where the woman had sat. She started guiltily when she heard a cackle of laughter.
“Tell me who you are,” she called into the air. “How do I know you’re not on Rome’s side, yourself?”
There was no response. Imi thought of asking again, of demanding an answer, but discarded the idea. Had the old woman been no more than Isis’s messenger? Or had she been the goddess herself in disguise? The ways of the gods were mysterious, even the priests were sometimes puzzled by them. Yet much of what the crone said made sense. The gods of Rome fought the ancient gods of Egypt for control. The storm had given her a glimpse into the war between the spiritual powers and emphasized the importance of her mission. She hurried back to where she’d left the pirates and called Seleucus aside.
“We must leave at once,” she told him, glancing over his shoulder at the men who were still off–loading the galley. “Tell them to stop.”
“What are you talking about? I told you we need to fix her up.”
“Yes, I know but . . . “ Should she tell him what the old woman had said? Would he think she was crazy? “I . . . we’ve got to get to Delos as soon as we can. We can’t stay here.”
“Why not? I don’t understand.” He wiped his cheek with the back of his hand and scowled. Sweat beaded his forehead. He’d stripped off his tunic and wore only linen trousers like those of the Carthaginians. Imi did her best to ignore his bare chest or how his muscled skin gleamed in the sun.
“It is dangerous to stay.” Would the Nereids be able to send the storm against them on land, or would they have to wait until the galley put out to sea?
“Why?”
She glared at him. All these questions. Why couldn’t he just take her word for it and do as she asked?
“You do not believe in the gods,” she snapped. “It would be useless to explain.”
“Try anyway.” He grabbed her arm and pulled her further away from the others. “Say what you’ve got to say.”
“Are you going to believe me?” He was so close she could smell him, smell that peculiar scent of oils, sea, and perspiration that was his alone.
“I won’t know that until you tell me what’s going on. I can only promise to hear you out.”
Imi nodded. That was fair enough.
“When I came out from the cabin and saw the storm, I immediately sensed there was something wrong with it, that it was evil.” Seleucus’s eyes widened. “I know,” she said. “I know you’re not a believer, but there are gods and powers out there and they do not always mean us well, whatever we think of them. After you told me to take the prisoners inside, I went over to them. They had seen something in the sea that scared them, and when I looked I saw it, too.” His face was a mask of disbelief. “It was a creature called a Nereid—not a woman, nor a fish, but half of each. It wanted me dead and had called up the storm to sink the ship and drown us all.” She left out how the Nereid had called her name and the strange compulsion she’d felt to go to the creature.
“Why, Imi? Even if I grant that there is such a thing and that you saw it, why would it wish you harm?”
Imi took a deep breath and his scent assailed her anew, almost staggering her with the need to reach out and touch him. She’d already told him so much, what would be the harm in telling him everything?
“The gods of Rome love not the gods of foreign countries,” she said, curling her fingers into her hands. “Neither do they love their devotees.” It was not the whole truth, but it was as much as she dared give him.
“You’re saying this thing, this Nereid, wants you dead just because you’re a priestess of Isis?”
“Yes.”
“Well, it failed, didn’t it? You’re still here, so why should we worry?”
“If we wait here overlong, they’ll return and we may not survive another onslaught.” Her voice shook. “Let’s go. Let’s leave before they recover and come back.”
His expression
“Tell me who you are,” she called into the air. “How do I know you’re not on Rome’s side, yourself?”
There was no response. Imi thought of asking again, of demanding an answer, but discarded the idea. Had the old woman been no more than Isis’s messenger? Or had she been the goddess herself in disguise? The ways of the gods were mysterious, even the priests were sometimes puzzled by them. Yet much of what the crone said made sense. The gods of Rome fought the ancient gods of Egypt for control. The storm had given her a glimpse into the war between the spiritual powers and emphasized the importance of her mission. She hurried back to where she’d left the pirates and called Seleucus aside.
“We must leave at once,” she told him, glancing over his shoulder at the men who were still off–loading the galley. “Tell them to stop.”
“What are you talking about? I told you we need to fix her up.”
“Yes, I know but . . . “ Should she tell him what the old woman had said? Would he think she was crazy? “I . . . we’ve got to get to Delos as soon as we can. We can’t stay here.”
“Why not? I don’t understand.” He wiped his cheek with the back of his hand and scowled. Sweat beaded his forehead. He’d stripped off his tunic and wore only linen trousers like those of the Carthaginians. Imi did her best to ignore his bare chest or how his muscled skin gleamed in the sun.
“It is dangerous to stay.” Would the Nereids be able to send the storm against them on land, or would they have to wait until the galley put out to sea?
“Why?”
She glared at him. All these questions. Why couldn’t he just take her word for it and do as she asked?
“You do not believe in the gods,” she snapped. “It would be useless to explain.”
“Try anyway.” He grabbed her arm and pulled her further away from the others. “Say what you’ve got to say.”
“Are you going to believe me?” He was so close she could smell him, smell that peculiar scent of oils, sea, and perspiration that was his alone.
“I won’t know that until you tell me what’s going on. I can only promise to hear you out.”
Imi nodded. That was fair enough.
“When I came out from the cabin and saw the storm, I immediately sensed there was something wrong with it, that it was evil.” Seleucus’s eyes widened. “I know,” she said. “I know you’re not a believer, but there are gods and powers out there and they do not always mean us well, whatever we think of them. After you told me to take the prisoners inside, I went over to them. They had seen something in the sea that scared them, and when I looked I saw it, too.” His face was a mask of disbelief. “It was a creature called a Nereid—not a woman, nor a fish, but half of each. It wanted me dead and had called up the storm to sink the ship and drown us all.” She left out how the Nereid had called her name and the strange compulsion she’d felt to go to the creature.
“Why, Imi? Even if I grant that there is such a thing and that you saw it, why would it wish you harm?”
Imi took a deep breath and his scent assailed her anew, almost staggering her with the need to reach out and touch him. She’d already told him so much, what would be the harm in telling him everything?
“The gods of Rome love not the gods of foreign countries,” she said, curling her fingers into her hands. “Neither do they love their devotees.” It was not the whole truth, but it was as much as she dared give him.
“You’re saying this thing, this Nereid, wants you dead just because you’re a priestess of Isis?”
“Yes.”
“Well, it failed, didn’t it? You’re still here, so why should we worry?”
“If we wait here overlong, they’ll return and we may not survive another onslaught.” Her voice shook. “Let’s go. Let’s leave before they recover and come back.”
His expression
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