Mara, Daughter of The Nile

Mara, the princess, and her retinue spend a full Egyptian week (10 days) in the Golden House in Thebes without once being summoned by the king or queen. Inanni feels insulted by the delay and is unnerved by her new surroundings, especially the animal-shaped furniture. Mara provides her with as much comfort and reassurance as she can but exults in the many luxuries of the palace, especially the novelty of being waited on by servants. One day, a movement of the room’s curtains cautions her that spies may be watching her, and she finds a honey cake in the room containing a piece of papyrus. On it is a message clearly intended for her, suggesting an evening walk with the princess in the “lotus garden.” However, Mara does not know which of her “masters”—Sheftu or the stone-faced man—has left the message. Strolling with Inanni on the roof terrace and surveying the palace grounds from above, Mara sees a garden with a lotus-shaped pool that she thinks must be the one meant by the message. Savoring the glorious view of Thebes and the Nile, Mara’s heart goes out to the homesick princess, who is repelled by the vast, dramatic spaces and crowded cities of Egypt.