the others?”
“Coming,” Amun-Ra answered. “I can feel Osiris moving
through the earth, he was the only other god who agreed to come.”
Horus ruffled his feathers. “Agreed? You should have
commanded them. This affects all of us.”
Amun-Ra turned and faced over the city on the plains below.
“If I want this done right, the gods who assist me need to comply willingly.
Many of the other gods do not feel this heretic issue applies to them as their
followers still worship them where they can keep it hidden from the Pharaoh.”
“You cannot blame them,” Anubis said. “Mortals come and go, why
should they be concerned with one Pharaoh?”
“One Pharaoh who has done all of this!” Horus waved his hand
over the city. “Uprooted the kingdom and forced the people to abandon us, and
for what? The Aten of all the gods? It’s disgusting. I am god of the Pharaohs
and Amun-Ra is King of the gods, so how could he possibly place that… that poor
excuse for a god before us? If he manages to have an heir, who’s to say that
heir won’t follow in his footsteps?”
Hathor moaned.
Horus shot his wife a filthy look.
“Ah! Osiris approaches,” Anubis said, changing the direction
of their focus.
Osiris sprung from the earth, dressed in his white robes and
white crown with a crook in his right hand. “Hello brothers, sister.” He
glanced at Horus. “Son.”
“Yes, it’s a lovely family reunion,” Horus snapped. “We’re
all here now, so let’s get on with it.”
“Very well.” Amun-Ra touched Horus’ shoulder. “Horus, you
and I are the most deeply affected by this so I will hear you first. What have
you observed within the palace?”
“Aten worship.” He squawked. “He’s not even a real god!”
“Stay on topic, husband,” Hathor snapped.
He glared at her before continuing. “My servant within the palace has become
prominent, much to my relief. With all this monotheism nonsense it’s hard to
find a good, loyal mortal. But I believe this mortal, if guided, will do my
bidding well.”
“Very good,” Amun-Ra said with a nod.
“But your dreams are not working,” Hathor muttered, folding
her arms.
“They are,” Horus said. “The Pharaoh fears sleeping and
that’s because of me.”
“Yes but it’s harming my women isn’t it?” Hathor pointed at
him again. “I hate when you do things which harm my women.”
“Horus,” Osiris said is a smooth calm voice. “Harming the
mortal women?”
Horus stroked his feathers on his neck. “It’s not me. It’s
the Pharaoh.”
“Because of you!” Hathor yelled. “They are mine, like the
line of Pharaoh’s is yours!”
“Enough.” Amun-Ra raised his hand and they all fell silent.
He scanned each of their faces. “We didn’t gather to blame one another for what
is happening. We gathered to come up with a solution. Now, let’s try to think
of a constructive way to do to solve this problem.”
No one spoke for several moments, until Horus said, “Father,
you should take him with you to the underworld.”
“Ah…” Anunbis raised his hand. “Without a male heir all that
will accomplish is place his Great Wife or his younger brother on the throne.”
“His Great Wife?” Hathor smiled. “I see no problem with
that. Hatshepsut was a brilliant pharaoh, so it’s about time another woman took
the crown.”
Anubis shook his head. “His Great Wife is a fervent
supporter of the Aten. It would defeat the purpose of removing the Pharaoh.”
“What of his brother then?” Osiris asked.
Horus scoffed. “No. He’s a horrible little mortal. I refuse
to allow him to have my title.”
“Then what do we do?” Hathor asked.
Horus gestured at the horizon where Aten disappeared. “I say
we get rid of him.”
The group all protested, saying without the sun disc,
nothing in the mortal realm would grow, flourish or even exist. Horus rested
his hands on his hips and yelled over the noise, “I don’t see any of you coming
up with any suggestions!”
“I have a suggestion.”
They all spun at the sound of the new voice. Bast walked
steadily toward them, her black cat fur glistening in the moonlight as her
womanly hips swayed from side to side. She stopped beside Anubis and smiled.
“Woof.”
“I hate cats.” He turned his nose up at her.
She purred with amusement. “Oh what fun we have. Immortality
is a blast, isn’t it? Oh, I forgot, you prefer the dead.”
Anubis opened his mouth to speak, but Amun-Ra cut him off.
“Bast, I’m glad you joined us.”
“As am I.” She rested her hand on her hip and smiled. “I
don’t often get to spend time with some of my favorite gods and goddesses. Pity
it’s under such unfortunate circumstances for you, nephew.”
Horus grumbled under his breath.
“And you, your Highness.” She bowed her head to Amun-Ra.
“Thank you.” Amun-Ra tilted his head, making his ostrich
feather crown rock forward. “Now, what is your suggestion?”
“Yes.” She looked Horus over. “Give the Pharaoh an heir.
