Lion Head Mesa fourth

makono was only a child, but a far more ancient spirit inhabited her. senmut saw much of pharaoh in the girl, what little he had glimpsed of the ruler.

and there was something else in her attitude, a preternatural polish leant only by elegance on two sides. and that must be the gilded hand of the dead queen, gone before she could see what her daughter might become.

her gesture was imperious. those therein obeyed. senmut rolled out the soft white pelts to reveal the two golden blossoms, perfectly pressed. "the valleys of this world were made by the sacred hooves of the Apis Bull. He wears a white pelt and horns of gold. His feet too are gold, and he leaves it behind in His steps. the Apis Bull is He Who Crosses the Earth, and each autumn it is traditional to make a great sacrifice to Him."