The small trowel hit rock. Sephy stopped scraping and peered at the small outcrop. She removed her glove and dusted the sand away with her fingertips, exposing the carved edge of a worked stone. She stooped and blew off the last remaining grains before removing her sun hat and wiping her forehead with a sweat-soaked rag.

Persephone Glanville was one month short of being nineteen. She was blonde, five feet eight inches tall, slim and tanned. She wore a pale blue denim shirt, glued to her breasts and back by perspiration, light brown cotton shorts and walking boots, with the tops of heavy, white woolen socks turned down over their laces. It was her idea of how an archeologist should look! She had been digging for nearly five weeks without finding a thing. And now this! A stone. A bloody stone!

Sephy was from a wealthy family on the West Coast of the United States, and possessed an incurably romantic view, both of life and of history. The fact that she was here in the desert at all was due in no small measure to the financial contribution the trustees of the fortune bequeathed her by her parents had made to the expedition she had joined, four months after it had set up camp, south of the city of Kirkuk, in north-eastern Iraq. When she was a few hours old, Sephy's parents had decided to call her Persephone - a name she grew to hate over the years - after her mother had read a tale about Hercules and his encounter with Hades, the Greek god of the underworld. Her mother had died from pneumonia five years after her birth. Twelve years later, her father was killed in a riding accident. It was as she was going through his papers, a few weeks later, that she came across some letters written to her mother as he roamed the middle-east, representing his oil company to this or that government official. Sephy had fallen in love with the idea of searching for those ancient mythical places, like Ur, Rhodes and Alexander's Tomb, and had pleaded with her guardian - a distant cousin - until he agreed to support her application to the trustees. At first, she had been an enthusiastic and tireless helper. But, as with all of her previous obsessions, she was now becoming bored. It was a big and exciting world, with almost unlimited opportunity for self-discovery, if you were rich enough! She decided she'd give it another week or so and then leave for home. Besides, she missed her horse!

The following day, she returned to the dig, accompanied by Ricky Sorenson, a spotty eighteen year old and an inch shorter than her. His auburn hair was stiff and spiky from dried in sand, and he smelt of stale sweat - bathing was something else she missed! They reached the trench she had been working in and slithered down its steep slope. A stiff breeze had blown over night, covering the efforts of the previous day. The sight drew an unladylike curse from her lips. Ricky grinned and helped her down. She knelt and picked up her trowel from where she had abandoned it the previous day. Ricky knelt by her, using his hands like shovels, until, between them, they had restored the site to its previous condition. Sephy pointed at the stone, "See, it's been carved."

Ricky nodded. "Wind erosion, probably," he pronounced, authoritatively.

"Bull," she said, testily. "The wind couldn't erode it buried under two meters of sand."

He scowled. "Before it was buried, then."

"What do you think? Should we dig some more?"

"I suppose we could."

"I tell you what," she said, sensing his mood, "we'll spend the rest of the day here, then we'll go into the village and get some wine." She laughed. "We can get drunk and sleep out under the stars. What do you say?"

"If you like."

"You might try sounding more positive."

"I'd love to," he mocked.

"Damn you!" she growled, her trowel singing as it stuck the stone repeatedly.

They stopped for lunch and resumed late in the afternoon. As evening began to fall, her trowel struck more rock. She brushed the sand away and saw symbols carved in the rough surface. Her ignorance of their meaning was no problem to her, since, as far as she was concerned, it was just another rock. Ricky helped her remove the rest of the sand, exposing a slab, roughly six feet by two. He crawled past her, went to the camp and returned with a crowbar, inserting the tip into the gap between it and its neighbor. He strained and rested repeatedly for several minutes before it moved. Finally, Sephy grabbed the crowbar and helped him lever up the slab. Once a gap three centimeters wide had been made, she jammed the handle of the trowel into it and Ricky relaxed his grip.