Unbind me from my agreement preventing his Great Wife from having a son. If he
has an heir he will stop struggling against you, Anubis, to live. That’s all he
wants; to continue his royal line.”
“She cannot have a son,” Anubis growled. “For the same
reason she cannot inherit the crown. She will teach the boy to worship Aten. We
bound you to this agreement for this purpose.”
“Then one of the other wives.” She shrugged. “Horus, have
your servant protect one so she can bear an heir.”
Horus stroked his chin thoughtfully.
“The other women have been trying,” Hathor snapped at her.
“It’s not their fault they haven’t succeeded.”
“And the few who have given him sons, the boys are of
questionable paternity for the mortals,” Bast said with a smirk.
“That’s not my fault.” Hathor scowled.
Amun-Ra raised his hand to silence the group. He shut his
eyes, listening. When he opened his eyes again he smiled. “At least I still
receive some prayers. My servants in Thebes remain loyal.”
“Thebes!” Horus threw his hands in the air. “Oh my glorious,
wonderful, magnificent Thebes. How could her days of glory have past for this?”
He waved his hand over the city below.
“Yes, and now it’s overrun by those Hebrews.” Anubis rolled
his eyes. “I don’t like their god He’s…”
All their eyes fell to the ground.
“Powerful,” Hathor whispered.
“We shouldn’t even be talking about Him,” Osiris said
evenly. “We will find ourselves in a world of trouble.”
“Yes, let’s move on.” Amun-Ra opened his mouth to speak
again when Horus interrupted.
“Hebrews?”
Hathor turned on him. “Yes, husband. Pesky little Hebrews.
We should have insisted they leave our kingdom long ago.”
But Horus ignored her. “Bast, do you have power over all
mortal women and their fertility?”
“Of course.” She folded her arms. “That is, if their patron
god allows it.”
“Hmm, there might be a slight problem there then.” But he
smiled and started laughing to himself.
“I don’t like it when you laugh like that,” Hathor scowled.
“It means you’re scheming.”
Horus ignored her and turned to Osiris. “Father, you are at
least on amicable terms with the Hebrew god aren’t you?”
“If you could call it ‘amicable’. At most it’s…”
“Do you speak to him?”
Osiris straightened. “He doesn’t like it.”
“I’d prefer for all of us to stay away from Him,” Amun-Ra
interrupted. “Whatever your scheme, Horus, it will not involve Him.”
Horus scowled and turned away.
Bast stepped forward, her ears twitching. “I am curious,
Horus, what was your idea?”
He scratched his feathers on the back of his neck. “It would
be risky, and definitely steps out of our normal bounds, but I thought a Hebrew
woman could mother the heir.”
A tense silence fell.
“A Hebrew?” Amun-Ra whispered.
“No,” Osiris said in a commanding voice. “I won’t hear it.
They do not belong to us. We can manipulate, possess, and do whatever we like
to our mortals, but those mortals are off limits.” His eyes narrowed on Horus.
“Maybe we should adjourn for a time to ponder a resolution to this issue. We
shall gather in three moon cycles to present our ideas so we may arrive at a
solution.” He paused, and looked to Amun-Ra. “If you are agreeable, highness?”
Amun-Ra tapped his lip as he raised an eyebrow. “I am.
Farewell then all. We are adjourned until three moons hence.”
Osiris bowed his head and sunk into the earth.
Anubis growled. “I guess I’ll keep weakening the Pharaoh’s
body. Until we meet again.” He turned and leaped down the cliff, disappearing
into the graveyard.
Amun-Ra glanced at Horus, raising an eyebrow. Horus paused,
sensing Amun-Ra desired for him to stay. Amun-Ra turned to Bast. “It’s been a
while since we spoke. Why don’t you stay with me to catch up?”
She tilted her head, her ears twitching. “Of course.”
Horus turned to Hathor. “I already planted a nightmare in
the Pharaoh’s mind, so let us go–”
She rolled her eyes. “Then I must go protect the wife who
remains with him tonight. Oh Horus, I long for the time when this is over! You
mischief is causing me no end of grief!”
“You have no end of grief?” He squawked. “The title of
Pharaoh belongs to me and that man has shunned me, he shuns all of us for that
pathetic, lowly god, who is lucky to even be considered a god, the Aten. That title, the Pharaoh, belongs to me and he
mocks me by wearing that crown and calling himself ruler of Upper and Lower
Egypt. My very existence, my purpose has
been thrown asunder for what? A sun disc? My grief far outweighs yours as you
protect a handful of pathetic mortal women.”
She pressed her hands against her hips as she puffed out her
chest. “Oh husband, you’re lucky I’m compassionate to you and know of the pain
you suffer or I’d turn you over to Set!” She clicked her fingers and vanished.
Horus, unfazed by his wife’s outburst, turned to Amun-Ra.
“You wished to speak to me?”
