The Nile rushed towards the sea. It was hot and humid. The air was heavy, difficult to breath. Most were on one side of Ahmose's vessel, standing on its multiple decks, entertained by King Aeëtes attempts to ride on his golden, flying ram.
He fell time and time again: sometimes on the sand, others on the water and a time or two on the hard ground. It was an exercise of persistence and futility.
Meanwhile, servants moved constantly through the ship, distributing food and wine to all onboard. From the portholes at the lowest deck, ebony oars decorated with gold, propelled the vessel in perfect cadence.
King Minos was on the opposite side of the vessel's uppermost deck, alone. His mind was far away. Not even the occasional surfacing of his dolphins moved him. It is finally my time. No one to speak for me or to tell me what to do. True king at last."
"True King indeed!"
Minos, startled, looked to his left and saw a familiar face. A woman with glistening skin dressed in a purple peplos, its fabric billowing in the wind. "Ate, you're back," he acknowledged dejectedly. "I haven't seen you in a long time. Not long enough though."
"Is that a way to treat an old friend?"
"You're no friend. You are a spirit. One I'd rather left me alone."
"You've been busy, getting rid of your brothers. That was a bold step for you."
Minos kept quiet, as if wanting to ignore the unwanted presence.
"My dear, do you think getting rid of all those who stand in front of you will make the Keiftu welcome you? Look at you?! You are different. You know what happens to those who look different."
Belts squeezing my waist, Minos thought. I could never breathe. I hated them.
"Those silly bee-like wastes your people obsessed about..."
They thought I could never do anything.
"You are lying to yourself, aren't you?"
My brothers...
There you go! Ate's thoughts sipped into Minos' head like thick smoke into lungs desperate for air. You could never be like your brothers. They were loved, admired, handsome, strong, and wise.
I was less than a shadow.
And now that you've eclipsed the suns that shone over you, you are not even that. The memory of Sarpedon and Rhadamanthus will persist, leaving no room for you-"
"Minos!" Ahmose yelled, breaking the trance the Keiftu King was in.
Ate's image dissipated from Minos' mind as a harmless, translucent, purplish mist.
"We are here!" Ahmose said enthusiastically.
At Avaris, the Pharaoh's guests were still talking of the death of the Keiftu brothers. However, their attention was quickly drawn when they saw King Aeëtes and his golden, flying ram.
The Colchian King managed to stay on top of the creature by holding on to the animal's golden fleece as it soared through the sky.
Pharaoh Khamudi hastily approached Ahmose's docking ship. His guards made way for him as he ignored the ruckus that surrounded him. The ruler of Egypt was concerned of what might King Minos do, upon receiving news of his brothers' death.
"King Minos, a most horrible event has happened!" the Pharaoh's shaken voice cut through the chatter while boarding the ship accompanied by his escort.
"I'm aware," Minos replied.
"You are?" Khamudi's eyebrows narrowed. "How? We've been trying to reach you for days."
"The Gods always keep me informed of all things that concern me."
"The Gods?"
King Minos walked past the Pharaoh, ignoring him completely.
Khamudi frowned at the Keiftu King, trying to engage with him in conversation. He saw Minos disembark, leaving him behind.
King Minos walked up to his people, the Keiftu that had accompanied his brothers to Egypt. He saw concern, grief, and disbelief in their eyes. Once with them, they surrounded him, waiting for his words. "The Gods spoke to me-"
The Keiftu muttered among themselves.
"I know you are all concern as to what is going to happen next. Yet we have greater concerns than that of the loss of my brothers. Knossos was ravaged by a quake."
"The Gods punish us for the death of The Wise and The Just!" One yelled.
"We should have never left them alone!" Another one followed, as the Keiftu guilt spread in increasingly restless rumble.
"The Gods are not punishing us," Minos assured. "The Fates decided and now we must move on. We need unite and forge ahead."
"But what will we do without Sarpedon and Rhadamanthus?" a third Keiftu asked.
Minos shepherded his men away from the rest of the crowd. Resolute, he asserted, "We don't need my brothers-"
"They ruled while you were away," a voice from the crowd said.
"And I am here now!" His loud voice toned down the ruckus around him. "They did my bidding while I was away."
"Where were you?"
"Do you all remember the contest? It was I whom The Gods appointed as your King. I spent the last three winters in the company of the Gods. Believe me when I tell you that I have seen and learned a lot of things. I am here now because the Gods brought me here, to be with you in this time of need. My brothers now roam through the Elysium fields and I am telling you now wemust not waste days in mourning. Our land needs us more than ever."
