Shortly after we broke camp the next morning, we approached the tallest mountain yet.
"Oh no!" Nicky said. I could tell he was getting tired, and this would now be the hardest climb yet.
"Mount Mashu," Gilgamesh told us, as if the thing were legend. As it turned out, I guess it was. He explained that this mountain was at the edge of the water where the two great rivers met, the Tigris and the Euphrates. It is where the sun rises and sets every day. He told us that his mother had spoken of a tunnel that man was forbidden to enter that went through the mountain. He insisted that we would be the first to make it through, but that the guards could not know we were with him or they would never allow even him to try.
"You're sure," I asked, "That they will let even you try?"
"They must for it is the only way," the king said. "I will make them see."
"How are we supposed to get past them once they let you in?" Nicky asked totally confident that King Gilgamesh would talk them into letting him try it.
"The lion skins," he said, as if a brilliant idea had just come to him. "We shall fashion them into a bag, and I will carry you past the guards." And here I thought for sure I was going to escape the horror of having to touch those things. It was really kind of skillful the way he attached the skins into a sack. He made small holes around the edges of the skins and used vines like thread to string them together. We were able to get some air, but it still stank to high heaven. We waited until we saw the guards before we had to get inside. The hardest part was going to be keeping still so the guards would not become suspicious.
"Oh my god, they're giant scorpions," I shrieked when we saw them.
"Not so loud, do you want them to hear us," Nicky whispered poking me in the side. The king then quietly got us to climb into the lion skin bag. Nicky was at the bottom, I was sort of sitting on his legs, and Tommy was on top of me.
"Don't fart," I whispered to Tommy. He giggled.
"You either," Nicky told me.
Gilgamesh gently slung the bag over his shoulder then strode casually down to the scorpions.
"You there," the bigger of the two scorpions called out to the king.
"He's part god," the smaller female sounding of the two said, but it was clear she was talking to her partner and not Gilgamesh.
"I wish to enter. Open the gate," the king said sounding like it was no big deal, and they would just step aside for him.
"This is not a place for mortal man," the male scorpion announced.
"As your friend just said, I am no mere mortal. I am Gilgamesh son of King Lugalbanda of Uruk and Lady Ninsun. I am more god than man," he told them proudly.
"But part man you still are," the female insisted.
"Not so much for you to worry," he continued.
"Why do you wish to travel here?" the male asked.
"I seek Utnapishtim," the king explained.
"There is not light for twelve leagues you will go mad traveling through," the female scorpion told him.
"Madness has driven me this far after the death of my friend Enkidu. Only talking to Utnapishtim can restore my well being," Gilgamesh insisted.
The scorpions looked at each other then parted. The male then opened the gate to the tunnel. "Enter Gilgamesh, travel through Mount Mashu, and may the gods be with you," the male told him.
Gilgamesh shifted us on his back then walked into the darkness of the tunnel. He continued to carry us without sound until I guess he figured we were far enough inside to no longer be heard by the guards. When he sat the bag down, he helped each of us out and onto our feet.
"Wow they weren't kidding about it being dark in here," Nicky said.
"The tunnel is not wide," the king said. "There is no way to stray from the path, but still we must remain together. Hold to the person in front of you, Tommy will be behind me."
"Ow," I heard Tommy say, as something made a loud thump.
"Sorry," Gilgamesh replied and then chuckled. "Do not let go," he continued, and I figured Tommy must now have a hold of the king. "Now Dani take hold of your brother."
"Is that you?" I asked reaching out and feeling something.
"No that's me," Nicky said.
"What about now?" I asked again.
"Don't pull on my collar. Here," Tommy said moving my hand. "Now that's me."
"Nicky, now you take hold of Dani," the king said.
"Not my butt," I said since that's what he grabbed.
"My bad," Nicky, said but he didn't sound too sorry. "Better?"
"Yeah, just watch it," I warned him since he had hold of the waistband of my shorts.
"I can't watch it. It's too dark," he insisted.
"You know what I mean," I told him.
"We must be off," Gilgamesh said then started slowly walking forward.
We walked along is silence for some time before Nicky said, "So how long is twelve leagues anyway?"
"It is difficult to explain. It would not take me so long to travel being a giant, but it will be quite long for us," the king told him.
"Sorry," I said feeling bad about slowing him down again.
"I would have this journey no other way," he replied.
More time passed then Tommy whispered, "King, I have to go pee."
"We heard that," Nicky said with a laugh.
"Why didn't you go before we got in here?" I asked and it sounded way too much like mom.
"I didn't have to go then," he insisted.
