Chapter 44

The red-haired little girl's fingers flew across the keyboard as she greeted Inanna, "Have a seat. I've got three accounts running, so I'm a bit busy."

Seeing the water droplets on the beaded curtain playfully rolling along her arm like conscious spirits, Inanna felt she might have stumbled into an extraordinary place. Even with the advanced science of the twenty-first century, such a level of technology seemingly did not exist, and such sights still only belonged in science fiction movies. Therefore, instead of sitting down, Inanna stared at the little girl and asked, "Where is this?"

"You don't need to know," the little girl replied without lifting her head. "I'll send you back right away, or you'll die. Of course, you're pretty much battered to death by that group of foolish humans anyway."

Inanna's consciousness had been hazy for these past few days, but she still knew she had been suffering from a severe, unyielding high fever. "Then will I recover after I go back?"

At first, the little girl ignored her. After a rapid burst of clattering keystrokes, she finally looked up, her eyes holding a rather strange glimmer. "It's truly pathetic to see you so weak. You finally got what was coming to you. But once you return, everything will naturally be fine. There is actually a favor I need to ask of you, otherwise I wouldn't have bothered pulling you here through a spacetime black hole!"

Hearing these words, Inanna was greatly startled. She rushed forward, wanting to grab the little girl and demand an explanation, but she stopped abruptly just a step away from her. She clawed the air with her fingers, as if blocked by an invisible barrier, and could only watch as the little girl smiled at her. "Since Ereshkigal hasn't returned the item, you remain weak and powerless. If you fulfill the wish of the supreme god Marduk, the supreme god will naturally grant your wish."

This was a negotiation. Inanna automatically ignored the little girl's mystical mumblings and turned to the main point: "Who are you?"

"I am Kızılırmak," she said without raising her head, her eyes fixed solely on her computer screen. The dazzling cold light from the screen reflected on her face, revealing a ruthlessness starkly at odds with her age. "To put it simply, I am the Goddess of the Red River in the mouths of the Anatolians."

"You?" Inanna looked at the small figure, finding it rather unbelievable.

Kızılırmak said indifferently, "Believe it or not, I can send you home, as long as you accomplish one task."

This hit right at what Inanna wanted most. Without hesitation, she agreed, "Tell me, what do you want me to do?"

Kızılırmak abruptly turned the computer screen toward Inanna. Inanna looked closely and saw a gorgeous, dazzling interface, heart-stirring music, diverse and beautiful characters, and a side list box displaying all sorts of astonishingly expensive equipment. This... this was clearly a computer game!

Kızılırmak seemed a bit embarrassed and coughed. "I don't know how long ago it was, but the supreme god Marduk took a liking to 'The Sims'. Ever since he defeated the primordial mother goddess Tiamat and became the sole ruler of the cosmos, his life had lost all joy. So, taking his own form, he molded a human out of soil from the banks of the Red River and cast him onto the Anatolian plateau. But he didn't play for long before Ishtar's mother, the moon god Nanna, sought the supreme god's help regarding her daughter's descent into the underworld, and Marduk completely forgot about his little game."

Inanna listened in utter astonishment. Kızılırmak also seemed to feel this matter was truly too embarrassing to mention, so she spoke continuously, hoping to finish the story quickly.

"In just that brief moment, who knows how many spring and autumns have passed in the mortal realm?" Kızılırmak still refused to let go of her mouse, sparing Inanna only a begrudging, helpless glance. "By the time Marduk remembered, that puppet had already committed irreversible deeds. Not only did he teach the secrets of black iron from a meteorite to the Hittite people, but he also crossed three thousand years of time to hand steel over to the Hittites as well. Fortunately, the supreme god discovered this in time, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable; the entire mortal system would have collapsed due to the appearance of era-defining weapons."

Thinking of the black iron that allowed the Hittites to establish their foothold along the Great Green Sea, Inanna felt a cold shiver of lingering fear. "Then the Hittites were never meant to be so powerful..."

"Not quite so; the Hittites indeed possess national destiny," Kızılırmak said, treating the matter as none of her business with an extremely cold tone. "It's just that they obtained something they shouldn't have. Their originally thousand-year national destiny is now reduced to five hundred years. Because of this mistake made by the supreme god, if we were to intervene again and forcefully correct history, who knows what other deviations might arise. Since you happen to appear, and you are a mortal, you might as well do it for us. Consider it a tiny repayment for the thousands of years of worship the Anatolians have offered me."

