long full sleeves, and asking me again and again to raise my arms and to walk as they did their work.
"I stood before a mirror. I saw myself and I looked like the god.
I saw the god.
" 'You are the god!' said a young priest to me. 'You are our god and we will serve you forever. Smile on me, Lord God Marduk, please.'
" 'Do it,' said Asenath. 'You see, the enamel must not harden too fast. We can't have it become brittle. And each time it does become too hard, the priests will add more to that place so that you can move the muscle. Smile, open your eyes and close them, that's right, my beautiful boy. That's right. Do you hear that noise?'
" 'It sounds like the entire city roaring,' I said. I heard the trumpets too, but I didn't speak of that.
" 'I am dizzy!' I said.
" 'We will hold you,' said the young priest. 'Cyrus himself will hold you, your attendants will hold you. Remember, take his hand, hold his hand. Turn to him often, and kiss him. The little gold from your lips will not harm his skin. You must do it.'
"Within seconds we were high on the wagon, and all around me I saw the layers of flowers-every fine flower that can be grown inside or out in Babylonia, and flowers brought in from places far away, the blooms of Egypt and southern islands.
"We were in a war chariot atop this wagon, but the chariot's wheels were fixed, and the attendants stood lower and behind us, and holding me firmly by the waist. And one on the side held me also by the waist. And Cyrus mounted the chariot.
"Screams and cries came from everywhere. The gates had been open all the time. The people flooded in. The Procession had begun. I blinked. I tried to see. I saw the petals flying through the air, pink and red and white, and I smelled the incense rising. I looked down, feeling a stifmess in my neck and I saw all the priesthood and all the women of the temple prostrating themselves on the great tiled floor of the courtyard. The white mules began their slow march forward.
"In a daze I turned and looked at the King! How splendid and beautiful he looked.
"Just as we passed through the gates, there came the loudest shrieks and cries. The Hebrews were on the rooftops. I looked. It was a haze. But I could hear them singing the psalms of Zion. The faces were small and distant.
"The wagon picked up speed, as much speed as a giant wagon can get, which is not much, but we were rolling steadily, you might say, and I held to the edge of the chariot with one hand, letting my golden fingers curve around it, and then I reached out as if by instinct, for no one told me, and I put my hand into Cyrus's hand and gave him the first kiss.
"The crowd was in ecstasy. Every house along the Processional Way seemed a living thing in itself, with life screaming from its windows and its roof, and life pressed up against its door, and in every side street people sang and waved palms and again and again I heard the Hebrew music. The Hebrew music followed us.
"I don't remember when we crossed the great canal, though I think I did see the dazzle of the water. The attendants were holding me firmly and telling me harshly to be strong.
" 'You are my god, Marduk,' said Cyrus. 'Bear with them, they are fools. Hold my hand, my god. For now, we are King and god and no one can deny it.'
"I smiled, and again I bent forward to kiss his cheek and again the screams of joy surged through the crowd. We were approaching the river. We would now be placed in the boat, and taken to the House of the Ordeal with Tiamat, the god's great battle with chaos. And what would that be?
"I was as one so drunk it simply didn't matter. I could feel the gold hardening all over me. And I could feel it caressing me as they said it would. I had anchored my feet fairly well at last and the attendants had their grip, and Cyrus's living hand held warm and tight to mine, and he waved and bowed and shouted a thousand greetings to the eager citizens of Babylon.