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“There were only a handful of female kings. By historians’ account, as low as four to as high as twelve. Whereas, in total, there were about one hundred and seventy Pharoahs who ruled ancient Egypt.”
Ben frowned in thought, sifting through the handwritten notes scattered all over his kitchen table.
He was usually organized when doing research, his brain as precise and quick as the most advanced computer. He possessed an eidetic memory. He rememberedeverything, though he tried and succeeded in submerging the recovered memories from his past incarnation during the rule of the Dark Ones.
That was a Pandora’s Box he was not yet ready to open, much less examine in any detail.
If he ever would be.
In this research, this “wild goose chase,” as Ere called it, he was a lot messier. Jotting down seemingly random ideas as they popped into his head, then weaving common threads together to form a picture.
But the picture was far from complete. He was missing so many pieces.
“I don’t know,” he answered Seth with audible frustration.
“It’s confusing. Sometimes, the contextual clues cite a male ruler; other times, the words take on feminine descriptors.”
“Perhaps what you’re looking for is a royal couple,” Seth suggested.
Ben shook his head.
“No. All of the clues center around a particular Pharoah, not his Queen, and not his court. But he’s described in conflicting terms…”
“Ah,” the Consul mused, his dark gray eyes brightening to silver.
“Then, perhaps you are looking for Hatshepsut, with the feminine descriptor, also known as Hatasu, with the masculine descriptor, in later years. She was the fifth pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt, during the New Kingdom. Images that remain of her show her as both female and male.”
Ben smacked his forehead with the palm of his hand, nearly knocking over his laptop in excitement.
“Of course! Why didn’t I think of it! She’s one of the most famous female Pharoahs, and arguably one of most successful Pharoahs, bar none, across all of ancient Egypt.”
“Sometimes, when you are too close to something, you can’t see what’s right in front of you,” Seth said wisely.
“It feels right,” Ben noted, practically vibrating with energy.
“This quasi quest must have something to do with Hatshepsut. The question is—what.”
“If it’s a dragon you’re looking for in Egyptian mythology, there are many of them,” Seth offered.
“Though they might look very different than modern man’s interpretation ofdragon. They were more serpents and overgrown snakes in ancient Egyptians’ imagination. Or a strange amalgamation of multiple animal parts.”
“Like the Sphinx,” Ben said.
“The head of a woman—”
“Or man.”
“Or man,” Ben echoed. “With the body of a lion and the wings of a falcon.”
“And don’t forget Ammut, the Eater of Hearts, the Devourer. Who possessed the head of a crocodile, the body of a leopard and the hindquarters of a hippo,” Seth added.
“And many fire-breathing serpents as well,” Ben continued.
“But these mythological creatures might have nothing to do with the earth-born dragon I’m looking for.”
“You’re sure about Hatshepsutanda dragon?” Seth asked.
Ben rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. He was sleeping haphazardly these days, too engrossed in this obsession.
