the seventh stone, the necklace becomes your amulet."
Had her great queen gone mad? What the hell was jewelry at a time like this? Truthfully, she'd no idea how rare a dragon's pearl was, nor was she really all that interested in fine gems. The point was the information that it spewed.
"That's what told me everything, Great Queen," Damali said, tempering her tone.
Aset nodded arid placed the pearl back into Damali's fist. "I am aware of that which you speak. It is a delicate matter, however, one that requires the most skilled levels of detent."
The queen swept over to a long, alabaster bench and bid Damali to sit down with a slight pat of her hand on the seat beside her. For a moment. Damali didn't move. The great queen would allow her to sit next to her? On a bench. Like they were girls?
Aset smiled warmly, sensing Damali's awe. Her gorgeous dark eyes held tender excitement as though she were about to burst with pride. Yet, even caught off guard and clearly relaxing in her sanctuary, this royal beauty exuded such dignity that her simple gesture of offering a seat was hard for Damali to fathom.
She stood there immobilized, staring at Aset's flowing, sheer gold gown that practically made her flawless ebony skin shimmer. The entire bedchamber was laden with gold. The huge Egyptian white marble columns terminated in the fine metal. Gold friezes in ancient hieroglyphics littered the walls, a gold vanity, and a luxurious chaise lounge.
Damali's gaze took a quick sweep of Aset's haven; even the bed was made of the substance, replete with lush silks, glistening sheer drapes, and a profusion of pillows made from fabrics of the same hue. Oddly, for an instant, it reminded her of Cain's lair... especially the veritable garden of palm plants and the placid, still pool. But this bath had a silver surface, much like that of a looking glass. Damali glimpsed into it as she began walking, cringed and stopped.
She was sandy, dirty, had been in battle, had argued, and hadn't taken a shower since she'd gone to Eve. Her entire white-pants- and-blouse ensemble was ripped, stained, and ragged. How could she even stand in front of Aset, much less sit beside her great queen?
"Daughter, please, dispense with formalities. Come sit and tell me all."
Damali went to Aset and complied, talking a mile a minute. After a half-hour of breathless monologue told in a series of stop-start non-sequiturs, Damali inhaled and wrapped her arms about herself.
"So, that's what happened." Damali felt like she would jump out of her skin as she waited for the great queen to respond.
"I see," Aset said calmly and stood.
Damali stared behind her. I see? What did that mean?
"We must call in Nefertiti and Nzinga on this matter," Aset replied-answering Damali's thoughts without even needing to do a mind lock.
"You were right to call me privately, and not the council at large, as my dear sister Queen Eve cannot be impartial on this grave matter."
Damali audibly released her breath. Total relief almost made her keel over. Aset wasn't angry, but was going to work on the problem. Thank you, God.
The great queen became still and pressed both of her palms together before her heart, elbows bent so that her forearms were perfectly horizontal to her breasts. She murmured something quietly that Damali couldn't hear, and within moments her palms glowed violet, then Nefertiti calmly strode into the room from the veranda, trailing a long, sheer silver gown. Nzinga followed her wearing a long copper-hued robe. Each queen bowed slightly and then peered at Aset with great concern. "We have a situation, Queen Sisters," Aset replied, and then simply placed one hand on each of their shoulders until their eyes widened.
Nefertiti swept away from Aset with her hand pressed against her stomach and looked at Damali. "Dear, dear daughter, we shall rectify this."
"I say make quick work of it," Nzinga replied, her gaze filled with blazing fury. She materialized a battleaxe into her hand. "Go in, grab the Caduceus, and then cut his balls off for even attempting to rob you. Then there's no issue of his siring anything."
Damali was on her feet.
"Patience," Aset said, shaking her head. "Nzinga, this must be delicate. We would not want to breed dissention at the Neteru Queens' Council. I have asked you here to provide battle tactics once Damali leaves Nod, but Nefertiti is here to help her with an entry strategy and diplomatic exit. If we play this right,