Legend of the Timekeepers (5 page)

4

The Seventh Arch of Atlantis

“I
t could be worse,” She-Aba said in a consoling tone.

“Worse than mortal enemies?” Lilith sighed. “I don’t see how.”

“Sure. He could have been a redhead.” She-Aba grinned.

Lilith opened her mouth, then burst out laughing.

“Lilith,” Segund said, entering her bed chambers.

Lilith stopped laughing enough to wipe her mouth. “Yes, Father?”

“I’m going to enter the seventh Arch of Atlantis to receive insight from the Children of the Law of One. I must finish documenting Atlantis’s history to store inside the Guardian of the Sands before it is unveiled in seven days time.” He smiled, creating lines of happiness around his eyes. “It’s nice to hear you laugh again.”

Lilith rolled off her bed, the silkiness of her purple sheets making the task easier. She walked over to him, adjusted his linen shirt, and tugged on his full, gold-hued beard. “You look tired, Father. Your hair is a mess, and your beard is scraggly. Maybe you should rest. ”

She-Aba jumped off the other side of Lilith’s bed. “Ohhh, let me do your hair, Segund! I know the perfect blend of oils to use. And while we’re at it, I’ll braid your beard for you, too!”

Segund’s nostrils flared. “Perhaps another day, She-Aba, when time permits.”

“You should listen to She-Aba, Father. After all, it only took her a short time to do this for me,” Lilith said as she opened her arms wide and spun around.

A breeze coming from the open porch made the blue gown she wore billow and flutter. A white seashell belt hugged her waist, and a pair of palm-woven sandals accented with pearls and colored crystals covered her feet. She-Aba had managed to tame her hair with lavender oil and an assortment of clear crystal pins. Her orichalcum snake bracelet crept down her forearm to imprison her slim wrist. Lilith stopped spinning, pushed up her bracelet, placed her palms together, and bowed to her father.

Segund clapped. “Very nice, She-Aba. I may take you up on your offer, yet.”

She-Aba snatched a thick leather belt with stitched on spiked-metal disks from a pile of clothing on the floor, next to her overnight satchel. “At least make yourself presentable for the Children of the Law of One, Segund.” She padded over on bare feet and fastened the belt around his waist.

Segund rolled his eyes. “Fine, She-Aba, but make it quick.”

She-Aba pulled at his shirt and a small, tan book fell out of the waistband of his deep blue pants. She dove to retrieve it. “What’s this?”

“That is my record keeper. It is what I use to scribe the messages I receive from the Law of One.”

“It’s beautifully crafted,” She-Aba whispered, running her finger down the length of its black spine. “Why is there a gold Eye of Ra pressed onto the front cover? I didn’t think people from Atlantis worshipped our gods.”

“Actually, we call that the Eye of One,” Segund said, procuring the book from her. “And, trust me when I tell you, our beliefs don’t stray far from your beliefs.”

“How far have you gotten in documenting our history, Father?”

She-Aba resumed her primping, tugging hard on the belt. Segund flinched. “Only the last one hundred years, before the first major earthquake took a great deal of our land.” Then he frowned. “During the time of Belial’s reign.”

“Will you be late to bed?” Lilith watched She-Aba adjust some of the metal disks.

“Most likely, Lilith,” he replied, pulling at his shirt. “Do not wait up for me.”

She-Abe slapped his hand. “No, Segund, you’ll ruin the look.”

Lilith giggled. “Father’s not going away in body, only in mind.”

“A well-dressed body accentuates a well-trained mind.” She-Aba snapped her fingers. “It’s all about presentation.”

“No, She-Aba, it’s all about preservation.” Segund tweaked her nose. “And that is precisely what I’m going to do—preserve Atlantis’s memories. Good night, girls, and do not stay up too late.”

Segund winked at Lilith and She-Aba, then turned on his sandals and left the room.

“You really are good with making people look their best,” Lilith said, watching her father leave. “I still can’t believe your lifetime occupation has shifted. Has your life seal revealed anything to you?”

She-Aba sighed. “No. Not yet. But I’m determined to change it back. I can’t see myself doing anything else, so I will fake it until I make it so. What about yours?”

Lilith’s shoulders slumped. “Nothing since we talked last by the fountain. I’m still supposed to be a Timekeeper.”

“Atcha-girl!” a voice called from outside.

Lilith jumped.

She-Aba’s eyes widened. “Who’s that?”

There was only one person who called her by that name. Lilith twisted her lips as if she’d eaten something disgusting. “Tau.”

“The goat farmer’s son from the market? The boy who walks around like a rooster?”

“Is there any other?”

“Lilith?” Tau called again. “I know you’re in there. Your room is lit up with glowing crystals and I can smell incense burning.”

Lilith groaned. She padded over to the balcony and peered over. “What is it, bug-boy?”

She-Aba looked down too. She waved. “Hello, Tau.” Then she frowned. “Don’t you ever wear anything bright? Your schenti is so plain.”

