Read Shadows on the Aegean Online
Authors: Suzanne Frank
Shadows on the Aegean
Reflections in the Nile
Copyright © 1998 by J. Suzanne Frank
All rights reserved.
Warner Books, Inc.,
Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10017
Visit our website at
www.HachetteBookGroup.com
First eBook Edition: October 2009
ISBN: 978-0-446-93014-7
Contents
In memory of my grandmothers:
Katrina Hawthorn Roy, 1907–1996
,
who taught me a love for beauty and kindness
,
and Irene Mings Green, 1911–1998,
who taught me a love for God and a zest for life
.
Suggested Ancient Pronunciations
adept
—name for scholar-student
agape
(ah-gáh-pee)
—a Greek designation of divine, unconditional love
akra
(áhk-rah)
—Greek for tip
Alayshiya (ah-láy-shee-ya)
—ancient Cyprus
al-khem
(áhl-kim)
—literally “from Egypt”; the precursor to alchemy, and ultimately chemistry
Apis (áy-pis)
—the name of the region’s bull god
ari-kat
(áh-ree-khat)
—Egyptian term for synthetic, used most often in reference to stone
artemisia (áhr-tee-mee-ja)
—the Greek name for wormwood; the herb distilled into absinthe
Arus (áh-russ)
—son of Zelos
Atenis (ah-tín-is)
—daughter of Zelos and Ileana; chieftain of the Clan of the Muse
athanati
(ahth-áh-nah-tee)
—Greek for “immortal”
athanor
(áh-tha-nor)
—a beehive-shaped oven used by alchemists
atmu
(áht-moo)
—Egyptian for dusk
Aztlan (áhst-lan)
—the fictional name of the empire inhabiting the Aegean in the mid-1800s
B.C.E.
; also the name for the central island
Cheftu
—(chef-too)
cubit
—measurement equaling eighteen to twenty-two inches
Daedaledion (dáy-duh-lée-dee-on)
—the astrological/astronomical observatory in Knossos
Daedalus (dáy-duh-lus)
—inventor of the Labyrinth, the air sail
decan
—chronological measurement, roughly an hour
Dion (dée-on)
—son of Zelos; chieftain of the Clan of the Vine
eee
—Greek exclamation
ellenismos
(ell-ín-ees-mos)
—term for the enlightenment of Greek culture
eros
(áir-os)
—a Greek designation of carnal, erotic love
Etesian (i-tée-sjan)
—Greek winds from May to October
Golden
—term for the ruling Clan of Aztlan
hemu neter
(him-óo-nee-ter)
—Egyptian designation for first among the physicians
henti
(hín-tee)
—Egyptian measure of distance
hequetai
(héck-a-tay)
—Greek for political advisory board or cabinet
Hreesos
(hrée-sos)
—the Golden One; title for the ruler of Aztlan
Ileana (ill-ee-án-ah)
—the Queen of Heaven; Zelos’ wife; Kela-Ileana
Irmentis (er-mín-tis)
—youngest daughter of Zelos and Ileana
ka
(kah)
—Egyptian word for the soul
Kalo taxidi
(kah-loh-tax-ée-dee)
—Greek blessing on the dead, wishing “good journey”
kefi
—Greek for a time of revel
Kela (káy-lah)
—derivative of
kalos
, Greek for beauty; the ancient mother-goddess
khaibit
(kháy-bit)
—Egyptian word for vampire
kheft
(keft)
—Egyptian word for demon
kollyva
(kóll-ee-vah)
—Greek dinner of the dead; favorite foods are prepared and shared
kreenos
—lily-derivative drug
kur
—Egyptian measurement of dry weight
Ma’at (may-aht)
—Egyptian representation of justice and universal balance
maeemu
—Greek for monkey
mafkat
—Egyptian word for powdered turquoise
Manoula
—Greek for Mommy
mastic
—an adhesive from the lentisk tree
Megaloshana’a
—the Great Year
Megaron
(még-ah-ron)
—an audience chamber
mnasons
(máy-son)
—Aztlan priests who specialize in building and architecture
natron
—an Egyptian salt used in embalming and chemistry
Neotne
—a female survivor of the Mt. Calliope eruption
Nestor
—son of Zelos; Aztlantu ambassador/envoy
neter
—physician
Niko (née-koh)
—friend of Phoebus; of the Clan of the Spiral
nome
—the districts of Egypt
okh
(óhkh)
—an exclamation
Pateeras
—Greek for Father or Papa
Phoebus (fée-bus)
—son of Zelos, the heir to the throne
pithoi
(pl.)
