Neff wanted to stop. The longer she stared into the flame, the more it clung to her, pulling her from her world into an abyss from which she was uncertain she had the strength to return.
“No more,” she begged. “I can’t…”
“You can and you will,” Montuhotep commanded. “Tell me what you see!”
Neff moaned, trying to focus despite the overwhelming sensations. Dozens of images passed through the flame, almost too quickly for her to register them.
“I see war,” she said with difficulty. “I see a long journey. I see betrayal and death—so much death…”
“What else?” The master’s voice was impatient.
Neff searched through the chaos, trying to see beyond it. Four figures emerged. One wore a crown, another carried a scepter, the third had two shadows, and the last… the last…
She was small.
“Tell me!”Montuhotep shouted.
A second later, there was a loud bang, and Neff’s worldexploded with light. A sudden wind blew through the chamber, and the flame went out. She blinked into the sunlight, gasping as reality came crashing back. Neff turned. A strong wind had blown the door to the chamber wide open.
The euphoria quickly soured into a bleary daze that made Neff’s head hurt and her stomach churn. Across from her, Montuhotep cursed and reached across the table to grasp her wrist.
“What did you see, child? Tell me before the vision fades!”
Neff met his gaze. Then she vomited on the floor.
***
It took the work of several Wab priests to clean Montuhotep’s room to his satisfaction. Neff would have helped, but she was too ill to move. The master continued to prod her about her vision of the lamb while she recovered, but she simply shook her head.
“I’m sorry, I can’t remember,” she lied.
In fact, she remembered everything. But the timing of the wind, the way the door blew open on an otherwise windless day, made her think she was meant to keep that particular vision to herself. Or at least, not to share it with Montuhotep. Until she found someone worthy of her trust at the temple, it was her secret to keep. Clearly, the goddess had called her to that place to interpret the lamb’s message—and to somehow use that information to avert disaster. Her dream had been nothing but grim portents, but the vision had provided something new.
The four figures.
She hadn’t been able to see their faces, or anything beyond the small details she remembered, but she knew one thing for certain: the last one was her.
But what role could a girl like her possibly play in such a grand design? She wasn’t a leader or a warrior, and other than her wits,she had no particular skills.
Then she thought of the Heka priests and the snake—wood one moment, flesh the next.Real magic.
Hadn’t Prince Kenna said he’d studied every element of the priesthood in order to choose which one he liked best? If he could learn them all… two couldn’t be so hard, could it?
It was the better part of an hour before she felt well enough to return to her chambers. Before she left, Montuhotep stopped her, his large hand gripping her shoulder.
“You will go to the House of Life tomorrow, after your deliveries are done. The scribes will begin instructing you in the gods’ words.” He added, “It is one thing to see—but it’s another to understand what you’re seeing. If you are to be any use to me at all, you must have discipline and control. You must learn from the scrolls.”
Neff nodded, excited by this development. “But… my interpretations of the dreams,” she said. “Were they correct?”
Montuhotep was quiet, but his expression said it all. “When you are stronger,” he said, irritation clear in his voice, “we will do this again.”
Then he sent her away.
Neff stumbled back to her chambers, her stomach still roiling. Despite her nausea, she felt deeply satisfied. She knew her interpretations had been correct. Montuhotep had tried to frighten her, but she’d proven herself worthy of a place at the Great Temple. Finally, she arrived back at her rooms, and without answering the Wabets’ prattling questions, she collapsed onto her mat and fell asleep.
***
Neff spent hours in the seventh sleep.
