The Feather on My Scale: Ch 15
I rubbed at my temple and sighed. Temple and noble guards both stood inside and outside of my office chamber, hands on hilts. I stared at the pile of papers in front of me that needed my full focus, but no, I had to wait for Adom and Khufern to show up and explain exactly why the royal compound was under guard at that instant.
The morning ceremonies had come to an end more than two hours prior and I was well into my third cup of tea, but it wasn’t going to be strong enough for whatever the blundering fools were scared of this time. “Probably their own shadows,” I muttered as I tossed my reed down and pushed the papers away from me.
A thicker-set man, maybe a head shorter than me in stature, waved down the guards long enough to be let into my chamber. He bowed low. “My Pharaoh.”
“Seer of the Pharaoh’s Personage.” I greeted.
“I am sorry to tell you, My Pharaoh, I bear terrifying news.”
My mind immediately went to the dome panels. Cracks had happened before. Air quality plummeted in the zones where that happened. Light would filter through the cracks and burn away whatever plant life rested below. Whole acreages of agriculture and forest were lost to wildfires. Worse would be the loss of the panels along Nile Bay. The curtain sweeps kept the tides from swamping the land and provided generative power along the coastline and up to portions of the royal palace. I rose at the thought. Tens of thousands would need to be evacuated immediately in either direction, further into the land or out toward the coasts.
“I am sorry to cause My Pharoah concern, but truly, it is unprecedented. Men of Easimal have come!”
Easimal? Easimal! Not possible. I paused. “Call the High Husband,” I commanded. The man blinked at the order in confusion before ducking a quick nod and dashing out of the room.
Before he was able to return in time, Adom came clomping through, his robes in disorder. Strained terror warped his features, eyes wide. “Pharaoh, there’s-“
“Men of Easimal. Yes, I’m aware. Take a seat.” I pointed him to one of the two chairs in front of my desk while I waited for Khufern to return.
He did not do what I instructed, instead taking to pacing and muttering about how this would lead to the ruin of the biodomes. Riots, the collapse of civility in its entirety. There was no shutting him up when he did this.
Three pairs of footsteps echoed down the hall and into my chamber. I relaxed at the sound. Ptolemy towered over both Khufern and Wash, protectively keeping the two apart with his frame.
The three ducked a bow upon entering. Adom twisted with a sneer toward Wash, readying to lash out.
“High Husband, Ptolemy.” I greeted the two before Adom could start.
“My Pharoah?” Both replied.
“High Husband. A question, if you would be good enough to answer.”
Wash raised an eyebrow and bowed once more, keeping to formalities with so many present. “Yes, My Pharoah.”
“You’ve helped Mubkharatan enter Easimal, yes?”
His colour left him at the question and a shake took over his fingers as he tried to formulate a reply. Ptolemy flicked a glance between us, hand resting carefully on the pommel of his sword. “I took you as High Husband knowing you were sent to Last Rights for doing so, High Husband. It was truth determined by the courts. Did you help Mubkharatan enter Easimal?”
Wash stuttered, nodding, his voice barely above a whisper, “Y-yes, My Pharaoh.”
“Did you ever meet anyone from Easimal?” I pressed. I would ask later how exactly he had gotten them between the biodomes. Going outside was guaranteed suicide. There was one catwalk that led out to what had been an old docking station where both Malak and our dome met within Easimal. It however was heavily guarded between both our sides and as only used in special circumstances to deposit criminal Mubkaratan into the biodome.
The man before me was vibrating like a leaf. I flicked a finger toward Adom before he could come forward and pounce on Wash. Ptolemy took the cue, clapped a hand on Adom’s shoulder and told him, “Here, let’s you and me take a walk to look at the security of the royal palace. Tell me what you know.”
Dragging in a breath, I motioned for Khufern toward the four seats and coffee table on the other side of the room. Wash glanced at the displacement and the guards who were regarding him with confused looks.
“I did. Once, My Pharoah. A man. He did not speak our language. But he did wait for our groups and took the Mubkaratan.” He was hedging. I wasn’t going to push too much.