Amun-Ra glanced toward the moon and motioned for Bast and
Horus to follow. They slipped inside a cave, out of view or earshot of any
other god. Amun-Ra turned to Horus, stroking his chin. “I am intrigued to hear
what your scheme is.”
Horus scowled. “It’s not important. My father made it very
clear that–”
“I am King of the Gods,”Amun-Ra said in a firm voice.
“Osiris is below me and my voice trumps his. Speak, Horus, and tell me your
idea.”
Horus ran his hand down his beak, pondering for a moment.
“Well,” he began on a sigh. “I thought, as I said, a Hebrew woman could mother
the heir.”
“And why is that?”
Horus tilted his head. “A new wife, uninfluenced by anyone
else in the palace or a belief in Aten could provide a son which we can mold as
we would have him be.”
“But she would teach him of her own god,” Amun-Ra scowled.
“Ah,” Horus craned his neck and in an odd, bird-like way
smiled. “That’s why we select her very carefully. We find one who is cunning,
bright and educated in our ways and so understands the importance of the
freedom to worship any god. Then, once she’s exposed to palace life and her own
faith is forced into submission, she will know for herself why the strict
monotheism the Pharaoh has enforced is dangerous, and will unwittingly fight
for our cause.”
“But what about the Queen?” Bast interrupted. “She is
jealous and definitely won’t agree to a lowly Hebrew baring the heir. Not to
mention, how do we sneak this by their god?”
Horus chuckled. “We draw her into one of our temples. She cannot be protected there. Inside our
temples she is free game for us to do what we want.”
Amun-Ra nodded. “It seems like a good plan. But how will we
ensure a woman like this is selected? That is, if one even exists.”
Horus’ eyes glistened. “Take us to Thebes so we can see the
people.”
Amun-Ra grasped Horus and Bast by the arm and they shot down
to Thebes where they stood on the rooftop of his temple. The streets were quiet,
which was to be expected at that time of night, until a horn sounded.
“A wedding,” Bast smiled. “Oh how I wish I could join in.”
They watched as several households woke and rushed into the
streets to the bride’s house.
“What is happening?” Amun-Ra muttered.
“The guests rush to follow as the groom takes the bride for,
if they arrive late the door will be shut and no one will hear them knocking.”
“You know a fair deal about the Hebrews,” Horus said.
“I watch them.” She shrugged. “They are strange and I find
myself curious.” She raised an eyebrow and pointed. “Like that family. The
father is the chief of his tribe and has four daughters after his son. He loves
them each dearly, but his oldest daughter he favors above the rest, even though
she’s not near as pretty. She’s clever and might just be what we’re looking
for.”
“And why does he favor her?” Amun-Ra asked.
“I’m not sure.” She stretched her hand out, and they each
grabbed it as they transported down among the group. Bast leaned forward to
look into the face of the eldest daughter, but was shocked and forced away. She
grunted and stepped back. “I can’t get close enough to find things like that
out.”
“Let us observe,” Amun-Ra gestured for them to follow into
the wedding.
They stepped through the door and stared at the feasting and
rowdy guests. They moved toward the family and silently watched as they
interacted. The four daughters laughed together while the father and son
chatted. Then, the father leaned forward and smiled at his oldest daughter as
she stood. She tilted her cup at him and spoke in Egyptian. The three gods
turned to each other.
Amun-Ra smirked. “Educated in our ways.”
“She’s smart,” Bast purred. “So her father taught her.”
They watched her as she raised her voice in praises to her
god, and several young men fell around her laughing as she joked and charmed
them.
“She’s what we’re looking for.” Horus gestured for them to
leave. They retreated to the Temple of Bast where Horus paced as he stroked his
beak. “Where do we go from here?”
Amun-Ra, delighted by the turn of events, grinned from ear
to ear. “You, Horus, must arrange for her to be collected. Give the Pharaoh a
dream telling him to take a virtuous wife from among the Hebrews, then plant
into the mind of her collector what to look for.” He turned to Bast. “And you
need to lure her into your temple. Once she’s inside, ensure she will conceive
a son first and conceive quickly. What we are about to do must be done swiftly
or their god may prevent it and His wrath will fall upon us.”
He turned and looked out upon the city, his face falling.
“There will be many negative repercussions from this, I can sense it. But for
now, we must ensure future mortals remain loyal to us and that this monotheism
idea is crushed. I believe this may be our best solution.”
He nodded to Horus who bowed his head. “I will go now, your
highness, and begin the process by planting the dream in the Pharaoh’s mind.”
He turned northward and with one step, vanished.
Amun-Ra turned to Bast. “Well then, it seems the heretic
King will soon fall. So tell me, what is the name of this Hebrew?”
Bast stroked the fur under her chin. “Naomi. Her name is
Naomi.”
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