OK...here we are, in the Hall of Anubis. This is a VERY long chapter, in part because for accuracy I have included the actual "Negative Confession", translated from the Book Of The Dead...you have my permission to skip over all the tedious "I have Not's" if you wish, but it's the real deal, so if you're into that (which I am) then feel free. I have promised a recommendation per chapter, so here is the next one:"Better Than Ruling the World" by Xena's Little Bitch, a X&G au that is quite original, and has the most amazing flow. Hope you like it. Thank you for all the positive feedback and encouragement, there has been nary a flame for this little tale, and I appreciate you all more than you know. Stay tuned, we ain't over all the turbulence just yet. spirit
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
They were escorted into a huge circular room. On a raised platform around the circumference, were forty two chairs, all occupied by Egyptian gods. Every eye was trained on the two women who stood before them. The taller, slouching in ambivalent ease. The smaller fidgeting with the straps on her pack. Gabrielle let her gaze shift from face to face, recognizing several of them as those she had dealt with over the last few days. Most held serious expressions, though Thoth, Shay, Neith and Horus all smiled benignly, Thoth going so far as to nod and wink, which helped to relax the bard somewhat.
Gabrielle swung her pack off her shoulders and rooted around inside, extracting the scroll of Absolution, and the Book of the Dead. She handed the scroll to Xena, then riffled through the book until she found the address to the forty two divine judges, the negative confession.
Anubis strode across the room and ascended to his own chair, once he was seated he nodded at Xena, who unrolled the scroll and read her Absolution text. Set smirked, raising an eyebrow at the bard as if to say," It isn't enough", but made no other indication that he was even listening. When Xena had finished, Gabrielle handed her the book and pointed at the passages she was to read. Xena glanced at the forty two phrases, one for each of the judges and arched an incredulous eyebrow. Gabrielle nudged her in the ribs with an impatient elbow, squinted her eyes in irritation, and tilted her head at the gathered judges, " Just read the damned thing," she hissed softly.
The warrior harrumphed, but began to read;
O
Far-strider, who comes forth from Heliopolis,
I have not done wrong.
O
Embracer of Fire, who comes forth from Kher-Aha,
I have not committed violent robbery.
O
Nose, who comes forth from Hermopolis,
I have not stolen.
O
Eater of Shadows, who comes forth from Qernet,
I have not slain people.
O
Stinking Face, who comes forth from Re-Staw,
I have not stolen offerings.
O
Double Lion-God, who comes forth from the sky,
I have not pilfered.
O
He whose Eyes Are As Fire, who comes forth from Sais,
I have not stolen the property of the god.
O
Burner, who comes forth from behind,
I have not spoken lies.
O
Breaker of Bones, who comes forth from Heliopolis,
I have not seized food.
O
Commander of Flame, who comes forth from Memphis,
I have not cursed.
O
God of the Cave, who comes forth from the west,
I have not committed fornication.
O
He Whose Face Is Behind Him, who comes froth from his chamber,
I have not caused weeping.
O
Bast, who comes forth from the sarcophagus,
I have not devoured my heart.
O
Burning Feet, who comes forth from darkness,
I have not trespassed.
O
Eater of Blood, who comes forth from the execution block,
I have not behaved wickedly.
O
Eater of Intestines, who comes forth from the court of the thirty judges,
I have not robbed farmland.
O
Lord of Truth, who comes forth from the hall of truth,
I have not eavesdropped.
O
Wanderer, who comes forth from Bubastis,
I have not slandered.
O
Sower, who comes forth from Heliopolis,
I have not been angry without cause.
O
Evil of His Evil, who comes forth from the Busirites nome,
I have not made love with the wife of another man.
O
Serpent, who comes forth from the slaughterhouse,
I have not made love with the wife of another man.
O
He Who Sees What Has Been Brought, who comes forth from Panopolis,
I have not ejaculated.
O
One Who Is Over the Great Ones, who comes forth from the tree,
I have not caused terror.
O
Overthrower, who comes forth from Canopus,
I have not trespassed.
O
Speaker Of Words, who comes forth from Werit,
I have not been hot with anger.
O
Child, who comes forth from the nome of Heliopolis,
I have not been deaf to words of truth.
O
Darkness, who comes forth from the Oasis of Khargah,
I have not spoken out.
O
He Who Brings Peace, who comes forth from Sais,
I have not brought forth violence.
O
Preparer of Voice, who comes forth from Wenist,
I have not disturbed the peace.
O
Lord of Faces, who comes forth from Nedjeft,
I have not hastened my heart.
O
Teacher, who comes forth from Weten,
I have not eavesdropped.
O
Lord of Horns, who comes forth from Sais,
I have not made my voice numerous with words.
O
Nefertem, who comes forth from Memphis,
I have not sinned, nor caused misery.
O
Atum-Sepu, who comes forth from Busiris,
I have not spoken out against the king.
O
He Who Acts According To His Heart, who comes forth from Atfih,
I have not held up water.
