Distantly Falling Stars (GRAND WINNER * ONC 2019)

7. Signals

Things had gone remarkably well, but Seti was still unnerved and tense. He had the overarching feeling he'd not so much avoided trouble, but had rather simply postponed it. 

Once the news had been shouted around in both Egyptian and Babylonian that there would be negotiations, the two sides immediately withdrew from each other, leaving off the staring contests and the showy, martial caressing of dagger handles to get back to their respective jobs. 

Mehu hadn't questioned him in the slightest, but had clapped him on the shoulder in congratulations and escorted him back to their ship to get him out of the unusual clothing. 

The Egyptian soldiers and crew decided amongst themselves to set up a base camp much further down the beach. Seti had been surprised when they'd weighed anchor and drifted until the busy Babylonian settlement of palm-thatch huts and dark tents became vague dots in the distance before dropping anchor again.   

He'd not been able to gain any real idea of the size of the mission he was a part of. But now, seeing them all massed on the beach as the pink and orange rays of the setting sun painted the sky in a vibrant wash, he counted at least forty armed, grim-faced soldiers in addition to the sailing crew. 

The man who'd threatened him wasn't among them. Perhaps he really had been mistaken and his mind had been playing tricks on him, creating a threat out of thin air. A point for Seshat, although he would hardly ever tell her about it. 

Seti peeled back the skin of a fish that the soldiers were roasting over pit fires in the sand of their new settlement and picked out the hot flesh of his dinner.  Mehu sat next to him, eating his own dinner in silence.  

"Pretty sunset," Seti ventured, thinking he didn't have much to lose and perhaps talking might calm his tautly-strung nerves. "Different than the ones at home." 

"What? Oh," Mehu said, startled out of his concentration. "Yes, I suppose it is."

"Not worried about the negotiations, are you? Because if you're worried, then I'm terrified." Seti attempted a laugh as he put another sliver of fish into his mouth.

"No. .  ." Mehu started, but then clearly thought better of it. "No, not worried. And you should be quite proud of yourself! First diplomatic hurdle successfully accomplished!" he said in a tone of robust joviality that sounded far more like a tired mother pushing herself to praise a child who had done no more than clap its hands together without missing. 

Why wasn't Mehu questioning him about what the Babylonian leader had said? Could he guess? Or did it not matter? Once again, the realisation the Sky Goddess had granted Seti about his own expendability entered his mind and gifted him not only with insight, but also with apprehension.

If the first plan had failed to materialise, what was the plan now? Wait for a second opportunity for him to put his foot in it and get a knife in the stomach, or was that no longer relevant? If he was still to be the sacrificial ox, had he made the original plan far more complicated to execute?  Were they planning to take the Babylonian leader hostage as ransom for the stars, for example? And now?

If only the Sky Goddess had shown him more!     

"I'll be much happier when this is all behind us and we're on our way home."  

"So will I."

"How long do we let them think? I mean, what's normal?"

Mehu didn't say anything for a few moments, his jaw slowly moving as he chewed his food. "As much time as they need." 

"Days?"

"If need be." 

"We could be here for a while then, theoretically."