'The Lady Nefertiti says to present you with this.' Seisi deposited a full picnic on the balcony while the cat tried to clamber into the basket. Trueth, glad for the interruption, picked up Mish-Mish. She pressed her cheek against his silky fur and got a purr in response.

'How does your mother get all this done, Metjen? She spends her life cooking or what?' Trueth asked.

'She has help, and she does it to support the shelters. We get the spoils.' Metjen waved at Seisi to join them, which he did reluctantly.

'The Lady Nefertiti says she might have to do serious economising,' Seisi said. 'Your sire's overlord at the House of Learning has rejected his services and there seem to be issues with the coffers of your noble house.'

Metjen dropped the bunch of grapes he had grabbed. 'What?'

'Your female parent-'

'Yes thanks, I got that one. What the hell is going on ' Metjen said.

Seisi frowned and Metjen slapped himself on the forehead. 'Stop being so literal, man. Trueth pray...heavens, now I start with the funny talk as well. Okay, do me a favour and explain what I mean to him, I need to talk to my mother.' Metjen jumped up, the cat dropped from Trueth's arm and shot after him. Loud swearing indicated that Mish-Mish had dashed in front of his master as he was descending the staircase.

On the balcony, an awkward silence followed.

'Pray, what things were you to explain?' Seisi asked.

'Something about the way we speak, pray don't mind.'

Seisi inclined his head. 'It has been a long time since the rays of Ra shone on my people,' he said morosely. 'Is the Lord Metjen not willing to help?'

'That was another thing we discussed. The consequences of getting involved.' Trueth drew the cork from the bottle which got her an interested expression from Seisi.

'What did you guys use to seal jars?' She filled two glasses of wine.

'We tie reeds round the top of the amphora, smear on glue and seal it with clay. It works. What you do appears easier.' He drank a sip and swilled it around his mouth in a way reminding her of those connoisseurs on TV. 'This beverage is enjoyable, it is rich in its flower and it is befitting the time of day.' Trueth glanced at the label that mentioned a high alcohol content. She wondered what those religious types in the past had been doing to achieve a state of trance.

It is not permitted during the holy service. Pray forgive me, but you carry your thoughts on your forehead... .

Seisi achieved an infectious grin without displaying his dentures. It made him look as young as he was.

Trueth grinned back and said 'With you I don't have to veil what I'm thinking all the time. It's quite tough, I find. To answer your question--we're not sure what we should do.'

'Throw the portal open wide and send the sleepers on. There is no question. It is the duty the gods have given us.'

'How your gods ever considered me a suitable saviour is beyond me, ' Trueth said. 'What happens afterwards? I mean you, Iseret, Metjen and myself kick it off. I presume you and Iseret will want to stay in the mirror world together with the sleepers. What about the Servants of Ra? Can they join as well?'

Seisi seemed to regard the balcony railing behind her, pity showing on his tired face. 'The portal will admit the same number of people that once stayed behind. There were hundreds of them. As the key is broken, you need the chosen four to start the opening--you, a Guardian, the fallen prophet Iseret and myself. This will release the sleepers. Of the chosen four, only the Guardian has to pass through, to close the rip between the worlds. But beware--when the portal is shut, it cannot be opened again. Ever.'

Trueth filled up their glasses again. There was a snag in there somewhere. There had to be.

'Why is the noble one so reluctant to fulfill his destiny?' Seisi asked.

'Metjen can't stand it when people boss him around—eh, I mean there are many risks, and he is much concerned he might get mired in your world.'

Seisi nodded, 'The Lord Metjen would have to remain in Kemet, yes. The balance of the Maat requires it. But why would he want to return to this world? It is full of demons?'

'It's ours,' Trueth said, a vise strangling her breathing. She would lose Metjen.

Seisi faced her with an inscrutable expression and Trueth took a few deep breaths. 'I had hoped that Rani-Ra, Ranofer or Mother Al-Nour might go. They are Guardians too.'

She realised she was tearing apart a bread roll and shook out her hands. Crumbs flew in all directions. 'I don't want them to get stuck either. They're my friends!'

