Lost in Amon

Chapter Seven

The Sun God Re

I knew the day of Amon's meeting had arrived when Re appeared, trusty hawk on his shoulder. I sat on the edge of the gazebo, feet digging deep into the warm sand. Re stopped in front of me and smiled.

'Hello again, Etta.'

I nodded a hello back and averted my eyes to the pond as Re stepped into the gazebo. I lifted my strapped arm and moved it to make sure he wouldn't hit it as he walked past. What I really wanted to do was kick my leg out and trip him up, but I didn't.

I strained my ears; trying to overhear their conversation and thinking of a way I could convince Amon to let me tag along. What Salma would give for an opportunity to see the "King's realm". Since she wasn't here to do so, it was my job to get a glimpse and tell her all about it. What makes the King's realm different from Amon's realm? Anything? Nothing?

'Re.' Amon waved Re over to where he stood and I turned slightly, leaning my back against a pillar so I could watch them.

'Here, let me help,' Re said.

He picked up a golden nemes crown striped with brilliant blue, the typical headdress of pharaohs. Amon placed a wig made from small black plaits on his head, golden beads dangling at their ends. He shuffled it in place as Re lowered the crown gently. I ran my finger in a small circle on the stone floor, flaring sand outwards into a spiral as I thought about how similar the formal dress of pharaohs—the human equivalent to a king in Egypt—was to the Egyptian King of Gods.

Except for one difference: at the front of Amon's crown sat a golden ram's head, not the usual upright cobra called a uraeus. The ram had large, curling horns that demanded attention. Amon shook himself slightly, as though sinking into the weight of the crown and the power he held.

'What are you doing here?' Amon asked Re as he wrapped golden cuffs around his wrist.

'I thought you needed someone to watch the human.'

I scoffed, kicking my foot angrily into the sand.

'I don't need a babysitter.' I looked at Amon, furrowing my eyebrows. 'Why can't I go with you?'

Amon sighed and walked toward me. His pale eyes looked down sadly and he held his hand out for me to grab it. I did, and he pulled me up like I weighed nothing. I brushed the sand off my dress and glared at Re and his stupid hawk that screeched loudly. Amon straightened the strap on my dress and gently patted my hair down.

'You can't come, Etta.'

'Why not? I promise I won't do anything. I just want to see.' Amon hesitated for a moment and Re took it upon himself to ensure I couldn't convince him otherwise.

'Humans don't visit the King's realm.'

His eyes burned brightly, like a pot of molten gold. Were his eyes naturally golden or was that part of being a sun god? But Amon doesn't have golden eyes. Amon's sun god-ness was still under debate though.

'I'm pretty sure humans aren't meant to be in this realm either,' I said, waving my hand around. 'But here I am.'

Re scowled and stepped forward intimidatingly.

'Yes,' he hissed. 'Here you are. Maybe we should fix that.'

I brushed Amon's hand off my shoulder and stepped forward, rolling all my courage into one big ball at the base of my stomach.

'And what are you going to do about it?' I jutted my jaw out, daring him to step up. He didn't hesitate. The hawk on his shoulder spread its wings wide and screeched at me.