The Curse in Her Blood

Chapter 14

Set

Her explanation is worthless.

She stole from the altar. She gave away what she had stolen to the less fortunate. Then enticed a riot that led to the looting of Osiris' temple.

She is chaos incarnate and I want to laugh. Except I can't because Osiris is livid and I can tell he wants to take his anger out on her.

"So... you're telling me... all of this happened because you wanted to feed a poor family?" Osiris asks her.

He's asked at least five variations of this question, I'm not sure what's throwing him for a loop here.

"Uhm... yes. They were hungry, and I mean... they're your people... what do you need all of that food for, if not for your people?"

"It is for US! For our offerings!"

"To the river?" she asks dryly. "Is there a river goddess I haven't met who like... never stops eating?"

"Only the food goes in the river. The rest stays here..."

"So it's like taxes? You make people who can't afford it give you all that they have for a blessing?" she asks and she is clearly not amused with this either. "You're their god aren't you supposed to just give them your blessing? I'm pretty sure that's like... your main job. And I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be done for free... because it's your purpose in life."

And Osiris doesn't like that.

Osiris has always liked being the center of attention, getting all the gifts and praise for being the sun god and the principle God King of the Upper kingdom. And he hates, absolutely loathes, being questioned the way my little fake Astarte is doing.

His nostrils flare but she doesn't back down.

She does, however, say: "I'm really sorry. I am. I didn't mean for this to happen. And I'm not trying to be disrespectful, I'm just trying to understand how things work down here."

Osiris is glaring at her now, he's getting dangerously close to her, and I find that I have moved. I am now standing beside her, not because I'm standing with her, but because I want to be ready to move in the way. To protect her from him.

"Down here, offerings are given in return for blessings. It is always how things have been done."

"Okay, alright, fair. But why?"

His eyes bug out and he shouts, in his regal godly voice: "BECAUSE THAT'S HOW THINGS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN DONE!"

Isis puts a hand out, to soothe her husband, beside me my mortal winces and then whispers: "That doesn't answer my question, but okay."

"This cannot stand. This blatant insubordination, this wanton... streak of stubborn evil..."

"She is hardly evil, Osiris," I find myself chiding, because he's really over reacting. He always got the most in offerings, she's probably right, he doesn't need what has been lost today. "She's simply confused. Things are different where she comes from, that's all. It was an honest mistake."

"A mistake that cannot go unpunished."

Oh here we go.

"Osiris, I think you're being a tad dramatic," Isis tells him, her voice soft as always. She's always been good at convincing her husband to be reasonable but Osiris seemingly as lost the ability to see any sort of reason.

He seems to stare at my mortal, who is staring back at him with those unwavering blue eyes of hers. She hasn't said anything but instead is waiting for her punishment to be levied. She seems altogether too calm.