Tears threatened, but Seisi only nodded. 'They are Guardians for sure. But I think the noble lord would claim this role for himself.'

This was surreal. It could not be happening. Here she was sitting, discussing the end of her new life. She knew Metjen well enough by now. He would rant and rave. But he would go. And the others would follow. 'Will that portal even open? After all this time?'

'Yes—but you must make haste. The little token in the temple has ceased to give its sign of life.' Trueth nearly spat out her wine; nobody had deemed it necessary to inform her about that little problem. So time was up.

'I can help you to get things going, then stay behind in this world?' Trueth asked.

'If you wish this, yes you can.' Seisi was tossing the cork from one hand to another. 'If your...companion chooses the right path, the people of his house will follow--of this I am sure. Of the shrine people I am not sure—but... .' He shrugged and gazed at her from under his long lashes.

'Metjen told me about others with my gifts, back where I come from. I can seek them out,' she said. Clouds sailed over the sun as if they were gathering on a bleak future.

'Would you value my counsel?' Seisi asked.

Trueth blinked at him trying to work out what he might have meant. 'Eh, yes please.'

'The sun-flow of the Servants is not strong. Yours is. The Lord Metjen informs me there are few people of talent left in other parts of this world. Even where the gods of Kemet are revered, people with sun-flow do not abound. We are needed and therefore much respected. Wherever we come from... .' He shook his head and continued. 'Never you care for that. Come with us through the portal.'

Trueth wished she posessed Seisi's certainty. 'There will be many priests in your world and they will require me to become an initiate. I have to tell you I'm unsure whether I want this. I'm also not convinced I belong in your world.'

'Yes, I perceive you harbour strong doubts. But when you see how it is you will understand.' He reminded her strongly of Iseret, so she left things well alone. Metjen's reappearance and the look on his face ended the discussion, anyway.

'Father's been thrown out of the university in disgrace. He's no longer in charge of the excavation, is, in fact, banned from it. Mother has always protected our assets from the world's crises—but we're almost out of funds. They just--disappeared. I don't understand this. But it's a disaster!'

A golden ray thundered into the garden, and the fountain shattered to pieces.

***

Seisi could see the Enlightened One was much concerned over the state of his families' coffers. He understood this only too well. Still, it was wrong of the lord to break the fountain.The Lady Nefertiti cared so much for it.

He longingly thought of his mother who had been much fraught when his father and his younger brother had taken the copper deben father had earned with the making of his fine pots. They had carried it to the beer-house instead of giving it to her, so she could feed the family. His mother had broken a few newly made vessels on his father's and Emeni's heads. They had jumped off their roof terrace onto the next one, thinking they were safe. But mother had torn the skirt of her dress and leapt after them. The neighbouring woman had given them all much fright and his next two brothers had called on him in the temple, to extend the Hand of Osiris onto them all. He had done so, and peace had reigned again in the alley of the potter.

When they had descended, Seisi was pleased to see the Lady Nefertiti was not breaking the strange containers over people's heads. It would have been a waste of good wine. To be certain, the master and his three offspring had not caused this calamity that had befallen them. Still, the lady caused much ado about the broken fountain, just as he had thought.

The Enlightened One who he was to call Metjen—he still found it difficult to do—wanted to establish who was syphoning their coffers, and he wanted to ruminate about what he should do.

Seisi wondered whether he should hit him over the head with a pot as the path was so clearly lit by the Lord Ra. But he decided against using force, he must not show aggression to a noble, especially not one who had thrown open wide the doors of his home to him. Also, the crockery was not his to break.

The fallen prophet had told him there was a period of grace left. But she was talking not of weeks. So if there were a need, he would ensure the will of the gods was done. He was still of good spirit the lord, his family and their foreign friend would find the true path among the possibilities, for this was better.

While they were waiting for the noble one to decide, Seisi was to see more of the demon world. He could report to the Holy Council about this place. The circle of first prophets needed to know how people coped in a world full of demons--and devoid of priests to harvest the divine powers. That was even more amazing.