Inanna tentatively asked, "The item you want me to take back—it wouldn't happen to be that piece of steel left by the prophet, the one embedded in the Golden Sun Disk, the royal treasure of the Hittites?"

Kızılırmak asked in surprise, "You even know about that? That couldn't be better. If the Hittites decipher the secret of that thing, their nation's demise won't be far off. You are different from before, making you the most suitable person to retrieve that item. Once you succeed, the Hittites can preserve their five-hundred-year national destiny, and you can go home. It's a win-win!"

"No, no," Inanna waved her hands. "You're speaking too fast. There are still some things I don't understand."

Feeling that the task was practically accomplished, Kızılırmak answered readily, "Ask away."

Inanna ticked off her fingers: "First question: my current identity makes it impossible to get close to the Golden Sun Disk. Will you give me any conveniences?"

"Regarding that item," Kızılırmak shook her head, "we cannot interfere, otherwise we wouldn't need you."

"Very well, the second question," Inanna did not hide her disappointment. "If I am here for a reason, what about that 'Daughter of the Nile' from Egypt?"

Kızılırmak seemed not to have anticipated this question. Hesitating for a moment, she said, "I suppose you don't remember the sun god Shamash either. A short while ago, he abandoned Taslital, the daughter of Namtar, the god of fate and death. Namtar is now exacting retribution upon the Egyptian king, the sun god's favorite. You should avoid it wherever you can."

So this was a father venting his anger on behalf of his daughter. The final question Inanna asked made Kızılırmak answer with considerable difficulty: "You are the Goddess of conservation of the Red River; didn't you realize that Anatolia's destiny was changing?"

Although Kızılırmak had a somewhat gloomy temper, she never lied. "Marduk instructed me to look after it when he left."

"Then why... didn't you notice?" Inanna asked with difficulty.

Kızılırmak turned her head away. "I was playing Zangji 3! I haven't even managed to get a full set of top-tier equipment yet! Alright, Inanna, you can go now! Oh, and a kindly reminder: Tammuz has come as well. When his lover was in distress, he wore a crown of evergreen leaves, played the six-stringed lyre, and frolicked with other maidens. Now he regrets it and has come pursuing you. Don't be soft-hearted. I see you aren't lacking for handsome youths around you either; open your heart and enjoy love."

Inanna only felt the water curtain being stirred by the wind once more. Multicolored mist surged up from the soles of her feet, wrapping her entire body within it and carrying her farther and farther away from this wondrous place.

She fell asleep again. In her dreams, she felt surrounded by water; the gentle sway of the waves made her feel as though she were sitting on a swing, yet a warm heat embraced her entire body, keeping her from drifting aimlessly with the current.

Seeing that her expression had returned to tranquility and her demeanor was serene, Izmir pulled the rope beside him, and several strong men briskly hauled the two of them back up.

After they had dried themselves and changed into fresh, clean clothes, Izmir stepped out of the cabin to find Luka and have him check whether Inanna's condition was completely fine, so that everyone could set off with peace of mind tomorrow.

To his surprise, General Hazzas was standing at the stern of the boat, triumphantly teasing Luka. Luka, only eighteen years old, was being teased so much by General Hazzas that he couldn't even raise his head.

"Hey, let me ask you," Hazzas stroked his tuft of a goatee, "what are you sneaking around doing at the stern of the boat?"

Figuring he had already been caught, Luka stopped hiding and showed General Hazzas the jasmine flower crown he was weaving in his hands. The small flowers were of a pure, understated color—dusty yellows and pale whites—that looked exceptionally charming in the crisp night air, bursting General Hazzas into laughter.

"You rascal," Hazzas patted Luka on the head, "just in the fleeting haste of this journey, you've already found yourself a little girl?"

Luka sheepishly rubbed the back of his head and straightened his crooked braid. His flushed cheeks couldn't be seen in the night, but from his trembling, joy-filled voice, General Hazzas seemed to catch a glimpse of his own youth. "Today when I entered the city of Amida, I asked the townspeople for some clean water. Um... that girl was standing under an apple tree, smiling at me. Her hair was very long, she was lovely, and her voice was crisper and sweeter than the fruit hanging on the trees. Later... later... she asked me to meet her at dusk."