O
Prince, who comes forth from the Celestial Ocean,
I have not raised up my voice.
O
One Who Makes The People Flourish, who comes forth from Sais,
I have not spoken out against the god.
O
Subjugater of the Ka, who comes forth from his chamber,
I have not exalted feebleness.
O
Subjugater of Beauty, who comes forth from his chamber,
I have not stolen the bread of the gods.
O
Holy of Head, who comes forth from the shrine,
I have not taken the sacrifical bread of the glorified spirits.
O
Bringer of his Arm, who comes forth from the hall of truth,
I have not taken a child's bread, nor belittled the god of my town.
O
White of Teeth, who comes forth from the Fayyum,
I have not slain the divine cattle.
Finishing, Xena snapped the book closed thinking that of the forty two "I have not's" she was perhaps not guilty of five, but said nothing. There were several loud guffaws from the gallery of gods, none of which were apparently buying her negative confession. After a few moments of beard stroking and shifting in their chairs, a deep silence ensued.
Thoth glanced around the room with a wry smile, then stood and addressed those gathered, " Xena of Amphipolis, you have read the scroll of Absolution which allows you reprieve from your transgressions, and have correctly identified and bespoke the assembled Gods. However…your reputation in the mortal world is well known among us, and though you have correctly followed the prescribed procedure…we find that further debate is necessary to adjudicate your case." he paused and gazed at the bard expectantly," You have brought a witness before us…does she wish to speak on your behalf?"
Xena glanced at Gabrielle questioningly, and at her nervous nod answered, " Yes my lord Thoth, my partner Gabrielle of Potidaea would ask to be allowed to bear witness."
Thoth gave the bard a slight smile, " You may proceed young scribe," he replied as he retook his seat.
Gabrielle swallowed hard and stepped to the center of the room. She gazed at the gods above her, gathering her thoughts. Of all the stories she had ever told as a bard, this would be the most important, the most difficult and the receptiveness of this audience would mean the difference between life and death for both herself, and her soul mate. It was a heavy weight, but one she would not allow herself to shirk.
She cleared her throat and began.
" Gods of Egypt, I come before you to speak in the defense of Xena of Amphipolis, my friend and soul mate. The tale I impart to you today is long, and I ask your indulgence, for there are many twists and turns to this story.
I know you are aware of Xena's past, and the person she once was. It is my contention that had she not been manipulated by the Greek God of War, the reputation she acquired would have been far different. Ares came to Xena at a time when she was distraught over the death of her beloved brother, at the hands of a warlord who brought his army against her hometown of Amphipolis. It is my intention to prove to you, that had Ares not interfered with the path the fates had set out for her, Xena would not have become the Destroyer of Nations." She paused to gauge the reaction of the assembly, and was heartened to find that they were, with the exception of Set, listening avidly. " Therefore, I beg the courts leave to summon Ares to this tribunal, to offer testimony."
There was some murmured discourse at this, and all eyes turned to the figure seated in the largest chair. This was Ra, overking of the Egyptian pantheon, and it was he who must make the decision to include a foreign gods testimony. He gazed down at the bard, and to her credit she did not squirm under his intense scrutiny. He then nodded his assent, and waved a hand for her to continue.
Gabrielle squared her shoulders and took a deep breath. She was by no means sure that Ares would answer the summons. He was under no obligation to do so, but she was counting on the fact that he still hoped to regain his warrior princess and his best chance at doing so would require his testimony. " Ares…Greek God of War…" Gabrielle intoned, " Your presence is requested, and your testimony petitioned. Please answer my subpoena."
There was a moment of deafening silence when the bard was sure she was going to be ignored, and then Ares suddenly appeared, his left earlobe gripped in the strong fingers of the Goddess of Love. Aphrodite smirked at the bard as Ares slapped at his sisters hand in annoyance, " Alright, alright..leggo my ear. I'm here."
Aphrodite released him and stepped back with a wink at Gabrielle. Ares turned to the bard and scowled his most impressive scowl, which left Gabrielle completely unaffected, then he turned to Xena. " Hello Xena," he grinned evilly at her, hiking a thumb over his shoulder," I see you can't get rid of the irritating blonde, even in death."
Xena simply gave him a bored look, and he turned to the Egyptian pantheon with an impatient air, " I was rather busy when I was so rudely "summoned" by this…" he looked Gabrielle up and down disdainfully, "mortal…what's so important?"
Shay, who until this point had been discernibly silent, rose from his seat and addressed Ares. " My lord Ares,' he said, putting a slight disapproving emphasis on the word "lord", " It is the claim of the young bard here," he gave Gabrielle a deferential bow and a warm smile," that because of your interference and manipulation of Xena of Amphipolis, the path she was destined to follow , set out by your own Fates, was altered. And as a result of that interference, she became the Destroyer of Nations….is this true?"
