God Was Busy

Chapter 2

I rushed to my room, a poky little cubicle at the back, hardly bigger than a cupboard and with no window to the outside world.

I pull on the Chiton and correct it with pins, tuck my long braid up into Epiblema, cover my head in the veil, and slide into my Sandals with ornate buckles, the Straps of leather holding my feet in a tight grip. And rushed outside where Hasapis was waiting for me, he really looked upper class in his fancy Chlamys—a rare sight for the son of a farmer.

"Bow down, bow down," Hasapis dragged my hand to turn me down to make me bow in front of the passing palanquin shouldered by four men followed by four more men. Confused, I peeked inside and saw a beautiful woman wearing a gold leaf tiara. under which her long hair snaked down to her back as far as her waist. Her eyebrow raised, eyeing the people in scorn, smiling a superior smile.

"Who is she?" I asked, my body knelt but my head was still locked in her beauty.

"Daughter of the pharaoh of Egypt," Hasapis said "isn't she the most beautiful woman on earth".

"Without any doubt," I said, "but why is she here?"

"Didn't you hear the new prophecy of the high priestess?"

"What prophecy?"

"You weren't there on the day of the ceremony where they were sacrificing animals for the God in the temples, where Entrail implied that if the only son of Pharaoh Khufu didn't marry soon, he will lose the kingdom to a woman, and that can lead to the destruction of the kingdom,"

"This kingdom is endangered by the hands of a woman? I said as I acted surprised, the palanquin passed and we continued our walk. "The king must be mad if he abandons the reason and falls for such omens,"

"Apparently, he is..., Hasapis said "hurry up we are already late,"

We seated ourselves on the stares of the greatest library of Rhesus, where the high pagan sat in front of the more than ten feet tall statues of all the ancestry Gods singing hymns and prayers People sat in a huge semicircle facing him, more joined in, with their sacrifice's animals with them, it was every morning dress changing ceremony, they had to change the dresses of these statues after this.

"Gods, our forefathers, Lords of the universe," said the pagan as he started his sermon, "the origin of all things, the eternal force of cosmos, where everything has its beginning and everything, its end. Almighty Zeus, Apollo, and now his son Khufu, and their children, we ask for your protection, both in heaven and earth,"

I rolled my eyes but kept silent.

"It is so nice to see the most brilliant scholar I know," we heard the Magista's voice and turned to face him.

"You mean, a scholar who is considered unsuitable for this place because of her gender?" I forced a smile, "Did you call me?"

"I heard you signed the slavery contract; I was curious what happened that you broke your father's promise?"

"When your family is dying of hunger you don't care much about promises," I said, "yet I must add that after a month I will still not be begging I will be working as a slave till they get their debts," I grew impatient "was that the reason I was summoned here?"

"I gathered you both here to warn you, you have been heard by a few men talking ill about the Gods," I looked at Hasapis.

"I just spoke what I believe in," Hasapis's tone was accusatory. "You as much as I know that these are just men, you make us idealize them, make them better than who they are. Spreading such myths doesn't suit a scholar,"

He shrugged and looked Hasapis in the eye "Do you see any other way?", both of us said nothing.

"I do it to keep the institution running," then turned to me "do you ever wonder what happened to your father?" and without waiting for my answer said "Speak in front of anyone in the marketplace and you will know,"

"The truth is, "He continued, "it is in everyone's hearts and none will tell you this but all men hate these gods and the reason we worship them is we fear them,"

Hasapis swallowed loudly, his Adam's apple bobbed. Both of us knew his anger at the Magista was misdirected. On other days, on his farms, I listened to him rant about how the sacrifices to Gods were just another tool to keep limited food among the people, so they didn't think about anything else.

I glance over at Hasapis's face, still soldering underneath his stony expression. His rages seemed pointless to me, although I never said so. It was not that I don't agree with him. I did. But Magista was right, what good was yelling about the Gods? It only increased our problems; it didn't change anything. It didn't make things fair. It didn't fill our stomachs. I let him yell though in a place where I know no one can listen but me. Better he did it in front of me. Than anyone else.

the Magista pursed his lips and said, "I believe there must be some other true God,"

"If there is," Hasipas said "He must be really busy to let us suffer like this,"

"Hope for the best," the Magista said as we stood up.

"I will be taken to the construction site at the end of this month," I said "and if any God stopped them, I will surely believe in him, but if any other human came to help me, I know what I will do,"

and we left without listening to his answer.