Kingdom Of The Sphinx

Chapter 4: Darkest of Days

The first year, wasn't so bad.  

    I mean, without the Sphinx's blessings things did get pretty serious.  Where the fields would normally be irrigated by the overflowing of the sacred River, there was no overflowing this year.  Ponies tried their best to irrigate the fields themselves with buckets and vats, but when harvesting season came the fields looked anemic, and shriveled.  The fruit from the trees still grew, but where just last year the dates, apples, pears and pomegranates where big, juicy and perfect, this year they all seemed small, bruised and tasteless.  Bugs, mice and locusts came, gnawing at our feeble crops, and we had no idea how to fight them off. Even my hives produced poorly, and several of my newer colonies collapsed totally. While we where all sure we could squirrel enough away for the double offering the Sphinx demanded, there wasn't a lot left over for us.

     In anticipation of some kind of disaster, The Pharaoh and several of the high temple officials had stockpiled corn, wheat, vats of pickled vegetables and assorted other emergency staples.  So as I mentioned, this year wasn't so bad. The Palace and the temple distributed the food to those that needed it, so that the Sphinx's offering could be gathered. The first year of Jasmine and I's marriage was bliss of course, even if we had to spend every meal figuring out how to turn pickled corn, barley and dried rice into a filling meal.  No more sweet cakes, no more spicy pasta, even the breweries had a shortage of beer, but we would not go hungry.

     Still, our home was a place of joy.  On temple days, Jasmine and I would have modest dinners for guests.  Bomani, Hisan, and friends and family would gather in our parlor and while the food wasn't as rich or flavorful as we were used to, it was by far the best days of my life.  We honestly thought we were going through the worst of it, the topic often came up. Bomani was always silent about it, thinking he was the one who brought down the wrath of the Sphinx on us.  Even after we lamented our troubles, we all concluded that the Sphinx would reward us for doubling the offering. We were all so confident that this little dry spell would be over soon. Bomani never talked about it, but he seemed to know better.

     Offering day came again, and there was little left for a feast.  We made bread, and vats of rice with butter. There was joy everywhere, we where convinced that after we presented the gifts to the Sphinx she would tell us Bomani was forgiven and all would be made well.  Bomani for his part, didn't say anything. He just sat at the table across from Jasmine and I, looking like he was right on the edge of crying up until the moment the Sphinx came.

    The Sphinx landed, and the Pharaoh came to greet her but just as before the Sphinx seemed to want to get right down to business.  

"Pharaoh, I see you have doubled my offering as ordered." She said before the Pharaoh could speak.

"Yes, yes we have." The Pharaoh said.

"How did you do this and still have food for yourself?"

The Pharaoh looked confused for a moment then spoke out. "Years ago the Temple and I, along with a few nobles who where experts on agriculture stored staple foods that could feed the kingdom in times of crisis."

"What of the fields?"

"We. . . Have had trouble growing enough food just for your offering, great Sphinx." The Pharaoh said.

"So your fields are not producing enough to feed your people?"

"No, Great Sphinx.  Without your blessing how would we grow such abundance?"

The Sphinx looked down, disappointed.  "Pharaoh, have I not given you wisdom on the rotation of crops, irrigation, fertilization?"

"Yes great Sphinx, but-"