Ares grinned and shrugged," So what if it is?" he gazed unrepentant at the Egyptians, meeting Set's eye with a wink, " it certainly isn't unusual for a GOD, to influence a mortal. I saw tremendous potential in Xena, she was a…tool, a very sharp tool, which I used to my advantage. Until Miss Goody two Boots there," he sneered in the bards direction," stuck her pretentious nose in my business, and ruined the best warrior I ever had, with her "break the cycle of hate" routine."
Shay regarded Ares scornfully," And were you aware of Xena's destiny prior to your "influence"?"
Ares rolled his eyes at the question," Of course I was aware, I'm a GOD…but her destiny, especially concerning the irritating blonde, did not suit my purposes…so I changed it."
" In what way?" Shay asked curiously.
" Oh, a warlord here, a Caesar there….what difference does it make?" he shrugged, ignoring both Xena's and Gabrielle's sharp intake of breath.
" YOU?" Xena hissed, " YOU put Caesar in my path? YOU caused the death of M'Lila?"
Ares turned to her in amusement," Xena dear…are you really that obtuse? Of course I put Caesar in your path. Did you really think that was just a coincidence?" he shrugged unconcernedly, " When Cortese wasn't enough to sway you, I had to bring out the big catapults. Caesar suited my purposes admirably."
Shay shook his head in mild disgust, then looked pointedly at the warrior who was being physically restrained by her diminutive partner. Glancing down into Gabrielle's wide eyes, Xena read the warning in her gaze and stopped struggling. The bard gave her a tight smile and a quick nod that said Ares had played right into her plan. Releasing a drawn out sigh, she subsided, but not before she shot the God of War a withering, icy blue glare, letting him know that the issue was far from over.
Gabrielle stepped forward then and said, " My lord Shay? Would you please tell your brothers and sisters what you told me in Memphis, concerning the loom of the Fates?"
Shay turned to face his brethren, and told them what he had seen in the loom. How the bards and the warriors threads were woven together before they ever met, their colors and what had altered them, and how they were now divergent and what it might mean for the future of Egypt.
The gathered Gods sat in contemplative silence for a time until Ra looked down at Ares, " It would seem we have much to consider. I thank you for your attendance Lord Ares, and your candid testimony. We will not keep you from your…business any longer." His dismissal was somewhat perfunctory, and made Ares' hackles raise, but he remained silent and nodded. Turning to face the two mortals he gave them a feral grin and whispered, " I'll be seeing you soon." With that he flickered and was gone.
Xena and Gabrielle glanced at each other, knowing that Ares' parting words held a note of foreboding, but they had other things to worry about at the moment.
Gazing up at the Egyptians, Gabrielle spread her hands in entreaty and said in a firm voice, " My Lords and Ladies…it is my belief that because Ares manipulated Xena during a period of great emotional instability, and because he interrupted the timeline, he effectively rewrote Xena's destiny to suit himself. Had she and I met when we were supposed to, before Ares threw Caesar into her life, both of our destinies would have followed the course the Fates laid out for us. As such, Xena's past, prior to our destined meeting, should be considered the ashes that the true Xena, like the Benu, has risen from."
Set chuckled, shaking his head, " You are eloquent and persuasive Little Jackal," he said using the nickname he had given her on the road, " But you cannot deny that Xena would have been a warrior regardless of the timing of your meeting."
Neith was nodding at this, " I must agree young bard. In light of your own prowess, it is evident that your warriors' skills are such that she was destined to be a warrior, despite your influence."
Gabrielle smiled, " I do not deny that being a warrior was Xena's destined path. But I adhere to the belief that she would never have been the Destroyer of Nations without Ares' interference. Rather, she would be what she was when she died. A warrior with honor, compassion and conscience, who used her prodigious skills in the defense of those who could not defend themselves. Surely, from my own point of view, the world would be a better place without the need for those who do violence in the defense of others. But until the day when there are no longer those who cause harm for greed or power or just because they can, people like Xena will be necessary. And I assure you…there IS no one else like Xena."
There was a great deal of quiet talk now among the Gods, each turning to their neighbor and arguing in soft voices until Ra stood, " You have given us much to discuss, Gabrielle of Potidaea…" he turned and motioned towards a door set back in the wall to his left, " We will need to deliberate for a time, before we can decide whether or not to proceed with the weighing of the heart. I would ask you and Xena to wait in the outer room and allow us time to consider."
Gabrielle inclined her head in acquiescence, reached over and enfolded Xena's hand in her own, and led her partner through the door Ra had indicated. The ante room was comfortably furnished with stuffed chairs and couches, and the bard gratefully dropped onto the closest one in exhaustion. She leant forward with her elbows on her knees and began to tremble in reaction to the tension. Xena sat next to her and gently rubbed circles on her back, " Gabrielle?" she said softly.
The bard looked up wearily, blinking back tears, " Yeah?" she sighed.
" You were amazing in there," Xena said, her voice tinged with awe and gratitude.
The bard shook her head," Let's hope so," she replied in a melancholy tone.