Chapter Eleven

Driven by the desperate need to survive, Inanna was forced to repeat her ruse that evening. Luka, who was on night watch, kept his eyes wide open, not daring to miss a single moment.

However, there was no golden light or divine oracle as described in legends. He only saw water droplets appear out of thin air on that strange, thin membrane, which then slowly trickled into the clay pot.

The next day, sporting dark circles under his eyes, he reported the matter truthfully to the Prince, presented the thin item, and summoned Inanna for questioning.

Inanna had lost her shoes, and the desert under the scorching sun was like a furnace, hot enough to scald one’s soles. Out of an inexplicable sense of awe, Luka had let her ride a camel. By the end of the day, she looked well enough to be brought before the Prince for questioning.

When she finished packing her sleeping mat and entered the tent, she saw the Prince holding that thin film, raising it above his head and inspecting it with intense focus. Inanna’s face twitched, and she silently knelt to the side, waiting to be addressed.

As expected, the Prince asked, "What is this?"

He extended his hand toward her, palm open. The object lay quietly on his hand; as the morning sun shone through it, the film shimmered with a golden luster, looking truly like a miracle from the heavens.

Inanna’s mind raced, trying to formulate a reasonable explanation. She certainly couldn't tell the truth. How could she tell them that this was something men used to cover their equipment? That would be equivalent to telling the Prince that the water they drank that morning was essentially bathwater from a man’s private parts!

She couldn't help but let her gaze drift toward the Prince’s crotch, but unfortunately, his robes were too thick to discern anything.

A sudden inspiration struck her. She turned toward the sun, knelt deeply, and then pointed at the clothes she was wearing, making "wuwu" sounds as if she were offering an urgent explanation.

Observing her behavior, the Prince guessed, "Are you saying this is a miracle from the Sun God? Is it a divine garment from the deity?"

Inanna wished for nothing more than for the Prince to fill in the blanks himself. Since that was what he thought, she nodded vigorously.

She never expected the Prince to treat it with such reverence. She heard him consult with General Hazzas, "According to the map, we will reach the final oasis in two days. Such a precious item must be kept securely. After I ask Master Rabalu to confirm it is harmless, I will take it back to present to my father, the King."

Inanna’s face twitched again upon hearing this. As a prince, presenting a condom to his own father—was he trying to warn his father to stop sowing seeds everywhere and threatening his own status as the sole heir?

Naturally, Inanna could not tell the truth; she couldn't even speak.

When Inanna climbed back onto the camel, she casually reached into her luggage bag, pulled out her small knife and the remaining condoms, and tied them tightly into her waistband.

By the next time they stopped to rest, Luka had untied her small bag and delivered it into the Prince’s tent, and it was never returned.

Inanna knew that after losing her shoes, she had now lost a coat, a pair of trousers, a vest, and her undergarments. Thinking of several men inspecting her clothes—which hadn't been washed in a long time and likely carried a strange odor—she couldn't even bring herself to feel sad. She simply pulled her sun-shielding wrap over her face, wishing to be invisible.

Perhaps due to the shame ingrained in the descendants of the Middle Kingdom, Luka noticed that Inanna had become much more docile for the remainder of the journey. He couldn't help but secretly delight, wondering if the slave girl had finally come to her senses.

But there are indeed wise men in this world. When Inanna met Master Rabalu in the Cedar Forest of Lebanon, even if she wasn't intimidated by his long white beard, she was captivated by his aged, wise eyes.

She was not the only one to lose her composure. The Prince, who had been dignified and cold throughout the journey, looked like a child meeting a loved one; he stepped forward excitedly to support the old man. The two sat on chairs made of tree stumps inside the wooden cabin and greeted each other warmly: "Master, I have not seen you for a long time. I knew you were writing the *Book of Truth*, so I did not dare to disturb you rashly. Yet, you chose to settle in this desolate place, and I am deeply worried."

Rabalu stroked his beard and laughed, "Izmir, if I seek the truth, it is the same everywhere. If you miss your teacher, distance is not an issue. Are you not here now?"

Inanna muttered to herself that the old man spoke in a truly mystical way, while she was unwillingly pushed into the cabin by Luka. Luka then opened a hard, ornate cedar box and placed it before Master Rabalu.

"This is?" Rabalu looked at the thin object in the box and looked up to ask Izmir.

The Prince pointed to Inanna, who was standing nearby, and said, "This is a slave I captured in the valley where the Red River flows. She is not like anyone from our country or any nation across the Great Green Sea, and she carried this treasure that can conjure water in the desert. You once told me legends of the easternmost countries, and I suspect this slave and the object in this box are related to that mysterious eastern land."

