Misplaced (2 page)

Las
t
w
ee
k
Menefr
a
ha
d
bee
n
intentionall
y
absen
t
from
th
e
w
elcomin
g
feas
t
fo
r
th
e
Assyria
n
king
.
Unti
l
thi
s
obvious
slight, he had been her intended husband. For some time now she
had
taken
to
disappearing
for
long
periods
of
time
without explanation. But it
w
as Menefra’s recent drinking that worried Khara most. Fathe
r
’s patience
w
as
w
earing thin.

A
polishe
d
bon
e
clasp
,
fastene
d
a
t
he
r
thigh
,
kep
t
her line
n
sheat
h
tight
,
allowin
g
onl
y
tin
y
steps
,
whic
h
i
n
he
r preoccupation, she took at an unhurried pace.

Piri
,
th
e
househol
d
ser
v
an
t
wh
o
ha
d
w
atche
d
o
v
e
r
them
from
their
first
breath,
maintained
that
she
and
Menefra
shared a
singl
e
soul
,
a
commo
n
consciousnes
s
tha
t
ha
d
bee
n
their
s
long
before
their
mother
bled
to
death
bringing
them
into
the
world.
Thes
e
day
s
ol
d
Pir
i
w
a
s
surel
y
mistake
n
fo
r
Khar
a
coul
d
not
remember e
v
er feeling more deserted.

She
checke
d
fo
r
he
r
siste
r
’
s
approac
h
an
d
slo
w
e
d
her
s
tep
s
e
v
e
n
further
.
Mom
ent
s
later
,
M
enefr
a
m
aterialized.
Breathless
,
he
r
lon
g
blac
k
hai
r
w
a
s loosely
tie
d
bac
k
an
d
sh
e
w
as
dresse
d
i
n
flowin
g
hue
s
o
f
shadow
y
green
s
tha
t
matche
d
her
extraordinary e
y
es and oli
v
e skin. Khara’s worries e
v
aporated
a
t
th
e
sigh
t
o
f
he
r
siste
r
’
s
wil
d
beauty
.
Khar
a
ha
d
al
w
ay
s
known
that her appearance
w
as diminished by a more serious nature and honey-colored, rather than green, e
y
es.

“Wh
y
didn’
t
yo
u
ans
w
er
?
An
d
wher
e
ha
v
e
yo
u
bee
n
all
day?”

“Where
I
am
and
what
I
do
could
not
matter less
since
all e
y
es are on you these
days. Here,
I’
v
e
brought
you
something to
settle your
stomach.”
Menefra
responded,
offering
a
plump persimmon.

Khara pushed the fruit a
w
ay. “I can’t.”

Her twin threw her arm around Khara’s shoulder, pulling her to one side. “
Y
ou worry too much,” Menefra admonished,
an
d
the
n
smile
d
an
d
ga
v
e
he
r
siste
r
’
s
chee
k
a
har
d
kiss
.
Her
breath
smelled
of
beer.
“
A
t
least
take
a
bite
or
two;
you
ha
v
en’t eaten all day. Do you
w
ant to faint during the ceremony?”

Khara
took
the
fruit
while
Menefra
s
w
ept
the
air
in
a
grand gesture.
“Look,”
she
exclaimed,
leaning
precariously
o
v
er
the ledge. “See how they all rejoice in your honor.”

Pulling
Menefra
back
to
a
safer
position,
she paused
to
w
atch
.
Egypt’
s
peopl
e
ha
d
thronge
d
t
o
th
e
capita
l
o
f
Thebes
.
Jubilan
t
voice
s
mixe
d
wit
h
th
e
sound
s
o
f
gruntin
g
oxe
n
and
honking
geese,
obliterating
the
usual
quiet
of
the
palace.
Khara grasped Menefra’s hand and kissed it.

“I
can’t
bear
the
thought
of
father
sending
you
to
Assyria. Trust me, I will find
a
w
ay to discourage this marriage.”

“Fathe
r
’s
plans
no
longer
interest
me,”
Menefra
stated
flatly
an
d
looke
d
a
w
ay
.
Sh
e
continue
d
i
n
a
wounde
d
voice
,
“
Afte
r today,
you
will
greet
me
like
this.”
She
made a
fist
and
crossed her left arm o
v
er her chest—the greeting of a queen.

“Sto
p
actin
g
lik
e
a
child
.
Y
o
u
an
d
I
wil
l
b
e
a
s
w
e
ha
v
e
al
w
ays
been. Now, let us hurry.”

“Mar
k
m
y
words
;
e
v
erythin
g
wil
l
change.
”
Menefr
a
grabbed
the
persimmon,
taking
the
last
bite
before
hurling
it
carelessly into the crowd below. They
w
alked in silence.

Th
e
delegatio
n
fo
r t
h
e
coronatio
n
ceremon
y
comprised
se
v
en
.
Thi
s
di
d
no
t
surpris
e
Khara
,
sinc
e
se
v
e
n
w
a
s
th
e
number
most
associated
with
good
fortune.
Se
v
en
planets,
se
v
en
steps of the Pyramid of Meidum, se
v
en stars of the Big Dipper.

Luck
w
as
something
she
felt
strongly
in
need
of.
The
High
Counci
l
ha
d
scoffe
d
a
t
her,
insisting
a
woman’
s
jo
b
w
a
s
t
o
kee
p
the
bloodline
s
pure
,
nothin
g
else
.
A
t
hi
s
age
,
ho
w
e
v
er
,
he
r
father
w
a
s
immun
e
fro
m
challenge
.
H
e
w
a
s
th
e
livin
g
go
d
and
,
as such
,
hi
s
wishe
s
w
er
e
no
t
t
o
b
e
tampere
d
with
.
O
n
thi
s
day,
when she needed it most, Khara felt no such supremacy.