Recreated (28 page)

Osiris laughed briefly. “Yes. It does…stink.” He wrapped his mouth around the last word as if he'd never heard it said like that before. He glanced in my direction. “It is very brave. What you're doing, you know. We all think so.”

“Apparently not everyone,” I stage-whispered, and gestured to the goddess bending over the scales.

“She's not usually so testy,” he explained. “She blames herself for what Seth did.”

“Why?”

“She is responsible for separating chaos from order. When chaos began to take over, she felt it was her own weakness that caused it. After Seth was imprisoned, she decided to adhere to the law even more strictly in the hope that such a thing could never happen again. Ma'at took the loss of our grandparents hard. Attempting to find absolute cosmic harmony was how she coped with everything that happened.

“She forgot that the purpose of the law and the protection and justice it offers is often more important than the law itself. Mercy must always balance justice. Unfortunately, she seems to have neglected that aspect over the centuries. It's why she likes to keep Nephthys close. She's the voice of mercy to balance out Ma'at's unwavering adherence to rules.”

Osiris smiled and then continued gesturing at the hall. “That's why this place is often called the Hall of Two Truths.”

“Meaning the truth of justice and the truth of mercy?” I asked, my own power of discerning the truth coming into play.

“That's right.”

“We are ready,” Ma'at said. “Osiris, are you certain you want to stand for her?”

“I am,” he answered.

“Very well. Then we shall begin.”

Ma'at placed the heart scarab on a stand next to the large scale and then approached a golden box set atop a pedestal that hadn't been there until Nephthys transformed the hall. From inside the box, Ma'at reverently drew out the object.

“This is the Feather of Justice,” she said. “Its weight is so light as to be inconsequential. When a heart is free of evil, it is not weighed down by sorrow or guilt. In this case, the scale will balance and the person may retain their heart and is admitted into paradise. This type of heart is very uncommon. When a soul has committed
some
wrongdoing but has expressed sorrow, made recompense, and learned from the experience, allowing it to mold their heart into a kinder, more empathetic one, then the scales dip only slightly and that person is also admitted into paradise. This is the most common type of heart.”

“And when a person has committed evil?” I asked, wetting my lips.

“An evildoer's heart is heavy. The weight of it depends on the quantity and the depth of the crimes they've committed. In some cases such a person can be rehabilitated.” I nodded, remembering the shabti workers in the Field of Reeds. “But in many instances,” she went on, “such a heart has no place here and it, along with its owner, is sent to the netherworld, a place of torment and suffering, and eventually they succumb to their second and final death. Their life essence, then, if it doesn't feed the Devourer, will return to the Waters of Chaos.”

Ma'at brandished the feather, raising it to the sky before placing it gently upon the scale. The feather looked much different from the feathers of Isis. It almost appeared as if it were made of glass.

“It's diamond,” Osiris said, like he was reading my mind.

The glistening feather did look crystalline, almost as if it had beads of water clinging to it. Now I knew that each branch was a thin diamond with a tiny diamond drop on each tipped barb. When she picked up the heart scarab, I panicked for a second and mentally crossed my fingers, hoping that whatever happened next wouldn't hurt Amon and that I was doing the right thing.

“Let us begin,” Ma'at said. Looking directly at me, she again asked, “What is your condition?”

I bit my lip, pondering the right answer, and was about to say
human
or
sphinx,
when Osiris said, “Their hearts are guiltless. They are free of every sin.”

“Have you committed violence?”

This time Osiris stepped back and nodded that I should answer.

“Only when attacked.”

“And to eat,” Tia added.

“I have struck down innocent beasts who murdered my teacher,” Osiris said. “I have punished those who hurt my subjects, but I have never enjoyed violence.”

I glanced over at Osiris, my brow knit in puzzlement. He appeared to be in a sort of trance. Thinking back over his words, I realized he wasn't speaking for himself. Osiris was channeling Amon.

Ma'at nodded, satisfied with our answers, and I noticed a tiny dip in the heart. “Have you ever taken that which did not belong to you?”