—Greek for large clay storage jars
pothos
—a Greek designation of ambitious desire where the object is conquered
prion (pree-on)
—a specific type of protein
psyche
(sí-kee)
—Greek for soul
Ptah—(tah)
—Egyptian god of craftsmen
rekkit
—Egyptian for the common people
rhyton (rí-ton)
—a vase or flask used in offerings and at state functions
sa’a
(sáy-ah)
—son of the heart
sem
-priest
—the highest rung of the Egyptian priesthood
senet
(sin-étt)
—Egyptian board game
Sibylla (si-béll-ah)
—Greek for prophetess or seer
skeela
(skée-lah)
—Greek word for bitch
skia
(skee-áh)
—Greek word for a shade or phantom
Sobek
—Egyptian crocodile-headed god
Spiralmaster
—title of the clan chieftain of the Scholomance
tenemos
(tín-i-mos)
—sacred enclosure
Theros (théer-os)
—Greek word for summertime, name of the lagoon
Therio (théer-ee-o)
—Greek word for beast
theea
(thée-ah)
—Greek word for aunt
tholos; tholoi
(pl.) (thó-los)
—an underground grave
tsunami (sóo-nam-ee)
—Japanese term for tidal wave used in geology
udjet
(ood-jét)
—the Eye of Horus symbol
ukhedu
(ook-hay-doo)
—Egyptian concept for a physical/spiritual source of illness and discontent; transmissible to the body through the bowels
ushebti
(oo-shéb-tee)
—an Egyptian funeral statue that served as a proxy for the dead in the afterlife
w’eb
-priest
—the lowest rung of the Egyptian priesthood
w’rer
-priest
—the second rung of the Egyptian priesthood
Yazzo
(yáh-zoh)
—a Greek cry to move forward, to follow, to come
Zelos
—the king, the Golden Bull of Aztlan
Clan of the Horn
—Hydroussa and Tinos; capital Kouvari; chieftain Sibylla
Clan of the Vine
—Naxos; capital Demeter; chieftain Bacchi, Dion
Clan of the Wave
—Siros and Myknossos; capital Ariadne; chieftain Posidios, Iason
Clan of the Stone
—Paros; capital Pluto; chieftain Nekros
Clan of the Flame
—Milos; capital Prometheus; chieftain Talos
Clan of the Spiral
—Aztlan; Spiralmaster Imhotep, Cheftu
Cult of the Snake
—Nios; capital Basilea; Kela-Ata Embla, Selena
Cult of the Bull
—Folegandros; capital Atlas; Minos
Clan of the Muse
—Delos; capital Arachne; chieftain Atenis
Clan Olimpi
—Aztlan; chieftain Zelos, Phoebus
The Elixir of Life. The Fountain of Youth. The Philosopher’s Stone. Under different names and guises, we have searched for
immortality throughout time. Using religion, science, and myth, we have sought eternity. But are these all the same: dawn,
noon, and evening of one day? Are they different facets of the same truth? What determines myth, and what defines fact? Is
truth hidden in the shadows of fable? Hidden, because ultimately we believe only what we see.
T
HE WORLD EXPLODED IN LIGHT
and I felt myself freed—the constraints of skin, blood, and bone slipped away and I knew that the
core of my person, my
ka
, had left its ancient Egyptian shell.
No longer was I wearing the flesh, the mind, the persona, of the priestess RaEmhetepet. For the first time in more than a
year I was purely Chloe—a twentieth-century diplomatic brat; an artist; a retired air force lieutenant; a Levi’s-wearing and
coffee-drinking English-American. I was no longer ancient or Egyptian. None of RaEm’s thoughts or perceptions clouded my mind.