Responses to Comments:
NeferNeferi - You'll get your answer in this chapter. Enjoy!!
Kuruelna Kahini Kilani - Heh, you can always make suggestions since I am planning on writing a story that's loosely based on events here.
Chapter 7
"Ohhh … what sin did I commit in my past life … that Priest Meti always hand me these kind of tasks to perform?" A man muttered, complainingly.
He ran towards an uninhabited veranda in the royal palace, the sounds of his hurried footsteps seemed especially piercing in the remote night air.
"Hey! Stop right this instant!!" A loud voice spoke.
The man halted in his steps and turned around. He gazed at the shadow of a person that rushed over from an area that looked distant.
"Who are you and what do you think you are doing?!" The palace guard asked.
"I am a priest working directly for Priest Meti – Harim [1]. Since I am a priest, I think I do not have to inform you as to what I am doing here. Isn't that right?" Harim answered impatiently.
"Uh …" The guard found himself speechless at the question.
"Let it pass… Just lead me to where your captain is." Harim said.
"Huh? No … Now? Sir Priest?" The guarded sounded slightly hesitant.
"Of course I mean now! Quickly!!"
"Understood. Please follow me then."
Together, the two men made a mad dash towards that uninhabited veranda.
The Queen was anxiously pacing back and forth in her room.
'Why hasn't Sala returned from there after leaving for so long … I hope nothing has happened to her …'
She frequently looked outside of a window, wanting to know of any news from Sala.
'I wonder if Priest Meti would help me … this matter truly concerns all of us … what I am doing … could it be a bit too careless of me …' The Queen thought to herself. 'Hmm, in any case, this affair has developed to this extent. No matter how inappropriate I feel about this, it is useless. It would be better to be praying … maybe he really wants to assist me … even though … the probability of this happening is less than one percent.'
Just then, a voice interrupted her train of thought.
"Your Highness?"
'It's Sala! She came back!!'
"Sala?! You've finally returned! What did Meti say?! Tell me!"
Once the Queen saw Sala, she pulled at her and began to speak a long string of words.
"My … my Queen … I … can't breathe …" Sala said painfully.
"What? I'm sorry! I was very worried …" At once, the Queen let her go.
Because Sala's neck had been tightly grabbed by her, she waited for Sala to breathe a few times before asking her questions again. Sala then handed over Meti's reply to her.
"Your Highness, when Priest Meti was reading your letter, his face was so taut it seemed like he was dead. Could it be that …" Sala commented uneasily.
"Hmm …" The Queen opened the letter, her mood being that of one who had just thrown a dice and was waiting to see if her bet had paid off or not.
The contents of the letter were as follows –
To Your Highness, the Queen:
When I read your letter, it did indeed make me feel overwhelmed because this action you are considering is undoubtedly betraying the gods and the Pharaoh. Of course … as a priest, I should stop this extremely silly operation. However, the premise of 'using the Prince as a sacrifice' as being the gods' decree must be proven first before I could take such an action.
Several days ago, when Akunadin reported to the Pharaoh that supposed 'message', I happened to pick out something strange with his story. I thought that something was wrong when I saw his panicked and angry expression. I began to really doubt him, so … I have decided to provide aid to your plan.
Furthermore, I have send word of it to a good friend of mine who is also the captain of the palace guard – Paneb [2]. I believe you are not unfamiliar with him. He will agree to help us, so I hope you can give the details to your plan to the maid who had delivered this letter so she can then tell me them.
-- Priest Meti
By the time the Queen had finished reading the letter, she was already very happy. Joyfully she told Sala, "Sala, it's too good to be true! Meti is willing to help us!"
"This is truly a cause for us to be happy, my Queen!" Sala answered.
"Wait a moment. I need to write a reply to him … I'll need to trouble you once more to deliver it to him…"
"Your Highness, what are you saying?! I feel much honor to serve you!"
"Yes, yes, yes … I know." Once more, she picked up her brush and quickly wrote down the scheme they had meticulously planned on the papyrus.
"… That's about it, Sir Paneb." Harim said to a man in the room.
"Hmm … I understand. Then I ask you to bring a verbal message to him, 'I am very happy to help! Whatever you ask me to aid you with, don't hesitate to ask.' [3]
"Yes. Thank you very much! I'll be leaving now." Harim turned around and left the room. 'Whew! I'm finally done.'
Feeling relaxed now, he returned to Priest Meti to report the completion of his task…
Author's Corner:
Youlan: I am truly thankful to my yami … otherwise this chapter would not be up so quickly.
Yami Youlan: You've finally come back to life …
Youlan: I should thank you … for asking people to bring my soul back. Ohahaha…
Yami Youlan: … Although this means I'll be annoyed to death by you sooner or later …
(Every day, I would make Yami Youlan get out of bed at one in the morning and gushingly tell her the novel's storyline. Only until midnight do I stop.)
Translator's Notes:
[1] This is pretty much an approximate interpretation of what the characters sound like.
[2] I changed the name since the one in the original sounds suspiciously like how 'over' would be pronounced… I also have seen 'Lisa' as a possible name too.
[3] There's a line after this that goes 'He is a military man after all. When he speaks, it is so honorable.' Gah, more talking from a non-existent narrator!
First posted on April 10th and updated on May 6th of 2004 by Rika.