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From: The Storyteller
Date: 06 Jun 2000
Time: 07:59:30
A long, darkened hallway was filled only with the soft patter of immaterial footsteps that ended up coming to a respectful halt. A second's silence allowed for a short bow.
"My Lord. One of the Shemsu-heru has been admitted into the presence of our king Osiris, scarcely an hour ago."
"That is acceptable."
"She... is believed to have touched him. The guards you placed did not think it wise to stop her, despite their doubts they felt they had to assume..."
"That is correct."
A few seconds of silence passed again.
"And who was she?"
"She presented herself as Amemshehu, Vizier and Sorceress."
Soft laughter followed.
"Yes, that sounds about right. She is still insistent on her particular form of worship, I see. Let the sentinels know she is to be extended every courtesy."
"Yes, my Lord."
"Also... her current cycle of death has only just begun. She is not noted for extended stays in our city, but have her followed nonetheless. Try to discover where she is staying, if she has word from the Skinlands, and if she has acquired skills that could be of use to us."
"Yes, my Lord. I'll get right on it."
"Good. Now go."
The nearly inaudible footsteps resumed.
The guardians outside the stepped ivory pyramid all shifted to a ready position, slightly jumpy, as the skull-faced messenger approached them from below, deftly climbing the massive steps. As he reached them, he exchanged a few sentences with the black-clad captain followed by the required nods. The face of the grim sentinel did not look satisfied, his hood tossed back to reveal a head covered in what looked like jagged scar tissue. The messenger departed as quickly as he came, disappearing on the ground below towards the River of Life.
The captain waved his guards back in position without words, their discipline unfaltering. Their duty was the most important imaginable. He felt himself hating the Reborn woman inside for a second, before walking through the gate and into the main chamber where he saw her, back turned facing the Beautiful One on his throne. He watched as she spoke, and as she gathered her cloak and eventually walked out the way she came. The other guards watched her as well, as she left them to the palace-tomb and its eternal funereal silence.