Sha're led Daniel back to the room where he had been taken the first night on the planet. "This is our home now, husband."
"I, um, I kind of missed the whole wedding thing. I know that your people consider us married, but how did that happen?" Daniel knew customs of dozens of Earth cultures, but was curious about Abydonian customs.
Sha're looked at him as one would a cherished, but not too bright, child. "Dan'yel, you must remember. We celebrated the wedding feast. You ate the ma'suh…"
Daniel interrupted, "Ma'suh?"
"Yes. The food made for only the groom by the bride." Sha're wrinkled her nose at him. She smiled at him and began to flap her arms and cluck, as she had seen him do when he ate the ma'suh.
Daniel blinked several times, not sure of what he was seeing and then began to laugh. "The chicken-lizard? That was only for a groom?"
She nodded vigorously, "Yes! During the feast the groom eats the ma'suh prepared by the bride so he can see that she is a good cook. If he is happy, he smiles at the bride's father. When you smiled at Kasuf, you accepted me as your bride."
Daniel nodded. Boy, I wish I'd known this a few days ago.
"Then the priestesses, wearing red robes that only priests and priestesses may wear, took you to your home and prepared you with ceremonial oils and perfumes."
"Wait! That stuff was supposed to smell good? So you would find me pleasing?" Daniel tried to hide his grin so he wouldn't insult her.
"Yes. You were very fragrant, my husband," she beamed at him.
Daniel managed to swallow the snort that threatened to erupt. "I am pleased that you found me so, my wife." Fragrant! Hell, I smelled worse than the mastidge pens!
"Then I was paraded through the streets by my friends and family, as a proper bride is, and brought to your home. I was wearing the red veil that only an untouched maiden may wear on her wedding day." Sha're blushed and shrugged. "You accepted me into your home. We are married. Unless you do not wish to keep me any longer." She looked down at her toes peeking out from under her sand colored robe.
"Do you not find me pleasing?" She dared to look at him from beneath her thick eye lashes.
Daniel almost choked as he remembered the night before, when he's shown her just how pleased he was with her. "Oh, god, yes! I am very pleased."
"I hope to please you as much every night, my Dan'yel." She yearned for him to reach for her. It was not proper for a wife to touch her husband first.
He closed his eyes and groaned. "Every night? I am only a man. I'm not sure I could survive every night. But, you are my wife and it is my duty to please you."
He reached for her.
XXXXXXXXXX
He woke up in the morning with his arms wrapped around his wife. My wife. I never thought I'd have a chance to say that. She was warm and soft, sleeping with her head against his chest. Maggie was tucked in behind his back and the warmth from both of his "girls" kept him comfortable in the cold, desert night air. Life was perfect. He had someone to love, who seemed to accept him. He could investigate the pyramid and temple all he wanted for years to come.
He shifted. He needed to find the nearest bathroom. As he slid cautiously out from under Sha're, Maggie lifted her head. She needed to go out also. Silently Daniel padded out of their room and tried to remember in which direction the nearest communal toilet was. He turned left and heard the sounds of laughter. Maggie whined her need to him so he let her go first to a side gate and let her out into the desert.
Daniel was grateful that she returned quickly, as he was beginning to perform what his mother had called the "potty dance." He grabbed Maggie's harness and she led him back through the town. Daniel found a doorway at the back of the city wall that opened into a room lined with stone benches. He remembered that there were about a dozen holes carved into these benches for seating.
He knew his face was bright red as Maggie led him toward a vacant seat. Men and women called out in greeting. No segregation of sexes here! This was much more like Roman sanitation than Egyptian, but he supposed that several thousand years of development had resulted in a workable system.
The back wall of the city edged a river and a small stream had been diverted under the bathroom benches to carry away the waste. Daniel really hoped the people got their water from upstream. He realized that he had as much that he could teach these people as he could learn from them.
Daniel completed his business, refusing to use the communal cleaning brush. There were just certain Abydonian customs that he was not going to follow. As he left, he realized that he was lost and had no idea how to get back to his room. Maggie sat patiently at his side waiting for a command.
Daniel chewed on his lower lip, thinking. He could ask someone, but they already thought he was pretty helpless in matters of daily life. "Maggie, home." He sure hoped she knew where it was.