“I have not,” Tia answered confidently.

Osiris spoke next. “I took Ahmose's toy boat when we were young. I was jealous that his was better made and faster than mine. I sank it in the Nile and never told him, though he cried.”

I glanced over at Ahmose, and his expression was one of surprise and then forgiveness.

“And you, Lily?” Ma'at asked.

I shrugged. “I never had the need to take anything that didn't belong to me. My parents gave me whatever I asked for, and I never spent enough time with other children to make friends, let alone take what they had.”

The goddess turned to glance at the scale. A slight frown furrowed her brow, but it was soon gone and she asked the next question.

“Have you ever committed perjury, hidden the truth, or deceived another?”

Again Tia stated boldly, “I have always been truthful.”

I grimaced, wishing I were more like Tia. “I've lied—frequently, if I'm being honest. I hid the scarab from Anubis. My parents don't even know I'm here. They have no idea I'm a sphinx. They think I'm at my nana's house right now. They don't know about Amon or what happened this past spring. I told them I was happy with the plans they'd made for me, when in truth I dread every second of my future. I've told so many white lies to their friends and colleagues I can't even remember all of them. I even lied about coloring my hair!”

Nephthys put her hand over her mouth and giggled but ceased immediately after a sharp look from Ma'at. “And why did you tell all these untruths, Lily?” she asked.

“Mostly so they wouldn't worry.”

“Were you trying to escape punishment?”

“Not really. My life at home is a punishment. There wasn't anything they could do to make me more miserable than what they'd already planned for me. I just wanted to keep Amon's secret and I didn't think they'd understand.”

The scarab dipped as Ma'at cast judgment, and this time it was clearly visible.

“Don't you think you're being a little bit hard on her for that one?” Anubis said, and I noted that he stood much closer to me now than he had been before.

“It is not your call to make,” Ma'at answered stiffly. “And, Amon?” She gestured to Osiris.

“I lied to Lily. I made her think I didn't care about her when I was falling in love with her. I told my brothers we could successfully complete the ceremony to align the sun, moon, and stars without her, when I knew we would fail. I put her welfare ahead of my duty,” Osiris murmured in his trance state. “When Asten and Ahmose asked what was wrong, I kept my feelings from them. They didn't know how desperate I was to get out. To escape. How I would sacrifice anything, including my relationship with them, even the very cosmos, to be with her.

“She doesn't know that without her, there is no hope for me. No life. Only death and darkness. She thought I was brave in sacrificing myself in the pyramid, but if Anubis had given me just a few more minutes alone with her, I would have used all the power at my disposal, even the Eye of Horus, to hide the two of us in the farthest reaches of the cosmos. If I'd known that she would have agreed, I would have gladly spent my life trying to avoid the gods just to be with her. After my death, escape to the netherworld was my only option. Since my leap, I've used every power at my disposal to prevent her from sacrificing herself for me, and yet a part of me is glad that we are still connected and that she still wants to be with me as much as I want to be with her. I'd do anything for her. Anything. This was the reason I refused the weighing of my heart.”

When Osiris was done speaking, the room was silent. A trail of tears leaked down my face. If Amon
had
asked me to run away, I think I would have gone. Especially if it meant he didn't have to die. I wasn't sure what that made me that I would put my relationship, the life of one man, the man I loved, over the well-being of all the souls who lived in the cosmos, but it was something to consider. It was Anubis who finally broke the silence.

“A heart scarab usually prevents the owner's heart from testifying against him at the judgment.”

Ma'at replied quietly. “In this case we are hearing the echo of his thoughts through Lily and Tia. Amon's true feelings are summoned forth through their connection. Is there anything else forthcoming that pertains to this question?”

Osiris screwed up his face like he did have something to say, but he was trying to hold it back. Beads of sweat broke out over his brow. Then, finally, he said, “Lily is in possession of my ren.” The god panted after speaking those words and looked up at Ma'at with alarm. Her expression echoed his. In truth, all the gods, including Asten and Ahmose, seemed awestruck, and not in a good way.