"We will have to stop for such things," Gilgamesh said gently. Letting Tommy know it was okay that he asked.
"I might as well go too," Nicky said and took his hand from my shorts. After a few seconds I could feel spray on my ankle.
"Hey!" I yelled, "You're getting me."
"I'm not trying to," Nicky said, and I could hear the embarrassment in his voice. I heard his zipper a second later.
"How am I supposed to go," I asked since the sound of everybody going was making me have to. Nicky suggested that I take my shorts off and squat, but not right next to him, so that's what I did. It's not like anybody could see me. Nicky was nice enough to hold my shorts and my hand while I did it though.
Once the ordeal of going to the bathroom was done and we were again holding on to each other is some manner, we took off walking. I guess to make small talk, King Gilgamesh said, "So Nicky and Dani, you are both close to the age of marriage."
"What?" Nicky said, and I thought he was going to choke.
"In our time, we have a long way to go sir," I told Gilgamesh.
"Really," he said surprised.
"At least five years," I assured him.
"If you get married so young here," Tommy now interrupted, "Where is your wife?"
"I have yet to marry," Gilgamesh said.
"But you're over a hundred, what are you waiting for?" Nicky asked.
"I wanted to establish myself, as a good king, first. Too much of my time is required for my people. I have little left for a wife," he told us.
"Bull," Nicky said, "I think you're just scared."
At first I couldn't believe Nicky had just said that to the king. I was afraid Tommy would come sailing over my head and into by best friend, but Gilgamesh just laughed. "That may well be true my young friend. My mother certainly believes it. She has been nagging me for 50 years to find a queen."
"I'm sure a lot of women in Uruk would love to be your wife," I said. "I've seen how some of them look at you."
"Not many have the stamina," the king said.
"Proud of yourself there aren't you," Nicky said with a full out laugh.
"Well," Gilgamesh said and laughed with him. The king's laugh was so loud it bounced off the walls.
"I thought you used to… you know with all the women," I asked not wanting to get too specific with Tommy right there.
"She means have sex," Tommy said like the king couldn't have figured that out for himself.
"I did, but this would be every night. The same woman," Gilgamesh explained.
"Well you need to get busy. You want to have kids right?" Nicky asked, "Someone to eventually become king. I mean, just in case this quest…"
"I wish to have children regardless," the king said letting Nicky know he wasn't worried about this quest failing.
Again we walked along in silence for what seemed like forever, and it seemed to be getting even darker if that's possible. "It's too quiet," Tommy eventually said.
"We could always sing," Nicky suggested.
"Or not," I replied. I've heard Nicky's singing.
"What shall we sing that we would all know?" Gilgamesh asked.
No one answered for several more steps then Nicky said, "I've got it."
Unfortunately he decided to start singing instead of saying the song, so I could protest first. As soon as he started, Tommy was right there with him, and it only took a couple of lines before the king was fully on board. "A hundred bottles of beer on the wall, a hundred bottles of beer. Take one down, pass it around, ninety-nine bottles of bear on the wall."
"Good god," I said, and here I couldn't even put my hands over my ears.
By seventy-two bottles of beer on the wall, I wanted to scream, but they only sang louder. By fifty-one bottles I was crying. Finally we decided to stop for something to eat. I prayed the last twenty-four bottles would get to stay on the damn wall.
We couldn't fix anything in complete darkness. We basically ate anything we pulled from our food bags, and yes, I drank water. I was thirsty give me a break. We thought about napping before moving on, but we all pretty much decided that we would just as soon get out of the darkness first, even if it was going to be many more hours. Personally I was afraid that without light to wake me, I never would.
We walked and talked for several more hours before King Gilgamesh stopped. Since he forgot to warn us in advance that he was stopping, I slammed into Tommy and Nicky slammed into me. I didn't fare too badly since I'm taller than Tommy, but Nicky busted his nose on the back of my head. "Damn," he said but never let go of my waistband.
"My bad," the king said remembering Nicky's line from earlier.
"Are you bleeding?" I asked concerned because he hit hard.
"Little," he mumbled, "I'm fine."
"I feel the North Wind," Gilgamesh then told us.
"Does that mean we're getting close," Tommy asked anxiously.
"Closer," the king said, "We must keep going. Are we ready? Does everyone have hold of their partner?"
"Ready," Tommy told him.
"Us too," I said since I could feel Nicky's hand still on my shorts. The king started walking and promised to tell us before stopping again.
I think we were all ready to drop, except for Gilgamesh, of course, by the time the slightest amount of light started to filter into the tunnel. We had made it, but honestly I don't think any of us would have if we had been alone. It took knowing we were in this together to get us all through.