Maggie stood and began leading Daniel through the narrow streets, back to the small family's single room. She stopped at the doorway, waiting for him to give the command to enter.
The curtain, the only concession to privacy in the settlement, was suddenly pulled back and Sha're bolted out, crashing into Daniel and Maggie.
"Oh, my husband! I thought you had returned through the Stargate!"
Daniel could feel tears on her face as he caressed her cheeks. "No, Sha're. I just went to the bathroom and took Maggie out. I'm not leaving you."
She clutched his robe and sobbed into his shoulder. "I just didn't know what I would do without you." She quickly composed herself and began feeling a little foolish. "You must think I'm a silly child. To panic because you weren't here when I woke up."
"I think you're a beautiful woman who missed her husband." He pulled her back into their room as he pushed her hair aside to nuzzle her neck. He kept forgetting just how young she still was. "I'll never leave you. I promise."
XXXXXXXXXX
After the first meal of the day, Kasuf called the elders to a meeting. He invited Daniel to attend.
"My brothers, you know that the false god Ra had been killed by my Good Son, Dan'yel, and his companion, O'Neill."
He paused as the dozen older men applauded enthusiastically. Daniel just sat, blushing, and waited for the attention to be diverted from him.
"Now we have some decisions to make. We no longer have to work the mines that were killing our young men and women. We will have more time to cultivate our gardens, fish and hunt for food. We no longer need to live in fear that the evil god will come and take our children."
There were murmurs of agreement and satisfaction from around the meeting room. A man seated next to Daniel stood and began to talk.
"We will also have time to explore the river. To see if there may be any other towns. More of our people. Maybe some game animals for hunting."
Daniel listened as the group planned a new way of life for their people. They had never before had the freedom they had now and it was rather frightening. There was no one else to blame if they failed. No one to call upon in prayer. They were alone for the first time in their memory and they were apprehensive, but excited.
Maggie shifted at Daniel's feet. She found this boring, but knew that her master was enthralled. She gazed up at him without lifting her head, hoping he could sense her boredom and get her out of here. When he remained still, she sighed, resigned to her fate.
The group finally decided to send several of the younger men out to discover what was up the river. Daniel wanted to be one of those men, but he knew that because of his low vision the elders saw him as a child who needed sheltering. He stood and asked to address the group. They exchanged shrugs and Kasuf gave his permission.
"I know that I'm new to your way of life, but I believe that I could be of help to your people. I know a bit about health practices that could reduce illness. I could show you ways to irrigate your fields and gardens so you don't have to rely completely upon the yearly floods. I could teach your children how to read and write so your history will never be lost again." Daniel folded his arms across his chest.
"I know that you probably see me as a problem for you because I can't see well, but even with that stumbling block, I can help. I want to help." He sat back down and waited.
Kasuf and the elders sat quietly for so long that Daniel thought they were going to shut him out completely. Finally, Kasuf stood and pulled Daniel up by his shoulders. "My son, we were been blessed by your gods when they sent you to us. You have saved us with your knowledge and actions. Even if you don't know how we live and even if you don't see well, you have given us the gift of freedom. You have chosen to stay with us and become my son. We welcome your help."
"Thank you, Good Father. Your people have become mine and I will do everything I can to give them a better life."
XXXXXXXXXX
That evening Daniel lay beside Sha're thinking about their future. He pulled his sleeping wife closer and wrapped his arm around her waist. She was so young. He had discovered that at seventeen she had been considered an old maid, long past the marrying age. But Abydonian women had the right to refuse any offers of marriage and she had, never feeling right about any of the men who made offers for her.
He knew that the community would expect to see a child within a year, but he also realized that her body hadn't completely finished maturing yet and he didn't want her aged beyond her years. He didn't want her to look sixty when she was thirty-five. He had a few condoms that O'Neill's men had given him as a joke before they left, but Sha're would never understand. She'd be horrified if he tried to use one of those with her. They also wouldn't last very long.
He'd have to learn her monthly cycle and use old fashioned birth control. Self-control. Oh, god! She could be pregnant now. He hoped they could wait a couple of years. He'd love to see a tiny version of Sha're dangling on his knee. Daniel smiled at the mental picture he had of a beautiful little girl helping her mother with the chores. Someone he could teach. Someone he'd have to protect from all the boys around. That made his gut clench in terror. We are absolutely waiting!