Queen of the Heavens Read online

  Hoping the chilled morning air would settle me, I rushed outside just as the oarsmen began the grueling work of propelling the boat upstream. The Captain saw me as I emerged from the cabin.

  “Tuya. You don’t look well.”

  “I’m not. A demon attacked me in my sleep. Then I had a dream that I don’t understand. I’m still quite frightened.”

  “As we get closer to Thebes, our dreams often become more vivid,” Addaya said. “We’ll be nearing Dendera soon. I know of a woman there who perhaps can explain your dream.”

  “Will you take me to her?”

  “Of course.”

  “Will we have time? Lord Harenhab’s celebration is but two days away.”

  “We will make time. Near Dendera the river turns and we’ll be heading south again. The winds once more will push us and we’ll add the oarsmen’s muscle if we have to.”

  “They won’t like that.”

  “It’s not for them to like or dislike or to question the orders of their Captain. This boat belongs to the Pharaoh and you’re traveling under his protection, Tuya. I’m certain Lord Harenhab would want you to have an explanation of your dream.”

  X

  After a short while we pulled into a quay. I told my parents where I would be, then found the Captain and followed him off the boat. Addaya, with legs much longer than mine, set a quick pace and I had to run at times to keep up with him.

  “We will visit a woman named Itet,” he told me as we weaved our way through the streets of Dendera. “There’s no one better at explaining the meaning of dreams. Even High Priests from Thebes have visited her.”

  “How can I pay the woman?” I asked.

  “Don’t worry about payment. She knows me well and trusts me. I’ll send her some wine from the boat’s provisions on my return trip to Memphis.”

  We came to a small but well-built home on the edge of town surrounded by a mud-brick wall. The Captain rang a bell fastened to a wooden door, which a servant soon opened.

  “Are you here to see Itet?” she asked.

  “Yes. Tell her Addaya, the Captain of the palace boat, has come with a young friend who needs to talk to her about a dream.”

  “Come in,” the servant said. She pointed to a corner of the courtyard where several people sat in the shade of an acacia tree. “You must wait with the others.”

  The Captain and I sat down upon two large stones. Soon the servant brought each of us a cup of jasmine tea.

  “I have visited Itet many times to tell me the meaning of my dreams and she has always been insightful,” the Captain said after taking a sip of his beverage.

  “The Neters have bestowed upon her a wonderful gift,” I replied.

  “She’s helped many people with it, even those who cannot pay,” the Captain noted.

  “I’ve done this with my gift of healing,” I said.

  “I didn’t know you possessed such a gift.”

  “Yes. I’m quite good at healing. My parents wanted me to help only the wealthy, but I refused. Isis wanted me to heal the poor as well.”

  “You’re wise as well as generous, Tuya. The merit you gain by helping the poor will serve you well as you pass from this life to the next and face Osiris’ Judgment.”

  When our turn arrived to meet with Itet, the servant led us into the house. A tiny and frail old woman with a hunched back and gnarled hands sat in a chair next to a wooden statue of Horus.

  “Addaya!” the woman said, looking up at the Captain. “What a surprise. You’ve been away too long.”

  “It’s good to see you again, Itet,” the Captain responded, bending down to take the woman’s extended hand in both of his. “I’ve brought my young friend, Tuya. She needs your assistance in explaining her dream.”

  The woman smiled at me, exposing a mouth with more spaces than teeth. Hair grew on her chin and from a mole under her left eye. I would have thought Itet the most hideous woman I had ever seen if it weren’t for the love in her eyes.

  “Please sit down, Tuya,” Itet said, pointing to a stool across from her.

  “I’ll wait in the courtyard,” the Captain declared, then took his leave.

  “How do you know Addaya?” Itet asked.

  “I’m traveling from Memphis to Thebes on his boat. I’m betrothed to Sety, the son of the Vizier Ramesses. I’m joining Sety in just two days.”

  “Ramesses? He’s the Vizier who will someday become Pharaoh,” Itet noted.

