The Memory Painter

Thoth turned around and was surprised to find himself face-to-face with Ptah, the High Priest of the temple. Thoth took a step back and bowed in respect.

The old man continued, “And a dear friend. I have been waiting for you to come.”

Thoth did not know what to say. Ptah was the most revered priest in all of Heliopolis. He had been alive for so long that no one even knew his age. Thoth could not imagine what he wanted with him.

The high priest had been staring at him with great intensity, and he appeared satisfied by what he saw. He motioned for Thoth to follow him with a gentle hand. “Come, the others are waiting,” he said and turned away. Thoth hesitated—what others, he wondered—but hurried after him.

Ptah led him to a hidden door behind the great altar and ushered him inside. They descended a stairwell that spiraled deep into the earth. Thoth thought of the maps Hermese had shown him and knew this must lead to the labyrinth under the city.

They walked through a maze of tunnels. Ptah opened another hidden door to an enormous room, with a ceiling so high Thoth’s eyes strained to see it. He saw a huge emblem on the wall and recognized it as the same one that his father had used to seal the scroll he’d sent to Hermese. Below the emblem stood an exquisite round table made from a giant acacia tree. Four people sat around it: two men and two women. Thoth recognized three of the faces.