Rabalu examined Inanna and the object in the box carefully before answering cautiously, "Years ago, I traveled from the Sinai Peninsula eastward, crossing the vast, boundless desert (the Arabian Desert) to reach the Kingdom of Harappa. That is the furthest I have ever been. Further east, there are only two paths: one is an impossibly high mountain range, and the other is a treacherous path of venomous ants and snakes. I had to give up; everything else was based on the accounts of scholars from Harappa. As for seeing it with my own eyes, I fear my judgment may not be reliable."

Rabalu thought for a moment, then turned to Inanna and said, "I will ask you a few questions. Since you cannot speak, just nod or shake your head. Are you from the easternmost country? Further than the Kingdom of Harappa?"

Inanna didn't know what the Kingdom of Harappa was—even in India at this time, Brahminism hadn't even sprouted! But China was indeed in East Asia, near the Pacific Ocean, so she nodded correctly.

Rabalu asked again, "Why did you come here?"

It was difficult to express this clearly, as Inanna herself didn't know. She looked at the old man with watery eyes, appearing pitiful and weak. Master Rabalu sighed, "The answer is quite obvious. Who would willingly leave their homeland for a place they might never be able to return to? I fear this girl did not become a slave of her own volition."

Thinking of the brand on her lower back, Inanna felt she had met a kindred spirit, but she dared not show even a flicker of joy, for fear that the Prince would deal with her.

Master Rabalu then asked the last question: "Is this a divine object?"

Inanna hesitated for a moment before nodding, but she made a gesture, clutching her own throat and pointing at the box, indicating that it only worked when water was scarce. The Prince nodded as well, "Since leaving the desert, this divine object has no longer been effective, so I have dismissed the idea of offering it to my father."

"Caution is of the utmost importance," Master Rabalu praised. "Izmir, remember that you are, after all, the King's son. You must uphold the etiquette between ruler and subject, and maintain the bond between father and son. This is the way to long-term stability."

Izmir knew that Master Rabalu’s words were reasonable, but at the thought of his crude, tyrannical, and lecherous father, he felt a surge of revulsion. His reaction was not lost on Master Rabalu, who knew that the Prince was not yet sophisticated or mature in political matters. Yet, this might not be a bad thing; if Izmir ever learned to flatter his father hypocritically, he would only invite suspicion.

He did not point this out; when Izmir wasn't ready, preaching was useless. Rabalu turned to ask, "Why have you traveled so far this time? Apart from the years you spent studying with me, I remember you have already planted spies in various nations and rarely put yourself in danger."

"It was my mother's request. I am her only son, and I cannot stay away from her sight forever. My father cannot comfort her heart, so I, as her son, must provide her with solace from time to time," Izmir replied directly, bypassing the details. "Several months ago, Mitamun was sent by my father as an envoy to Egypt to congratulate Menes on his ascension."

Rabalu understood, "They are of a similar age. It seems the King wishes for Princess Mitamun to sit on the throne as the Queen of Egypt, turning a formidable enemy across the Great Green Sea into an ally. King Menes is also a youthful king known throughout the nations; it can be considered a good match for Princess Mitamun."

"A good match..." Izmir savored the phrase, and a trace of sorrow welled up in his heart. "Master, Mitamun has been missing for a long time."

"This..." Master Rabalu stood up in surprise and paced to the window. "This is not right. It is impossible for Egypt to harm Princess Mitamun. Ever since the sinner Dai-Ili killed the former King of Egypt, although Nubia was in the wrong, Egypt is merely asserting its rights now and cannot afford a falling out. The power of the Egyptian temples is also exceptionally strong, almost rivaling the Pharaoh. Menes has just ascended the throne, his internal governance is unstable, and external threats have not been eliminated. He does not have the audacity to act against Princess Mitamun."

Prince Izmir agreed deeply, "Master, it is precisely because this matter is too suspicious that I must investigate it personally. To be honest, our country has sent envoys with state letters to Egypt several times to inquire about Mitamun’s whereabouts. But Egypt's response has always been that Mitamun left long ago. As the inquiries increased, Egypt’s attitude began to grow dismissive and displeased. As her brother, I must do everything in my power to find my sister."

Izmir had been a sensible, gentle, and steady young man since childhood, which was why Master Rabalu had taken him as a disciple when he saved him at the Red River. Izmir had never disappointed him, and such a future monarch would be a great blessing for the Hittite Empire.

Rabalu was quite gratified, "Izmir, you must do your best on this journey. However, I have observed the stars at night, and Venus has faintly risen; I fear there will be twists and turns of war ahead. For the sake of the people, it would be best to avoid it."

Regarding state affairs, Izmir had his own ideas. Master Rabalu was a scholar who often thought in terms of peace and benevolence. But the Hittites, an iron-blooded nation that maintained a standing army of 300,000 and galloped on horseback, were never afraid of war. Besides, such major matters were for the Hittite King to decide, and Izmir could only obey.

However, he still promised to put his teacher’s mind at ease, "Master, since Venus has risen, the Goddess Ishtar will protect our country."