  “That’s what people say. If he does, then Sety will follow Ramesses to the throne and I will be the Great Royal Wife.”

  Itet tried to sit up straight, but her hunched back prevented it. “I had no idea I would be seeing such an important person,” she said. “Your dream could have great consequences for all of Egypt, my dear. I will pray to Horus and ask for his help. Among his many powers is that of prophecy. I must make no mistake as I interpret for you.”

  Itet closed her eyes and swayed gently from side to side, murmuring an indecipherable prayer under her breath. I closed my eyes, and through my thoughts asked Isis to assist her as well. After more than a few moments Itet said, “Tell me about your dream.”

  “At first I was attacked by a hairy demon that walked on two feet and had eyes of fire. I struggled with the despicable creature until Isis’ love filled me and the demon vanished. After that, my dream began.”

  “We should fear demons, but we shouldn’t despise them,” Itet commented. “Through struggles with demons we can come to know our souls. What happened next?”

  “I found myself walking through a stone passageway decorated with pictures of the gods. It had many rooms on both sides of it.”

  “A great tomb,” Itet said without hesitation.

  “Yes,” I exclaimed, recognizing immediately the accuracy of her words. “A very old man holding a crook and flail sat on a throne at the end of the passageway. Grief surrounded him.”

  “Why would it not?” Itet replied. “The very old outlive their children. The tomb’s many rooms were for their mummies. The crook and flail tell me the man was the Pharaoh.”

  “When the old man saw me, he looked upon me with love,” I continued.

  “The love of a son for his mother.”

  “How could this be? He was old and I am still young.”

  “You’re young now that you are awake, but in our dreams time is of no consequence. We can be of any age.”

  “The old man turned into a mummy. Then he vanished and was replaced by a man much younger, but by no means youthful. This man also held a crook and flail, but was shrouded in mist. He vanished as well.”

  “Your grandson, no doubt, who would inherit the throne, but there is a question of whether he will ever be born. That is why the mist surrounded him.”

  “Why would he not be born?” I inquired.

  “The dream does not speak to this,” Itet answered. “Is there more?”

  “No. My dream ended there. Will my son be a great Pharaoh?”

  “Your dream doesn’t speak to this, either. All I can tell you is that your son must have many sons, so at least one lives longer than he. Otherwise, the dynasty will die with him.”

  “My son must be a great Pharaoh. I will insist upon it,” I told Itet.

  “Then love him dearly, bring him up well, and find him wives who will bear him many children.” Itet replied. “This is your duty to the gods.”

  With my story finished, I rose and bowed to the old woman. “Your interpretation of my dream makes great sense, and I thank you.”

  “I’m pleased that I’ve been of service, Tuya. I will make offerings to the Neters for your success as a mother, and as a Queen.”

  The Captain met me as I left the house. “Was Itet of help?” he asked.

  “Yes. I’m grateful you took me to her.”

  “It was my pleasure, but now we must hurry back to the boat. There’s enough daylight left for us to make good progress. We should be able to reach Thebes well before nightfall tomorrow if we do not ling
er. As soon as we arrive in Thebes, I’ll send word to Ramesses of your whereabouts.”

  Our return pace was even quicker than before, and I was out of breath when we reached the boat. Addaya immediately gave the order to depart, and within moments the vessel was underway. We soon came to the bend in the river and the wind began pushing us again, to the great relief of the oarsmen.

  That evening, as I was about to retire, I walked around my bed three times holding the statue of Sekhmet, invoking the protection of the lion goddess against the demons. I slept soundly through the night, rose early and went on deck at first light, just as the Captain gave the order to cast off from the palm tree to which we were tethered and to hoist the sail.

  “The wind already is quite strong, Tuya,” Addaya shouted to me. “Don’t worry a bit. We’ll make good progress and get you to your destination on schedule.”

  The sun disk was well past the midpoint of its daily journey through the heavens when the first great temple to Amun in Thebes came into view. From a distance I could see that it was far larger than the Temple of Ptah in Memphis. As we came closer, I could see, too, that it far surpassed the Temple of Ptah in the grandeur of its architecture and the magnificence of its decorations.