The siblings of the Lord Metjen and the foreign noblewoman were to show him. They enquired where to go first. Those flying devices gave him much enjoyment. It was good to see common people could now enter where only the gods and the prophets once roamed. Observing the foreign noblewoman gave him even more enjoyment, but this would not do at all.

'Ok, let's go to the airport first,' said the Lord Ranofer.

'Why the airport of all places? I hate planes,' said the foreign noblewoman. Her name was harsh on the tongue, Seisi found.

'Because he said so, and I need to concentrate when I'm driving, so do shut up,' said the Lady Rani-Ra.

The Lady Rani-Ra directed the horseless chariot in a much more controlled fashion than her older sibling. Seisi consented this was safer given the congestion on all the pathways, but it gave him less delight. He learned from the Lord Ranofer there were other racing chariots even further up in the heavens. But those did not hold the commoners, only people with learning were allowed to go.

'I care to join those conveyances in the heavens,' Seisi said.

'Oh hell, Ranofer, why did you have to give him funny ideas?' Lady Trueth said. "Seisi, don't scowl at me, it's only a saying."

'Could you even get up there?' Lady Rani-Ra asked.

'No, pray do not worry,' Seisi said. 'To achieve this, I must understand where to direct my steps, and this I do not.'

'Good, there's no air up there in case you miss the ISS.' The foreign noblewoman appeared much relieved. 'And don't mention the Lord Shu with his winds. Even he would be severely out of breath.'

Seisi opened his mouth but shut it again. It would have been impolite to argue with the foreign noblewoman who was as gifted as she was beautiful... . Seisi decided to have a cold bath this evening, to contain these inappropriate stirrings in his nether regions. And he had better concentrate on the things he was being shown.

He understood there were other holy devices not meant for riders. Those sent rays through the world to create the moving images he had seen in the trunk next to the room of repast. Others conveyed waves of sound, allowing people to talk when they were far away from each other. He had nearly run into a man thusly engaged while gesturing with a strange looking piece of flatbread in his other hand. It was covered with sparse onions and meat in a fatty looking crust of red and waxy white, congealed cobwebs dangled off one end. The brother of the-Metjen said the bread was called a slice of—bizarre and it was.

'Talking remotely is known to us. The prophets do it all the time. It only takes the Breath of Shu,' Seisi explained.

'Not him again. What does that do? Let me guess--it blows you up?' The foreign noblewoman asked.

She had the strangest ideas if you wished to blow a person up; you used the Fist of Montu. But this curse was frowned upon and used but sparingly. He explained about the prophets and how they rooted themselves in the Lord Geb, the Earth, when they wanted images to go with their faraway voices.

'You're kidding me, right? You're trying to tell me you did teleconferencing in your temples? No way mate,' the Lord Ranofer said.

Seisi nearly threw his ka around to search for the baby goat who should not be in such a place. But he refrained from doing so, he had realised they meant something else entirely when they used these strange expressions. They needed a better understanding of the way of the gods.

He liked learning, and he much appreciated hearing about these other devices the young lord mentioned which painted images of the weather from above. Those would be good to have when the Lord Hapi had forgotten to send a decent flood, and even fervent prayers to the Lady Tefnut would not bring forth the rain. You could call in the Breath of Shu and shift clouds where you required them, thus bring about the precipitation needed for the Nile to flood and the fields to carry plenty.

'Where shall we go from here?' Rani-Ra asked.

'Let's drive to Giza. He might feel at home there,' Ranofer said.

'Yes, let's give him pylons of hope,' Rani-Ra said.

He beheld those big ones, but they were in a state of much destruction. Wherever he directed his attention, there were ruins and remnants of a world he felt he had just left a few weeks ago. The foreign noblewoman was laughing at him, and her fire hair lit up her face in a way that made him go warm all over and his thoughts were whirling around and around in his head... .

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Image is from Art Blog of Gordon Napier, Israel pointer "En Egypte"

 This chapter is dedicated to @Eliseblackpool, I thought she might appreciate the clarity on the shipping front, even if this is maybe not what she wanted to read about! Her novel 'The Isle of Mists' has (in no particular order) Romantic interest, a non-distressed damsel raised by pirates, boots and ball gowns - and a raven. 'ARRRR!'