General Hazzas feigned a kick at Luka. "You fellow, no wonder you disappeared somewhere around dinner time. Tell me, what did you go do?"

Luka nimbly sidestepped and honestly confessed, "General, when a girl is that direct, how could I refuse? Besides, she... well, well, I'll just be honest, women really are wonderful..."

Hazzas picked up the jasmine flower crown that had fallen onto the deck to examine it, the expression on his face purely mocking Luka for being inexperienced. "If you like her, after we return from Egypt, go ask for her hand in marriage. What's the use of making these things? Fortunately, the Prince is traveling light this time and hasn't leaked his identity; otherwise, I'd worry that this woman only has her eyes on your status as the Prince's personal attendant. That being said, the Prince will surely not treat you unfairly, and by then you can start a family in grand style. Confess honestly, you stinky brat, did you succeed?"

Luka snatched the flower crown back. "Tomorrow before I depart, I'll go see her one more time, give her this flower crown, and tell her to wait for me to return."

Only then did he answer with a hint of shyness and care, "The place where she asked to meet me happened to be right next to a haystack, so we rolled right into it... Ah, General, the evening air wasn't even cold. The two of us lay in the straw covered in sweat, the evening breeze blowing over us like that—holding each other was just wonderful."

A soft footstep sounded from behind. Hazzas turned around but saw no one. Suspiciously, he looked at Luka. "Was that person just now the Prince?"

Luka indicated that he hadn't seen clearly either, but offered to go check the cabin to see if the Prince needed him. However, General Hazzas grabbed him by the collar and told him not to stir up trouble for no reason.

Izmir returned to his room and looked at the person lying on the bed, safely and snugly tucked into the quilt. Her fever no longer seemed to distress her; her forehead was only slightly warm, and her dark hair had been half-dried by Luka, spreading out softly across the bedding just like her.

As for wiping her body and changing her clothes, Izmir had managed to muddle through it somehow. Yet Luka's words from just moments before made him realize that even the little slave by his side had grown up. But could that sort of thing really make someone break out in a good sweat?

When the moon was high in the center of the sky, Luka heard the Prince calling for him from inside the room to fetch a basin of water. General Hazzas stopped him and took the basin in himself to see the Prince.

There was a vague, ambiguous atmosphere in the room. Hazzas couldn't see Inanna's appearance clearly, but he did notice the somewhat hurried rise and fall of the quilt.

Hazzas asked Izmir, who was quietly washing his hands off to the side, "Your Highness, did you..."

Izmir seemed caught up in his own unfathomable thoughts, pausing blankly for a second before replying, "No, I didn't."

Hazzas smiled craftily. "No, Your Highness, I meant what are your intentions regarding Sukamumu?"

Knowing he had walked right into a trap, Izmir remained silent, realizing that saying more in front of Hazzas would only lead to more mistakes.

He reached out and took a belt hanging nearby. The belt was entirely unremarkable—the kind worn by commoners all over the streets—yet the way he weighed it in his hand suggested it had considerable heft.

Izmir pried a red rod-like object and two tiny, silvery-white flat objects out from the belt, holding them up before Hazzas's eyes.

Somewhat clumsily, he flipped open the tiny, silver-shining blade of the Swiss Army knife. Hazzas was struck dumb with astonishment. "This?"

"Not just these," Izmir carefully pulled out the bottle opener Inanna had once used to drill holes in mud bricks. "I only understand the functions of these two things. As for those two flat objects, I think Sukamumu will have to explain them herself."

General Hazzas's expression turned grave. "It seems Sukamumu is not purely a foreigner after all, Your Highness. Fortunately, you captured her and kept her by your side from the start. This girl harbors a multitude of secrets, but she might also prove immensely useful to our Hatti."

"Indeed," Izmir put the items back into the belt. "The reason Egypt managed to obtain the help of the Daughter of the Nile is simply because Menfuis made her willing to give it. However, his excessive leniency toward that woman is likely to bring more loss than gain. As for Sukamumu, we must make her serve Hatti with loyalty, but we must also keep a tight grip on her."

Izmir glanced at the person on the bed, rubbed his fingertips, and said, "The status of a slave is probably no longer appropriate."

Understanding his meaning, Hazzas said, "Once the ship docks, this old subject will take Sukamumu into my household. As for the rest—whether she becomes a slave or a concubine—it shall entirely be at Your Highness's pleasure."