  Huge pylons and great columns bore painted images of Pharaohs and the gods dressed in raiment of brilliant colors. Scarlet pennants flew from a hundred wooden poles topped with ornaments made from gold. Next to the pylons and columns stood great obelisks many times the height of a man. Their pyramid tips, covered with electrum, glistened in the sun. Maya had spoken to me of the obelisks, carved from single pieces of granite and brought by giant barges from Aswan.

  “They carry the power of the phallus into the cosmic womb,” she taught me when I reached the age when I might understand such things. “The energies of the gods and the energies of the goddesses combine in bliss around the great obelisks. If you’re fortunate, Tuya, you’ll know this bliss someday in the arms of your husband.”

  Had this day arrived? Would my marriage to Sety carry me to such heights? Through the pleasures of the body, would I enter with my husband into the bliss of the spirit? I thought of the handsome Sety as I looked out at the obelisks, and imagined us connected as one in the embrace of love. Sety and I will know such bliss together. Isis would not allow it to be any other way, I said to myself.

  The boat passed the temple and sailed for quite some time opposite two lines of ram-headed sphinxes that guarded both sides of a grand promenade leading to the second great temple to Amun. This temple was not as large as the first, but it was no less colorful or impressive in the quality of its architecture and workmanship. Its massive columns and pylons dwarfed the people standing near them.

  The boat pulled into a quay nearby. I sat on deck and marveled at the temple, then turned my attention to the west bank of the river as the sun disk descended on the desert bluffs that sheltered the valley where the royal mummies were entombed. Just as the sun god Ra completed his daily journey in the west, so, too, did the Pharaohs and their Queens complete their earthly journeys. I felt great joy knowing that someday my mummy would lie in splendor in a house of eternity across the Nile from the great temples of Thebes.

  As the sun set, it bathed the temple to Amun in a reddish hue, which added to its mystery and majesty. I had thought nothing could compare to the sights of Memphis. Now I saw for myself the grandeur of Thebes and knew the Captain was correct. Thebes was unlike any other place, for here the heavens and Earth met in divine harmony.

  The following morning, Father, Mother and I were up before dawn preparing ourselves for the momentous day ahead. Father wore his finest kilt and cloak while Mother and I wore the dresses that had been made especially for Lord Harenhab’s celebration. Wide shoulder straps covered our breasts and held up the floor length garments. The overdresses and frocks were pleated to perfection, just as the dressmaker promised they would be. We wore leather sandals that curved upward at the toes, and we were weighed down with jewelry.

  “You look beautiful, Mother,” I said, not letting on how perturbed I was by her appearance. Mother’s beauty would be competing with my own on this day that belonged to me.

  Then I gazed at myself in a brass mirror and saw I had no reason to be jealous of her. My skin was unblemished. My dark eyes, surrounded by green makeup, were penetrating and growing more so by the day. Dangling earrings of gold framed my face, which had become thinner as I matured into womanhood. I ran my hands from my breasts down to my hips, enjoying touching my body, which had become fuller and more sensuous since my betrothal. I was beautiful, yet a disturbing thought crept into my mind.

  “Will he still want me, Mother?” I asked.

  “Will who still want you?”

  “Will Sety still want me as his wife?”

  “Of course he will. Only a fool wouldn’t want you as his wife.”

  “Perhaps Sety is a fool.”

  “He’s not a fool,” Mother snapped. “Stop acting like a child, Tuya. You’re a woman now who’s destined for great things at the side of Sety.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, I’m sure. Now quit dawdling,” she said as she nudged me toward the cabin door.

  “Mother. If you don’t want me to act like a child, don’t treat me like one,” I protested.

  “I’ll treat you as I wish. Don’t forget you’re still my daughter, and not yet a Queen. You, too, Raia. Hurry. We mustn’t be late.”

  The Captain stood on deck, waiting to bid us farewell.

  “Thank you for your service,” Father said to him.