Tau looked down at his attire. Lilith looked too. Usually Tau wore a loincloth, but tonight, he wore a pleated loin skirt that reached the top of his knees and was fastened in the front by a plain, thin belt. Hanging from his belt was a small, leather pouch. His life seal hung from his neck, in the middle of his chest, as if it was a cock’s red wattle for all to see.

Tau glared at She-Aba. “Plain suits me fine!”

“Tau, why are you here?” Lilith asked, cutting in.

He reached inside his pouch and produced a small, round disk attached to a thin leather thong. He dangled it. “I believe this belongs to you. I tied it to this leather strip so you wouldn’t lose it again.”

Lilith’s eyes grew big.
My life seal!
Her mind raced. Lilith knew she had it with her when she left the market after that fiasco with Mica. She mentally retraced her steps.
No, not the oil vender, I still had it with me at the time.
Her thoughts deepened. She-Aba had met her by the fountain, and she had her life seal then because she showed it to She-Aba in a crying fit, then placed it into her satchel. Giving up, Lilith shrugged.

“Where’d you find?”

Tau jerked. “Don’t you Atchas possess any manners? A thank you would be nice.”

Lilith sighed. “Thank you, Tau, for returning the bane of my existence to me.”

“Life seals are not to be taken lightly.” Tau wagged a finger. “A life seal is your pledge to Ra and should be taken seriously. You must understand this!”

“Yeah, well understand this, bug-boy!” Lilith hurled one of her sandals at him. She missed, as usual. That didn’t stop her. She took off her other sandal and raised it.

“Stop playing around and let me in. I need to get back to assist Mica at the Temple of Sacrifice.”

Lilith froze.
Mica?
Her heart raced. Tau was with Mica. She dropped her sandal. “Um, sure, come in, Tau, the front door is open.”

“What are you doing?” She-Aba asked.

“Showing Tau that I have manners.” Lilith rushed out of her room.

She-Aba clicked her tongue and shouted, “You say manners. I say manure.”

Ignoring She-Aba’s remark, Lilith raced down the stone-cut staircase. Her bare feet slid across the marble tiles. The air seemed heavier tonight, as if she had to cut a path through it. Reaching the door, Lilith wrenched it open, grabbed Tau by the arm, and pulled him in. He stumbled across a few tiles, then stopped and twirled around. His brown eyes were wide, his brow furrowed.

“Have you inhaled a bad batch of incense?” Tau asked.

“No. Why?”

“You’ve never been this eager to see me,” he replied, crossing his arms over his bare chest.

“Eager to see you, no,” She-Aba said, sashaying down the stairs. “But to hear what you have to say about a certain someone would be a definite yes.”

Lilith blinked. She-Aba had completely changed outfits in the time she’d run down the stairs to let Tau in. Instead of wearing the blue-green sheath she arrived in, She-Aba now wore a shorter yellow and white sheath with braided straps and a pearl-embellished belt. Gold bracelets dangled from both wrists, and a mix of coral and diamond rings were set on most of her fingers. A snake-skin satchel and matching open-toed shoes completed her new look.

“How… how did you change so fast?” Lilith gawked at her.

She-Aba grinned. “You have your skills, I have mine.”

“What certain someone?” Tau asked, standing in front of Lilith, his arms still crossed.

Lilith scowled at She-Aba, then looked Tau in the eye, and said, “Um, I was wondering if Mica was still—” Her mind searched for the proper words “—upset with me?”

Tau smirked. He uncrossed his arms, opened his fist, and handed Lilith her life seal.

She took it politely, still waiting on Tau’s answer.

“Aren’t you going to wear it so you don’t lose it again?” He sounded irritated.

Her brows arched. She swiftly guided her life seal over her head and let it drop under her gown to rest on her chest. It felt surprisingly light. “There. Satisfied?”

“Don’t you want to know where I found it?” Tau asked.

No. Not really.
Lilith pursed her lips. “Okay, where did I leave it?”

“It was in the fountain by the market. My younger brother, Seth, found it. I immediately knew it was yours and raced over here before you suffered the wrath of Ra.”

Lilith scratched her chin. “Mmm, there must be a hole in my satchel. Surely Ra wouldn’t be mad at me for that.”

She-Aba gasped. “A hole in your satchel? The satchel I made for you? Not possible. I use only the finest threads to create my masterpieces! There must be some mistake.”

“There are no mistakes, no accidents!” Tau shouted, his voice echoing down the hall. “You forget that you use threads Ra created. Perhaps our god is teaching you a lesson. You must learn that only Ra creates perfection, and lowly humans are here to serve.”

In five long steps, She-Aba was face-to-face with Tau. Her shoes gave her some advantage, but her eyes did all the talking as they burned into Tau. “You forget I was born here, so don’t treat me like a lowly Atch—” She stopped herself, and sheepishly glanced at Lilith. “Um, what I mean is…is—”

“No, do go on, She-Aba,” Lilith cut in. She glared at her. “Explain what you mean.”