"Boy, that's heavy," he said, breathing hard in the dry air. She passed him the water bottle. He smiled, and said, "Thanks." He took a long drink, handed her the bottle, then picked up the crowbar and moved the slab clear. Sephy leaned close to him and looked over his shoulder. Several blocks of stone had been arranged in the form of a box, of which the slab had formed the lid. Inside, it was, perhaps, two feet deep. A human skeleton, partially covered by a few strips of gray colored cloth lay on its side in a fetal position.

"Ugh," Sephy cried, pulling away from it, "that's gross."

"I guess it's a grave," Ricky said. "We'd better call the others."

"In a minute," Sephy said, kneeling. She pointed. "What's that?"

Ricky reached inside and pulled out a plastic bottle. He handed it to her and rummaged beneath the cloth. His hand touched something hard and cold. He pulled the cloth away from the skeleton, moving the leg bones in the process, and retrieved a metal box. He struggled to open the lid. When it was finally free, he discarded it and peered inside. There were several small plastic boxes, with labels printed in strange characters. He opened one. It hissed as the lid pulled clear, revealing numerous small, wafer-like biscuits. He placed one cautiously on his tongue. It was dry and tasteless. He spat it out with a grimace, handing the box to Sephy. She licked a finger and touched the tip to one of the wafers, then touched her tongue. "It's still fresh," she said.

"Can't be much more than a few years old."

"That's it, then. So much for the past." Her face brightened. "You want to go and get drunk?" Ricky got slowly to his feet. "Sure."

They returned to the camp and washed and changed. The moon was rising, but occasional clouds obscured it, so Sephy collected a torch from the back of her tent and waited for Ricky by the log fire the others had lit to keep themselves warm, while they reviewed the day's events and logged the finds. They were used to Sephy and Ricky coming and going as they pleased, so the fact that the two of them were off to the village, again, passed without notice or comment. Ricky emerged from his tent, Sephy slung her bag over her shoulder and they started the three-mile trek to the village.

They had crossed the top of the first dune and were making their way down the steep slope into the trough between it and the next when Sephy caught sight of a movement in the sky above them. She stopped walking and focused her attention on the constellation of Canis Major. The star Sirius was just visible above the next dune. She walked backwards up the slope they had just descended until the lowest star in the constellation was clear of the dunes and sat down. Ricky was halfway up the next slope before he realized she wasn't with him. He turned and called out to her, "What's wrong?"

"I saw something," she called back.

"Like what?" he asked, retracing his footprints.

"I don't know. I just caught a glimpse of it."

"Where?"

"There," she said, pointing to the constellation.

"In the sky?" he asked, doubtfully.

"There it is, again," she called, hopping from one foot to the other. "See?"

Ricky strained his eyes, but saw nothing. He turned to face her. "Are we gonna stand here staring at the sky all night, or get drunk?"

"I guess it's nothing," she said, deferring to his impatience.

As they began to walk up the dune, they were knocked from their feet by a sudden rush of air. They rolled onto their bellies and covered their ears against a high-pitched whine that grew louder and louder, threatening to deafen them. The pressure on her eardrums grew so great that Sephy feared they would burst. The noise stopped.

Sephy got to her feet and dusted the sand from her clothes. "Shit! What was that?"

"Damned if I know," Ricky replied, walking past her, heading in the direction of the camp. "But I'm not hanging around to find out."

"Aren't you the least bit curious?"

"No," he said, disappearing over the top of the dune.

Sephy remained where she was, waiting for she knew not what. Suddenly, the air above her was rent, as if slashed by a knife. Two heads appeared, followed by two pairs of shoulders. As Sephy watched, mouth agape, one of the heads turned to the other and said, in a clearly audible voice, "Tan ish heh lith femuc-te dasi."

The other head said, "Cir-te heh ma femuc ni dasi."

"Who are you?" Sephy shouted.

"That's torn it!" the first head said. "I told you we shouldn't come back."

English? They were talking English? Sephy couldn't believe her ears. "Who are you?" she called, again.

The first head twisted in her direction. "Who's that?"

"Sephy Glanville."

"What are you doing here?" the head said, irritation clipping the words.

"What am I doing here? What are you doing here? And, anyway, who the hell are you?"

"Ianna," the head replied, as if Sephy should have known.