  “And thank you for getting us here on time,” Mother added. “We didn’t want to miss Lord Harenhab’s celebration.”

  “You’re most welcome,” the Captain replied. “Ramesses has provided chariots to take you to his estate. I’ll send on your belongings.” Addaya looked at me and smiled. “Remember what I told you about Thebes, Tuya. It’s a most interesting place.”

  “I’m anxious to see statues of the gods dancing,” I told him.

  The Captain laughed. “Whether they dance or not, Tuya, the gods are close to everyone in Thebes. Always honor them, and they will honor you.”

  Father led the three of us off the boat, holding tightly the box containing the gold, the last portion of the dowry that would seal my marriage. He climbed onto the first chariot and Mother and I took our places in the one behind.

  We headed southward at a quick pace on a path along the river, through the streets of Thebes, then past the simple homes of farmers on the outskirts of town. Soon we turned eastward, up a bit of a ridge, toward a huge house surrounded by a high wall. We entered through the main gate and passed by gardens, servants’ quarters, and rounded silos that protected grain from vermin and the elements. Four columns carved at the top in the form of papyrus plants held up the portico over the entrance to a house so grand even a Pharaoh would have been comfortable living in it.

  The chariots stopped near a small grove of tamarind trees by the side of the dwelling. Ramesses walked toward us as Father, Mother and I stepped down from our conveyances.

  “Welcome to my home,” Ramesses said.

  “We are honored to be invited into it,” Father responded, bowing slightly toward Ramesses. “This is Ruia, my wife.”

  “Yes, I remember.”

  “And this is Tuya. Isn’t she beautiful?” Mother said. I stumbled as she pushed me to the fore. I stood before Ramesses, head lowered in embarrassment.

  “Indeed, she is most beautiful. I am proud to have you as part of my family, Tuya.”

  I lifted my head and smiled back sheepishly, doing my best to hide my nervousness. “Thank you. It’s my fondest wish that I live up to your expectations.”

  “Bear Sety many fine children and bring them up well,” Ramesses said. “That is what I ask of you.”

  “I pray I’ll be able to do so,” I responded, accepting this duty gladly, while at the same time knowing I possessed the power and inclination to do many other
things as well.

  A voice startled me. “Father. Why did you not tell me Tuya had arrived.”

  XI

  Ramesses turned toward his son, who approached from the house. “Forgive me. I thought you knew.”

  Sety wore black eye paint, bracelets of copper and a necklace of gold. His muscles seemed firmer and his confidence even more abundant than on the day when I first met him.

  As my husband stood before me bare-chested, I thought he must be the handsomest man in the realm.

  I felt flushed and tingly all over. We hardly knew each other, yet a part of me had an intense desire to engage my passions and I sensed Sety felt the same way. Still, an air of formality pervaded our conversation.

  “I’m pleased to see you again,” Sety said.

  “I’m pleased to see you,” I replied.

  “I trust the journey from Memphis was enjoyable.”

  “It was magnificent, and the Captain of the boat was most helpful.”

  “Good. I’ll see that he’s rewarded, but first I have something for you.”

  With the wave of his hand, Sety signaled to a servant who came forward holding a wooden box. My husband lifted the lid and took from it a necklace of silver, gold, turquoise, amber and amethyst.

  Mother gasped. “It’s exquisite.”

  Sety smiled at her. “Perhaps someday Tuya will allow you to wear it. The turquoise was newly mined in the Sinai. It is the finest in all the land.”

  Mother helped me to unfasten the necklace I had on, which was of high quality, but humble in comparison to the one Sety had just given me.

  “Turn around,” Sety instructed. He placed his gift about my neck and fastened it, then slid his hands to my shoulders and down my arms. A chill ran through my body, but it quickly turned to warmth as Sety turned me toward him and stroked my cheek. We stood gazing at each other for a few moments, saying nothing. Ramesses broke the silence: “We should allow our children to be by themselves for a while.”

  “I quite agree,” Father said.

  “Yes, we must,” Mother added.