air smelled clean and pure. She gulped in huge lungfuls as she walked. Her silk tunic was rough and stiff with seawater. Imi didn’t mind. She was grateful simply to be alive. It was strange to think the tempest had wanted to kill her, but she was sure of it. Sure, too, that the woman creature had meant her no good.
“You are right,” a voice said.
Startled, Imi looked up and saw an old, gray–haired woman seated on a boulder farther up on the shore.
“I’m sorry,” Imi said, “I didn’t see you. What did you say?”
“You may not have seen me, but I’m sure you heard me, child.” The woman’s voice had some of the quaver of age but was low and melodious.
Imi wondered if she was god–touched, one of those people whose heads were turned by a malicious deity. It was better to give such people a wide berth.
“May the blessing of the Great Mother be upon you,” Imi said courteously, starting to move away.
“You must not allow your man to delay your journey,” the woman said, her eyes boring into Imi’s. “You must be on your way as soon as you can.”
Imi stopped, torn between ignoring her and wanting to know more.
“Why do you say this?” she asked, curiosity winning out over her suspicion.
“You do not want to believe it, but it is true that that was no ordinary storm you faced this morning,” the woman said. “The Nereids, creatures of the Roman gods, raised the squall against you. They desire your destruction.”
“Nereids?”
“You saw one of them. The half–woman, half–fish creature in the waves.”
It was only then that the full import of the woman’s words sank in.
“My destruction? But why?”
“If you succeed in your mission, if all goes as you wish it and your mistress is restored to the throne she claims, then Rome will be cast out of Egypt. Emboldened by this, the princes of the East will rise and overturn Rome’s dominion over their lands. Rome’s power in the world will wither. The Roman gods fight to retain Rome’s dominance. Do you understand?”
Imi nodded, seeing it all at once. “If Rome falls, its gods fall also.” So, it had nothing to do with her and Seleucus, with what she’d done with him, to him. She was still frightened, but a weight lifted.
The woman nodded, approvingly. “Yes, child. And these are not the divinities to go down without a fight.”
“But we are safe. They did not succeed,” Imi pointed out.
“Isis sent her own guardian to protect you.”
“The crocodile.”
Again, the old woman nodded. “The Nereids lost two of their number and are weakened. The farther they are from Rome, the less their power, but if you remain here much longer, they will recover their strength and come against you once more. You must seek Delos without wasting time.”
“Will I be safe there? At Delos?”
“The Great Mother’s hold is strong there, stronger still at Ephesus, but you must always be on your guard. Now, take heed of my words, and be on your way.” The woman rose to her feet almost as if pushed up on a gust of wind.
“What about here?” Imi looked around the harbor fearfully. “Can they reach us here?”
“The Nereids are creatures of the deep sea. The Great Mother rules over harbors and inlets, you know this. When the Earth was young, ten Nereids stranded themselves near shore during low tide. They died because their bodies were too heavy and ungainly for them to pull themselves to sea. Now they avoid coming close to land. I must depart.”
“Wait. The man, the pirate captain, Seleucus, I saw him in the smoke at the temple.” The old woman quirked an eyebrow at her. “Is he . . . I mean . . . can I trust him?”
“The answer to that lies within your own heart. But, remember, even the truth can be revealed in smoke.” The corners of the old woman’s lips lifted in a brief smile before she shimmered like a flickering candle–flame and disappeared.
Oh. Great answer. Just great. Imi stuck her tongue out at the boulder
“You are right,” a voice said.
Startled, Imi looked up and saw an old, gray–haired woman seated on a boulder farther up on the shore.
“I’m sorry,” Imi said, “I didn’t see you. What did you say?”
“You may not have seen me, but I’m sure you heard me, child.” The woman’s voice had some of the quaver of age but was low and melodious.
Imi wondered if she was god–touched, one of those people whose heads were turned by a malicious deity. It was better to give such people a wide berth.
“May the blessing of the Great Mother be upon you,” Imi said courteously, starting to move away.
“You must not allow your man to delay your journey,” the woman said, her eyes boring into Imi’s. “You must be on your way as soon as you can.”
Imi stopped, torn between ignoring her and wanting to know more.
“Why do you say this?” she asked, curiosity winning out over her suspicion.
“You do not want to believe it, but it is true that that was no ordinary storm you faced this morning,” the woman said. “The Nereids, creatures of the Roman gods, raised the squall against you. They desire your destruction.”
“Nereids?”
“You saw one of them. The half–woman, half–fish creature in the waves.”
It was only then that the full import of the woman’s words sank in.
“My destruction? But why?”
“If you succeed in your mission, if all goes as you wish it and your mistress is restored to the throne she claims, then Rome will be cast out of Egypt. Emboldened by this, the princes of the East will rise and overturn Rome’s dominion over their lands. Rome’s power in the world will wither. The Roman gods fight to retain Rome’s dominance. Do you understand?”
Imi nodded, seeing it all at once. “If Rome falls, its gods fall also.” So, it had nothing to do with her and Seleucus, with what she’d done with him, to him. She was still frightened, but a weight lifted.
The woman nodded, approvingly. “Yes, child. And these are not the divinities to go down without a fight.”
“But we are safe. They did not succeed,” Imi pointed out.
“Isis sent her own guardian to protect you.”
“The crocodile.”
Again, the old woman nodded. “The Nereids lost two of their number and are weakened. The farther they are from Rome, the less their power, but if you remain here much longer, they will recover their strength and come against you once more. You must seek Delos without wasting time.”
“Will I be safe there? At Delos?”
“The Great Mother’s hold is strong there, stronger still at Ephesus, but you must always be on your guard. Now, take heed of my words, and be on your way.” The woman rose to her feet almost as if pushed up on a gust of wind.
“What about here?” Imi looked around the harbor fearfully. “Can they reach us here?”
“The Nereids are creatures of the deep sea. The Great Mother rules over harbors and inlets, you know this. When the Earth was young, ten Nereids stranded themselves near shore during low tide. They died because their bodies were too heavy and ungainly for them to pull themselves to sea. Now they avoid coming close to land. I must depart.”
“Wait. The man, the pirate captain, Seleucus, I saw him in the smoke at the temple.” The old woman quirked an eyebrow at her. “Is he . . . I mean . . . can I trust him?”
“The answer to that lies within your own heart. But, remember, even the truth can be revealed in smoke.” The corners of the old woman’s lips lifted in a brief smile before she shimmered like a flickering candle–flame and disappeared.
Oh. Great answer. Just great. Imi stuck her tongue out at the boulder
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