The people cried for my protection when my ancestors, lost in
the murk of yesteryear, prowled the banks of the great river, the deep azure
waters where crocodiles lurked. Rolling golden dunes held no sway for such as
me, the home of the hidden asp, that deadly harbinger of misfortune. I stalked
the wild ways, the sacred forests of ished and learned of eternal life and
destiny from its fruit.
Where my paws fell, the scorpion fled, the hawk and vulture
spurned their feast for I guarded the gates to the kingdom and the world. The
mighty sun god treasured me, his overseer, golden-eyed and fierce as storms.
Come into the safety I offer for I breath joy into your souls and fear into the
hidden things. That sound in the night?A creak of the stairs when the house
lies quiet, or the wind brushes soft against straining locks, the rustle of
something dark that scuttles. Each nook and cranny, the places where the imps
and pixies plan their mischief, they bid me welcome.
And they grovelled before me. Wreaths, festooned with
honeyed blooms, jasmine, papyrus and
blue lily, lay at my perfect feet. Offerings, those luscious sweetmeats of
seared fish and goat, exquisitely spiced, laid in silver bowls lined with
lapis, were bestowed to entice me from my fast. From my pelt-lined throne,
regal as a tiger, I surveyed everything through slitted eyes. Disdain ran
through me for the pitiful creatures whispering praises in my name.
Mafdet. My archaic epithet. Forgotten.
I am cat.
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