"They were killed!" A few yelled.
"Sarpedon was killed by hippos not by men. There were witnesses." Minos impatience was beginning to surface."
"What about Rhadamanthus?"
"Where is his body?!" Minos snapped. "If he was killed, then where is his body, his blood? Why would anyone want him killed?"
The muttering resumed.
"He loved his brother and his loss was too much for him to bear. There were witnesses. People saw him jump to the crocodile infested water."
"No Keiftu saw it!"
King Minos approached the man who yelled last. He placed his hand on his shoulder and squeezed it. "No Keiftu saw Sarpedon die either," he said in a lower tone of voice. "I know you are nervous. We all are. Back home, everyone is in need. There was a quake and Knossos is in ruins."
The crowd erupted with questions, as if suddenly realizing what Minos was saying.
"The Gods told me," Minos continued. "A lot of work is ahead of us. We can't afford to cast doubt on the past. What's done is done. Let the Gods sort it out. We have great sacrifices to make, but we will not be in need. The Gods showed me our gilded future." He pointed to the sky as Aeëtes flew away on his golden ram.
The conversation between King Minos and his people continued as they walked away from the port.
Pharaoh Khamudi and his group followed. "Do you think he'll honor his brothers' agreements?" He asked a woman who was part of his escort.
"He was here while you reached agreements with his brothers," she answered. "You hadn't talked to him until now. He might have felt disrespected, being ignored."
"I must talk with him, ensure all is well."
"Give him some time my Pharaoh. King Minos needs to sort things out with his people."
#
Night arrived and Avaris was still buzzing with the unfolding events. Aeëtes was resting his sore body. Minos sat by a bench near the entrance of Avaris main palace. He was deep in thought, concerned and confident, hesitant yet eager to move forward. Then, there were his brothers. Why do I keep thinking about them!
Ahmose approached him accompanied by a man who carried a few scrolls. "Minos, this is the architect I told you about, Daedalus."
Daedalus was a balding, middle-aged man, rather short and stalky. He wore a simple, white chiton that fell down to his knees. He greeted King Minos.
"I must go now," Ahmose told Minos. "There are a lot of things I must gather before you leave."
"Indeed, you do," Minos asserted. As the Egyptian left them, Minos invited Daedalus to sit by him. "You are a long way from Athens."
"No better place than Egypt for a builder to home in his craft."
Minos smiled and replied, "I can see that. Ahmose tells me you are proficient in your craft."
The Athenian sat by the King, placed all the scrolls on the floor except one. He unrolled it on his lap. "These are my drawings for you to see. This is a temple. Notice the high ceiling to accommodate a larger than life statue. The surrounding walls ensure-"
"It's a monolithic structure," Minos interrupted.
"Of course." Rattled, he tossed the scroll to the side and picked up another one. "This is a giant stand-alone column ending in a cone-"
"A rounded obelisk."
"I've got another-"
"Daedalus, stop," Minos said. "You don't have to show me anything. I trust Ahmose, and your drawings look fine. I can see your training and it is well suited for Egyptians."
"I don't understand."
"I need your knowledge of stone, wood, mortar and brick. How to put them all together. What your drawings tell me is that all you see is Egypt and Athens. We are neither. Wait until we arrive to Khaptirus. There, explore and study. Then you can make new drawings and show them to me. Until you do that, you are wasting your time."
"Is there good stone in Khaptirus?"
"We have mountains of it. If it isn't enough, we can get whatever stone you want from wherever it might be."
"What about slaves?"
Minos chuckled. "We don't enslave anyone, at least not unwillingly. People will work for us because they want to. They will be paid and fed. You will have strong and healthy labor."
"You must hold unlimited wealth."
Minos looked at him with a grim and replied, "Mountains of it. Just one thing," his faced turned serious. "Make sure there are no pyramids, or temples in your new drawings."
"I understand," Daedalus leaned to the side and picked up his scrolls. I'll figure it out once I'm there. "I do have one request."
Minos raised his eyebrows.
"A roomy house for my two sons and me."
"No wife?"
"She's no longer with us. She did not want to leave Athens; thus, we have separate lives now."
"I see. Do you foresee any inconvenience from your sons? Will they accept moving to Knossos with you?"
"Iapyx and Icarus will do as they are told," the Athenian affirmed.