He and Jacob then turned and marched toward the she-netjeri. The boys followed; one line behind Mikael, and the other behind Jacob. They snaked around the corners and up two sets of stairways that led to the upper temple. Seth stared at the reliefs and hieroglyphs of ancient worship and customs as his line passed into the inner chambers. They looped around the sixty foot walls, and walked through to the main hall. Mikael’s and Jacob’s line formed side by side and entered the two hypostyle halls. The five dozen or so papyrus-bud columns depicted the famous festival he had told Natti about; the killing of Osiris and the mutilation of his body; Set’s rise to power; his conquests during his reign; and finally his unjust fall into Duat.
As they emerged from the hall, the ceiling lofted and opened to a large group of Sons gathered in the sunken court. Sean stood at the edge of the hall staring down at his followers. To his left stood a pillar with a bowl of date wine, and before him laid an open sarcophagus made of cedar and embellished with ivory, gold, and silver. The cover rested beside it, decorated with vibrant paintings of the gods.
The boys fanned out behind the hem-netjer, taking their positions before the columns and in front of the crowd below. They once again fell to one knee and placed their fists over their hearts, this time bowing their heads low when Sean turned to them. Seth watched his father’s feet slowly pace along the young men, and then finally coming to a stop before him. Not daring to raise his eyes to his father, he lowered his head even farther. Sean moved away, his heels turning toward Seth.
“Today,” Sean’s voice echoed throughout the temple, “is the day we pay homage to Set! We honor him and his work! For on this day, he threw a feast! A feast that would become his brother’s undoing! On this day, Set brought forth an elaborate box! One that would only fit Osiris, the King of Egypt, and would, therefore, become his death bed when the lid slammed shut! Set had killed his brother, another god! And with his power, he even destroyed Osiris’s body! An impossible task, yet Set had done it! He had torn the body apart!
“And for this, we honor you, O Set, with public festivities and the offering of these twelve young men into your services. Now of age, let them stand after this day as true Sons of Set and your loyal worshipers, for they were once your disciples, students who learned from your teachings. Darkness and chaos is in their souls. I, their hem-netjer, call upon your blessings of these young men and ask you to guide them. For you, O Set, are their one true leader.”
Sean turned to face the group of boys before him. “Arise!”
The disciples stood up, being sure to keep their gaze on the floor before them. Seth, however, kept sneaking glances, his eyes landing on his brethren and friends, his father, and the open sarcophagus. Fear stirred at the very core of his soul.
“Each of you will lie inside the chest. And as you do, you will willingly give yourself and your soul to our god. When you rise, you will arise as a Son of Set, a member of this society. With this oath, you will honor your duties to this society, our teachings guiding you in your actions. You will spread chaos in everyday lives around you, destroy our enemies, and witness the rising of our god, Set, which approaches us sooner than you may realize.” Seth raised his head higher when he heard his father’s words. A mischievous grin spread on Sean’s face, and he turned to the crowd. “For news from London has proven hopeful! An original Secret Keeper has been killed! But before her death she has revealed there is one last keeper, one last child that carries the sacred feather! Our time to strike is at hand, and you, my brethren, will play an important part in this quest!”
Seth pictured himself taking hold of the sacred dagger and cutting out the Secret Keeper’s heart. He craved to feel the warmth of her blood and have her heart take its last beat in his hand. The beast snarled with excitement.
“However,” Seth was snapped from his fantasy when his father continued, “one here will fit the sarcophagus exactly, one who has been laid in question whether he truly is worthy of becoming a Son. He will be tested, closed inside for two minutes. If that man can lay in rest for that long inside, he will prove his worth and arise as a Son of Set. Yet if he fails, he will be sealed inside to die.” Sean’s eyes flashed to Seth. “For there is no room in our world for the weak.”
A prickling sensation crossed Seth’s entire body, his lungs collapsing. O Set, don’t let it be me, Seth prayed, his claustrophobia already taking hold. Don’t let it be me.
“Step forward,” Sean called to the young men, “and prove your worth!”
Seth held back while all the other boys looked at each other to see who would go first. A Norm strode forward and stood before the sarcophagus.
“I, Lucius Hornfelt, pledge my soul to Set! May I prove worthy!”
He lowered himself into the sarcophagus, several inches shorter than the curved outline and much thinner. Sean nodded with a sneer, and Lucius raised himself up. He approached Sean, grasped the bowl of wine, and took a sip. Sean muttered an ancient prayer, and the boy’s head was thrown back. He swayed in a dizzy spell. His eyes now empty and distance. Sean patted the boy and called forth Mikael to guide him to his rightful place on the stage.