heavy chain in my gloved hands, gazing down at the intricate designs.
Nothing. I almost smiled in relief. I realized that a very small part of me had been expecting to see a dark, exotic face from the past. But of course, Amisihathor was thirty-five centuries dead, and nothing remained of her in this necklace but a memory.
I experienced a moment of sadness, thinking of her leaving the world so young, everything she knew and loved receding from her grasp. Then fear, the burning of frustrated emotions, the desperate desire to tell them...tell him ...
But it is too late! I am alone, all alone. Oh my love, forgive me, I did not realize! Will I see you in the afterlife now? Will you take my hand and smile at me?
Beloved, be with me. Mistress, welcome me into the western mountain. Let maat prevail ...
I gasped suddenly like a person released from drowning. I felt as if I had not breathed in ages. At first, I could think of nothing but getting enough air in my lungs. Then I put down the necklace and stumbled over to a nearby chair. I was so drained of energy that I was afraid I was going to faint. I put my head down between my knees and gradually, the sickness passed. I sat up slowly.
What had just happened? My mind was already finding reasons to push away the threat of the inexplicable. The past week had been a very emotional time. My life was undergoing considerable change. No wonder I was in such a suggestible state. Surrounded by ancient artifacts, primed by a famous archaeologist with dramatic theories, was it so unusual that my imagination would get the better of me?
Of course not. Of course not , I repeated firmly, just to make sure my mind understood. And to further convince it, I reminded myself that I hadn ' t eaten since breakfast. Ursula had set this appointment up after museum hours, and I had been too excited to think about lunch or dinner. All of these factors had come together to cause a dizzy spell. Natural. Perfectly natural.
I waited until I felt normal again. Then, without another glance at the table, I went into the next room to find Ursula.
Her look of anticipation changed quickly to one of concern. " My dear, you ' re so pale! Are you all right? "
" Fine, " I replied, in what I hoped was a calm tone. " I had a little dizzy spell, that ' s all. That ' s what happens when you skip two meals. "
Ursula looked at me steadily. " What did you see, Lily? " she asked.
I did not want to encourage her fantasies. But I did not want to lie, either. " I didn ' t see anything, " I answered cautiously. " I do understand what you experienced, though. It ' s easy to imagine how it would feel to be facing death, thinking about your loved ones, wondering what was going to happen. It ' s a very powerful, moving... " My words trailed off, knowing I could never do justice to the impact of those emotions.
Ursula seemed completely satisfied with my response. " All right, dear. You don ' t have to say anymore now. I ' m sure this day has been quite long enough for you. You go and eat something and have a nice, relaxing evening. Are you certain you ' re well enough to drive? I ' ll be happy to have Philip drop you off. "
I was anxious to get home and do as she said, so I assured her that I was fine. Truthfully though, I still felt exhausted and on edge. When I did reach my house, I collapsed on the bed gratefully. I was supposed to call Kent and tell him what had happened, but found the prospect too fatiguing. In a little while , I thought as I closed my eyes.
I remembered the strange words that had gone through my head as I held the necklace of Amisihathor. Beloved, be with me. Let maat prevail .
Maat was the ancient Egyptian concept of order and right. It was against a feather from the goddess Maat ' s headdress that a heart was weighed on the Day of Judgment. If it was heavy with sin, one could not go on to the afterlife. A dreadful beast, Ammit the Destroyer, waited to devour the wicked. It was essential to have truth
Nothing. I almost smiled in relief. I realized that a very small part of me had been expecting to see a dark, exotic face from the past. But of course, Amisihathor was thirty-five centuries dead, and nothing remained of her in this necklace but a memory.
I experienced a moment of sadness, thinking of her leaving the world so young, everything she knew and loved receding from her grasp. Then fear, the burning of frustrated emotions, the desperate desire to tell them...tell him ...
But it is too late! I am alone, all alone. Oh my love, forgive me, I did not realize! Will I see you in the afterlife now? Will you take my hand and smile at me?
Beloved, be with me. Mistress, welcome me into the western mountain. Let maat prevail ...
I gasped suddenly like a person released from drowning. I felt as if I had not breathed in ages. At first, I could think of nothing but getting enough air in my lungs. Then I put down the necklace and stumbled over to a nearby chair. I was so drained of energy that I was afraid I was going to faint. I put my head down between my knees and gradually, the sickness passed. I sat up slowly.
What had just happened? My mind was already finding reasons to push away the threat of the inexplicable. The past week had been a very emotional time. My life was undergoing considerable change. No wonder I was in such a suggestible state. Surrounded by ancient artifacts, primed by a famous archaeologist with dramatic theories, was it so unusual that my imagination would get the better of me?
Of course not. Of course not , I repeated firmly, just to make sure my mind understood. And to further convince it, I reminded myself that I hadn ' t eaten since breakfast. Ursula had set this appointment up after museum hours, and I had been too excited to think about lunch or dinner. All of these factors had come together to cause a dizzy spell. Natural. Perfectly natural.
I waited until I felt normal again. Then, without another glance at the table, I went into the next room to find Ursula.
Her look of anticipation changed quickly to one of concern. " My dear, you ' re so pale! Are you all right? "
" Fine, " I replied, in what I hoped was a calm tone. " I had a little dizzy spell, that ' s all. That ' s what happens when you skip two meals. "
Ursula looked at me steadily. " What did you see, Lily? " she asked.
I did not want to encourage her fantasies. But I did not want to lie, either. " I didn ' t see anything, " I answered cautiously. " I do understand what you experienced, though. It ' s easy to imagine how it would feel to be facing death, thinking about your loved ones, wondering what was going to happen. It ' s a very powerful, moving... " My words trailed off, knowing I could never do justice to the impact of those emotions.
Ursula seemed completely satisfied with my response. " All right, dear. You don ' t have to say anymore now. I ' m sure this day has been quite long enough for you. You go and eat something and have a nice, relaxing evening. Are you certain you ' re well enough to drive? I ' ll be happy to have Philip drop you off. "
I was anxious to get home and do as she said, so I assured her that I was fine. Truthfully though, I still felt exhausted and on edge. When I did reach my house, I collapsed on the bed gratefully. I was supposed to call Kent and tell him what had happened, but found the prospect too fatiguing. In a little while , I thought as I closed my eyes.
I remembered the strange words that had gone through my head as I held the necklace of Amisihathor. Beloved, be with me. Let maat prevail .
Maat was the ancient Egyptian concept of order and right. It was against a feather from the goddess Maat ' s headdress that a heart was weighed on the Day of Judgment. If it was heavy with sin, one could not go on to the afterlife. A dreadful beast, Ammit the Destroyer, waited to devour the wicked. It was essential to have truth
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