“Do you speak any Easimal at all, Wash?” I pressed.
“No. Never. It was never taught at my temple, even if we were closer to the dome wall on that side than others.”
I deflated at that news.
“Khufern. Where are the men of Easimal being held? I am to assume they have been captured and brought here?”
“Not captured, My Pharaoh. They are Mubkharatan and powerful. One speaks like us, like nobility. He requested a meeting with you. We lost a platoon of twenty to them before a commander let them speak. He’s come saying that they wish an alliance.” His squeaky voice was doing nothing for the growing headache.
“Easimal is seeking council with us for an alliance?” I wanted to make sure I heard that correctly. “For what reason?”
“I don’t know, My Pharoah. We have them waiting in a villa down at the Bay. What should we do with them? We don’t have the kind of manpower to deal with their powers!” He buried his head in his hands, breaking with decorum. “Oh, what is going to become of us? This is why we kill Mubkharatan when they are discovered. Devious, cruel, dangerous creatures of Set!”
I flicked a glance to Wash who ducked at the curse.
“I will see Easimal in the royal court. Bring them to my throne room. See that Ptolemy is there. I will take the High Husband with me there. I want guards at every entrance point they are brought through. Keep their carriages covered. I do not need the people panicking in the streets and I would rather they not have more information on us than strictly necessary. If they are not here in fact as allies, it would do the dome no good to let them run rampant.”
“My Pharaoh, it will be as you said.” Khufern bowed low and left, the guards following him out at his command.
Wash still stood trembling in front of my desk. He watched the empty doorway, eyes glassy.
“You’re not in trouble, Wash,” I tried.
He turned to me and nodded, mute. That did nothing to stop the shaking. I stood up and walked around the desk, folding my long sleeves around his shoulders. Pulling him into my chest, I tucked his curls under my chin. His trembling intensified. “I’m not mad. Shh, sh, Wash. You’re okay.”
He hiccupped into my chest, fingers clinging to my sides like he was fighting to keep from drowning. “What is it, angel?” I pressed. He couldn’t come out of it, having gone mute on me. I scooped him up and took him back to the chair behind my desk. Settling his wings more comfortably, I rocked and waited. I had moments of mutism that could occur when bad storms trembled the biodome panels loud enough to sound like bombs. I had to wonder, never having seen Wash have an attack before, if it would be short or long-lived with him. I slipped my arms under his wings. “Easy, easy, Wash. I’m going to squeeze really hard while you breathe out slowly, alright?” I encouraged him to take a deep breath. It took a moment for him to register before nodded, still refusing to meet my gaze. He took a breath and released as I squeezed slowly, waiting until he went pliant in my arms and rested his head on my shoulder. The shaking finally stopped and I released the bear hug slowly. He lay in my hold for a time.
“Flashback?” I finally pressed.
He nodded, curls making a slick sound against my silk robes.
“I’m sorry about that. Really sorry to trigger it in front of so many people,” I apologized quietly.
“How’d you know?” His voice was small and threatened tears.
“Been there. Helped Ptolemy out of it a few times. Had him help me out of them on bad days. War leaves behind more scars than just what you can see.” I offered.
“Cells aren’t exactly great.”
“I can’t imagine they are. You aren’t there now. I’m sorry. It probably sounded like you were about to end up in one again with me just summoning you out of the blue to ask.”
He swallowed hard. “It-It did.”
“I won’t be throwing you into a cell for helping people. Now. I do need to head to the throne room. I would like for you to join me if you are able. I would value your input. Maybe these are people you helped, or some who know of who you helped. It will be better for us to have a smoother meeting if it turns out to be so.”
Wash fidgeted, flicking the edge of his thumbnails against each other in thought. “I can’t see how anyone would come back. I don’t know why they would. Seer of the Pharaoh’s Personage said just as much. They kill us when they find us.”
“Let us find out then who is brave enough to come to such a place that seems to need saving from itself.”
Chapel Orahamm (C) 2022-2023. All Rights Reserved.
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