“What does that mean?” I asked warily. “What's a ren?”

Asten was actually the one who explained. “Not even
we
are privy to Amon's ren. It is his true name. To utter a true name is to bring life to something.”

“Or death,” Ahmose said. “It gives you absolute power over the person.”

Everyone stood there staring at me like I had just grown a third eye. “Well, I don't have it,” I said, gesturing wildly with my hands. “I think I'd be aware of it if I did.”

“Amon's scarab speaks the truth, Lilliana Young,” Ma'at said. “It cannot do otherwise on the scales of judgment. This is a sign,” she added, gesturing wildly to the other gods in the room.

“We don't know that yet,” Anubis cautioned. “It could be that he just wanted to share it with her. It doesn't necessarily mean what you think it does.”

“If Amon is bound by the scales, then so am I,” I said. “So you know I'm telling the truth when I say I don't have it. If I do, then I'm unaware of it.”

“Do you really think this might have something to do with the prophecy?” Anubis asked.

“There is no way to tell,” Nephthys answered.

“What prophecy?” I asked, looking at each god in succession. They all looked reluctant to speak. When I glanced in Asten's direction, he gave a slight shrug.

“There is an ancient prophecy regarding chaos,” Ma'at explained. “It says that there will come a time when chaos reigns the cosmos. Harmony will be lost. Order will fragment. The power of the gods will be trapped in a spider's web. That is the time when the Liberator will appear. But she will not be able to save all that is lost. A great sacrifice will need to be made to bring the balance back. She will use a true name to swallow the sun and it will disappear forever.”

“And you're saying you think I'm this Liberator?”

“We don't know,” Nephthys said. “It's a very old prophecy. But Amon—”

“Yeah. I get it. He's imbued with the power of the sun. And I supposedly have his true name,” I said.

“If she did know Amon's true name, it would make all this much easier,” Anubis said.

“How so?” I folded my arms across my chest and frowned.

“You could use it to summon him. He would have no choice but to heed to your call.”

“I…I could do that?” I stammered. “That seems like an awful lot of power.”

“It is,” Osiris said. “As devoted as I am to my wife, I do not share my true name with her. It is a dangerous thing, for once another person knows, you are doubly vulnerable.”

“I would never do anything to hurt Amon,” I protested.

“Perhaps not willingly, dear,” Nephthys replied. “But there is a power in knowing and those who might wish to exploit that power would come after you.”

“Yes,” Ma'at said. “This knowledge must remain here, with us. That Lily is in possession of Amon's ren will never be uttered by any of us. Is it agreed?”

“Agreed,” each god said in turn. Ahmose and Asten also nodded.

“Very well,” the goddess of judgment continued. “Shall we finish this, then?” I could almost tell from her attitude that the remaining questions were superfluous. She'd already made her decision.

When Ma'at asked if we'd ever caused others to weep or caused broken hearts, I was unsurprised by Amon's answer, and mine was easy. My parents were more likely to have a broken heart over a waning stock portfolio than about me, but Tia's answer was surprising. She said, “I fear a lioness's heart is made of material too tough to love and perhaps too strong to break.” Her answer made me feel sad, especially knowing that was how she truly felt.

After a few more queries, Ma'at nodded. “This question is the most important of all. It is vital to be of a moral caliber strong enough to refrain from taking that which does not belong to you, just as it is to be truthful or to not cause physical harm, but it is the heart that speaks to the character of a soul.

“The three of you have a great concern and love for those around you. Even Amon, who admits that he ran away and wanted to hide from his duty, did so out of love for another. This wish is utterly human. It is not an evil thing to desire love and a connection with another person but a gift worthy of striving for. Each one of you spoke not of the desire to inflict your will upon others, to subjugate, or to intimidate, but of the sorrow of loss.”

The goddess sighed deeply and turned toward the scale. Placing her hands under each bowl, she closed her eyes and quietly chanted. When she opened them, she picked up the feather in one hand and the heart scarab in the other and approached the dais.