"I'm Suki," the other head said.

"That's great!" Ianna snapped. "Now she knows there are two of us."

"Dammit!" Suki cussed. "She can see there are two of us."

"Where are you from?" Sephy called.

The two heads conferred.

Sephy's hands moved to her hips. "Well?"

"Samoz," Suki said.

"Ashur," Ianna said.

"Where?"

"North," they said in unison.

"Make your minds up."

The two heads conferred once more. "We're coming out," Ianna said. "Don't go away."

"Oh, I'm staying right here," Sephy assured them. "I wouldn't miss this for the world."

The heads disappeared, reappearing a few seconds later, accompanied by the rest of their bodies. Suki approached Sephy, smiling broadly, her rainbow scales shimmering in the moonlight. Ianna hung back, clearly annoyed at what, to her, was a development she could have well done without. Still, she only had herself to blame. Suki had consistently warned her against visiting this place. Last time, it had been a traveler: easily fooled by the ignorance of the times into thinking they were minor deities. The times had obviously changed! This 'one' was curious, and without fear. Suki stood in front of Sephy and examined her. She extended an index finger, idly tracing the outline of Sephy's nipple with her long nail, laughing, as Sephy recoiled. She turned to Ianna. "Our Lord would favor this one."

"Too skinny!" Ianna retorted.

"Lissa is no fatter than this one," Suki countered, "and Our Lord can't keep his hands off her."

"She's also Belosan, and black as night."

"Her eyes are green, like Lissa's," Suki said. "And she's just as tall."

"Listen, you two," Sephy growled. "I've no idea what you're talking about, but I'm not interested in taking part in a beauty pageant. Who the hell are you, and what the hell are you doing here?"

"Ah," Ianna said, her voice betraying the fact that she had no idea how to dig herself out of the hole their sudden and unexplained appearance had placed them in.

"Don't tell me," Sephy said, misreading Ianna's response as reluctance on her part to share some secret, "you can't say."

"Oh, we can tell," Suki said, with a broad grin. "It's just that we don't know what to tell."

"Shut up!" Ianna snapped.

"It's true," Suki protested.

"So, it's true," Ianna conceded. "You don't have to tell her it's true."

Sephy made to turn away. "Look, if you'd rather I wasn't here while you decide what your story is, I'll be over that dune." She pointed. "There's a camp, about two miles beyond. Come when you're ready."

Ianna moved swiftly to Sephy's side and took her arm. "You have to stay," she said, nervously. "You weren't supposed to see us."

"Well, I did, didn't I?" Sephy said. "So, unless you intend to do away with me, you'll have to deal with it."

Suki frowned. "Do away with you? What does, 'Do away with you,' mean?"

"Kill me," Sephy replied.

"That's stupid," Suki said. "We don't kill people." As an afterthought, she added, "Mind you, Our Lord might well kill us, once he finds out."

Ianna released Sephy's arm and began pacing. At length, she turned and said, "She'll have to come with us."

Suki and Sephy, at one and the same time, cried, "What?"

"She wasn't supposed to see us," Ianna muttered.

"We're so dead," Suki moaned. "Our Lord will have our heads. He'll... He'll send us to the mines... or worse."

"I could promise to forget," Sephy said.

Suki was ready to clutch at any solution that might prevent them incurring the wrath of their 'Lord'. She twisted Ianna around to face her, a questioning look on her face.

Ianna shook her head. "No, it won't work. She has to come."

"Fair enough," Sephy said, walking towards them.

"You agree?" Ianna asked, doubtfully.

Sephy grinned. "You bet!"

"Won't you be missed?"

"No," Sephy replied, firmly, "I won't."

As they started walking across the dunes towards the hidden ship, Sephy asked, "Who's this 'Lord' you keep talking about?"

"The Lord Arum-Pileser," Suki replied.

"Is he a king or something?" Sephy asked.

"More a supreme being," Ianna answered. "And we are his loyal subjects... on pain of a lingering death."

"We're his women," Suki said, enthusiastically.

"His what?" Sephy demanded.