“I…I didn’t intend to use that word, it…it was an accident,” She-Aba stammered.

“There are no accidents!” Lilith and Tau yelled in unison.

Knock, knock, knock. “Hello. Lilith? Tau?”

Lilith straightened.
Oh-my-Poseidon,
That sounds like—

“Hello, Mica,” Tau answered, breaking Lilith’s thoughts.

She-Aba let out her breath. “Thank you, Ra,” she muttered.

“Oh, um, h-hello, Mica,” Lilith replied, tripping over her words. “Won’t you come in?”

There was a moment of silence. “I will if you open the door for me,” he replied.

“O-Of course, sorry, silly me.” Lilith reached for the door. Her legs trembled.

As soon as the door swung open, Lilith could smell him. Fragrant sandalwood mixed with a hint of jasmine and spice. She leaned against the door drinking him in. Mica was dressed in his initiate’s pale green robe, matching pants and sash, and headband, which held his sun-hued hair perfectly in place. Like Tau, he displayed his life seal on a leather thong around his neck. His snake charmer’s flute was stuffed in the side of his sash. He had a crafted leather satchel etched with a red serpent hanging over one of his shoulders and carried a large linen sack in one hand. Lilith swore she saw it move.

“May I come in, Lilith?” Mica asked cautiously.

Jolted back, Lilith nodded. “Yes…yes of course.”

He offered her a half-smile and walked in.

“I thought I was to meet you back at the Temple of Sacrifice?” Tau asked. “Was there success with the human-animal hybrid? Did the surgeon remove the accessory?”

She-Aba perked up. “Accessory? Did something go wrong with someone’s wardrobe? I can help with that, you know.”

Tau rolled his eyes. “Not that kind of accessory,
fire-head
. I’m talking about an animal accessory—a deformity, like a wing or a claw.”

“A wing or a claw?” Lilith asked. “What exactly do they do in the Temple of Sacrifice?”

Tau looked at She-Aba, then back at Mica, who was scowling at him. He shrunk, then shrugged. “Don’t…don’t you know?”

“Know what? I thought the Temple of Sacrifice was nothing more than a place of healing. Are you telling me that it’s not?”

Tau started to open his mouth. “It is,” Mica said, cutting him off. “It’s also a sacred place that was built to help the human-animal hybrids adapt to a more…human existence. The patient must make a sacrifice through the removal of their animal part, like Tau suggested, a wing or a claw, if they are to be accepted as humans. The process is painful and many surgeries are required, but the end result connects them back to their humanness.”

“That…that sounds like torture,” Lilith said, blinking.

Mica frowned. “Is it not torture to not know who you are? These poor victims are so lost in themselves that they do not know where they belong, or what their purpose is.”

Lilith’s shoulders slumped. What Mica said made sense.
But still…

Mica cleared his throat. “There is an urgent matter that requires your father’s attention. Is he available for an audience?”

“He’s busy,” She-Aba blurted. Then she crept closer. “He’s in the presence of the Children of the Law of One.” She brought a finger to her glossy lips.

“I wouldn’t normally bother Segund, but Istulo sent me to deliver this to him.” Mica patted the leather bag hanging over his shoulder.

Lilith reached out to grab the satchel’s strap. “I’ll take it to my father, Mica. I know the proper procedure to rouse him from a deep trance.”

Mica snatched her hand in mid-air. Then he smiled fully. His thumb caressed the inside of her wrist. “I’m under strict orders by the high priestess herself, Lilith. Only I may hand this over to Segund. I’m sorry, I trust you, but it would violate my vows as an initiate.”

Lilith didn’t hear a word Mica just said. Her whole body was singing as he continued to stroke her wrist.

“Are you okay, Lilith?” She-Aba asked. “You’re turning redder than my hair.”

“And that’s not good in the gods’ eyes,” Tau added.

“Huh? Oh, um, I guess I’m still getting used to the climate here.” Lilith withdrew her hand from Mica to fan her face. Then the linen bag in his hand moved.

She stepped back and pointed at the bag. “What’s in there?”

Mica laughed. “My cobra. He’s been restless lately, so I thought I’d ask one of the animal healers to check him over when I return to the Temple of Sacrifice.”

“Maybe he ate a bad rat,” Tau said, scratching his nose.

“Or maybe he listened to your flute playing too many times,” Mica replied with a chuckle. He looked back at Lilith and met her eyes. “I could leave Kheti with you if you like. I will only be a moment with your father. One of the first lessons we’re taught as initiates is to gently awake someone in meditation.”

Lilith gulped, melting into his gaze. Her legs started to shake again.

“I’ll watch Kheti, Mica.” Tau held out his hand.

Mica slapped it away. “No way, you’ll probably make him sick!”

“I agree. Tau makes me sick too.” She-Aba broke out in laughter.

Lilith giggled, then composed herself and said, “I don’t suppose it would do any harm to interrupt Father briefly. But please, remember that you’ll be in the presence of the Children of the Law of One. Respect is a priority.”