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She needed to focus on resolving her current predicament first and foremost. Surely, being stuck in the human world in these three deplorably average forms would not be the end of her! Surely, there was more.
She knew instinctively, without a doubt, that her fate was intertwined with the quests. She had to see them through to the finish.
Now that they had broken out of the Celestial Realm by force, Seventh Sister questioned whether Papa would instigate any more quests. He’d been utterly silent over the past two human years, but that didn’t mean anything.
Time passed differently in the Celestial Realm. Two years in the mortal plane could be the blink of an eye or many decades depending on the arbitrary flow of time and magic in the Celestial Realm.
Six quests were done: the discovery and recovery of the Jewel of Dreams, the Song of Destiny, the Wish of Wonders, the Myth of the Pale Prince, the Forgotten Truth, and the Stone Heart. There were four more quests to complete, by Seventh Sister’s estimation.
Though she’d been stripped of her powers for the most part and relegated to the role of insignificant pawn rather than game master, she still possessed free will. Perhaps more so than ever before.
And as humans would say—as long as there was will, there was a way.
She could still win this game. All was not lost.
As human, she could influence those around her more directly. The “relationships” she built with the key players over the last couple of years were bound to bear fruit.
Now, the question was: how best to nudge them in the direction that benefited her the most.
Chapter One
“Coincidence: the occurrence of events that happen at the same time by accident but seem to have some connection.”
—Merriam-Webster
~1500 B.C. Ancient Egypt. 18thDynasty, reign of Thutmose I.
Eight-year-old Heba stared with rounded eyes at the extravaganza all around her.
She didn’t know where to look first; she didn’t want to miss anything. But there was simply too much to see—from exotic animals, spices, wares and vegetation being traded amongst foreigners and locals, to acrobats, musicians, dancers and smartly-outfitted soldiers hailing from far and wide.
As the Pharoah’s daughter and only child by Queen Ahmose, her formal title was Hatshepsut, “Foremost of Noble Ladies.” And as such, she wasn’t allowed out of the Palace very often.
But this spectacle of wonders happened only once a year and never at present scale. After begging, pleading and cajoling, she was able to convince Papa to bring her along on his impromptu royal tour. It was only for the afternoon, after all. They would be back safely ensconced in the Palace well before nightfall.
Caravans and trading posts dotted either side of the river Nile. Sun-baked mudbrick houses gleamed golden under a bright, cloudless day. Stone-reinforced temples rose in the background against rolling desert dunes, broken by clusters of oases with shimmering natural and man-made pools within the circle of doum palms.
Ships and boats floated along the glistening Nile, colorfully decorated and boisterous with activity. The royal limestone Palace waved like a mirage in the distance, reaching toward the endless sky, a tribute to the gods that watched over them.
“Of all of these riches that you see,” Papa said now, “what is the most valuable?”
Heba glanced at him with a smile curling the corners of her lips.
She loved Papa’s little “tests.” She loved it even more when she came up with the right answer.
She considered her reply carefully, as she was wont to do, not rushing to speak.
The royal caravan progressed at a sedate pace through the rambling marketplace. The ornate litter she and Papa reclined within rocked softly with the smooth, coordinated strides of the dozen slaves who carried it.
On either side, royal guards on magnificent steeds flanked the litter. In front and behind, officials and more guards commanded horse-drawn chariots.
The litter itself was outfitted inside with thick, cushioned seats and the finest linen. The sides from which she peered out were shielded with a thick, tasseled awning, both to provide cool shadow on this blistering day, as well as privacy.
“Hmm,” Heba mused to herself.
“Those ships docked at the river posts are terribly grand. Much larger than any I’ve seen before. Surely they would cost their weight in gold.”
Papa made a humming noise, neither confirmation nor denial.