"His women," Suki responded. "We're his...." Her forehead creased as she struggled to find the appropriate word.

"Our Lord has many duties," Ianna explained. He rules a vast empire, and he needs his...."

Sephy already knew the answer. "Relaxation?"

"Exactly!" Ianna said.

"So," Sephy said, cautiously, "you're his mistresses?"

Ianna thought for a moment. "We're...." She turned to Suki and whispered, "Doo ir tancha?"

Suki's brow wrinkled as she sought a suitable translation. "Concubines," she said, at length, and with considerable authority. "It's a great honour."

"Aren't kings supposed to have consorts, or wives, or something?" Sephy asked. The women looked blank. "To bear children? You know, an heir?"

"Oh," Ianna said, understanding at last, "you mean the Lady Mizarem-Talith-Ana."

"Do I?" Sephy asked, smiling, despite her impatience.

"He lays with her until she is with child," Ianna explained. "From that moment, she is forbidden to him. It is the law. But, our Lord is a man with a great appetite, so he has us... to fill in the gaps."

Sephy looked slightly shocked by the revelation. "How many of you are there," she asked, "filling in the gaps?"

"Six," Ianna replied.

"Seven, if we include you," Suki said, lightly. She rubbed her hands together. "Our Lord is going to love you. If you please him, he'll shower you with gems and silks. Ianna has her own palace. In time, I'll have one, too."

"Not if you get caught with that officer in Our Lord's personal guard, you won't," Ianna said, harshly.

"It's nothing, really," Suki protested. "He kissed me on the cheek."

"Yeah, right," Ianna quipped.

"He did," Suki insisted.

"Can we finish this conversation, first?" Sephy cried.

"Of course," Ianna replied, graciously.

"So, you've come here, for whatever purpose...." She thought, briefly. "Why did you come, by the way?"

"We can't tell you," Ianna said.

"She left behind a water bottle and some food rations," Suki said.

"Well, that's just great!" Ianna screamed. "Why don't you show her our flight log?"

"We found those things, today," Sephy said. "In a shallow grave."

"What did you do with them?" Ianna asked, nervously, clearly dreading the answer.

"We threw them away," Sephy replied. "Why, they weren't worth anything, were they?"

"Just my head," Ianna said.

"When we go anywhere, we're supposed to leave no trace of our visit," Suki said.

Sephy stopped walking. "Meaning, you're not really supposed to exist?"

"No," Ianna responded, "we're not supposed to be known to exist. There's a difference."

"Of course," Sephy acknowledged, with a slight smile. "Anyway, you're offering to present me to this Lord... Arum... What's his name?"

"Pileser," Ianna interjected.

"You're going to introduce me to Arum-Pileser as a new recruit. And, you're not going to tell him where or how you found me. Right?"

Ianna nodded.

"Wrong!"

Ianna looked surprised. She obviously thought her plan was pretty foolproof.

"You'll have to tell him the truth," Sephy went on, "because, if he's any sort of a king, he'll figure it out, anyway. You'll have to say you had no choice but to bring me along because, otherwise, your secret would have been out."

"We'd be dead, if we did that," Ianna moaned. "Like I said, we're not supposed to be seen."

"Can't we just say we found you wandering in the desert," Suki suggested, "and decided to bring you back to serve him? It might sound a little more convincing."

"You want me to go through with this deception just to save your butts?"

"Butts?" Ianna looked at Suki. Suki looked blank.

"Lives," Sephy expanded.

"Why not?" Suki asked. "After all, he's quite good looking, really."

Sephy rolled her eyes, and said, "That's just great!" The memory of a film she had once seen sprang to her mind. She laughed, and added, "Meet the magnificent seven."

Ianna frowned again. "What?"

"Nothing," Sephy replied. They started walking. "I love your outfits, by the way," Sephy said. "I've always had a soft spot for leather."

"I think we have one in your size," Suki said, standing to one side to allow Sephy to enter. Seconds later they had all disappeared from view - had anyone been watching.

Copyright © 2008-2009 Trisha Johnson. All rights reserved.

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