Glossary
Pronounciation based on http://www.sumerian.org/sumerlex.htm, John Halloran, author © 1996-2009
Allul – (AHL-luhll) Crab
Gal – (GAHL) – Great
Gud – (GUHD) Bull
Gurtab – (Guhr-TAHB) Scorpion
Luhunga – (Luh-HUHN-gah) The Agrarian Worker (Aries)
Mul a.Pin – (Mool-AH-pin) The Shining Herd – the Babylonian Zodiac
Saj – (Sahgg) The Archer
The Lady – Ishtar
Urmah – (UHR-mah) Lion
Scorpio Deposed
1.
Gurtab patted himself down. The knives were hidden in his skirt, among the folds of fur that he had sewn in for just this purpose. It was chilly tonight, so he could get away with the ram’s-skin skirt.
He was going to meet the Brothers tonight. Although the way there would be brightly lit, the way back would be dark, and he didn’t want to get caught unawares. He would walk with Saj most of the way back, but here, toward the north half of the wharf where he lived, no one else lived except thieves and the slaves he hadn’t sold.
Guntab locked the door and started away from his home, heading west, to the northern part of the city, to the White Temple. There, the Brothers would meet, and reiterate their quest to the Lady.
Guntab had called this meeting because of what he had seen two days ago. Gud, the Bull, had come to his slave market, even though he was provided slaves – and more – with his position in the palace. Guntab grinned. How ironic that the man who succeeded in rushing the bulls during a celebration of Gilgamesh’s victory over the Bull of Heaven would be the man to kill him.
The Lady Ishtar blessed him, and blessed all the Brothers, with abilities beyond those of even Gilgamesh and Enkidu. With this blessing came this quest: they must kill Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh had vanquished the Bull of Heaven, who had been sent by Ishtar’s sister to punish Gilgamesh for repudiating Ishtar. Now she had men whose sole purpose was to kill Gilgamesh.
Except, they needed to be reminded every once in a while.
It had been three years, and each of the Brothers had partially gone their separate ways in the city of Ur. Three years while they bided their time. Guntab knew it was time.
Guntab turned the corner and literally bumped into an archer in full regalia. “Saj!”
“Guntab!” They clasped their forearms and looked into each other’s black eyes. Both men were dark skinned and bald. Saj carried a bow and a quiver, and wore a necklace of blue stones on a thong. He wore a fur skirt just like Guntab.
Saj smiled releasing his forearm. “You called this meeting?”
“You’ll see why when we get there.”
“Do you have a new plan?”
“We need new ideas.”
“Good. I have a few.”
“How have you been doing?”
“I have my a hundred and twenty men under my command.”
“Very good.”
“How’s the slave trade?”
“Lucrative. I have some women for sale.” He grinned at Saj.
Saj laughed. “I’ve already fathered five children. I’ve done my duty.”
“Five that you know of.”
“I was a soldier before the Lady rescued me, just like you.”
“Yes, but I stayed with the soldiers.”
“I didn’t have much of a choice. I was married before going off to war.”
Guntab waved a hand in dismissal. “Those are the old days. Now it’s different.”
“We still have a war to fight,” said Saj.
“I’m glad you still know we have a war. Some of us…”
Saj sighed. “Is this about Gun again?”
Guntab turned another corner and didn’t answer.
“What is it about you two?”
They came upon the plaza that led to the White Temple of Ishtar. Saj almost put a hand to Guntab’s shoulder to get him to stop, but Guntab turned around to him. “We have a duty.”
“That doesn’t mean he can’t live a little.”
Guntab glared, and then tossed his head back. “You’ll see.”
The men walked across the plaza to the ziggurat and entered one of the lower levels. It was getting dark, so someone was beginning to light torches through the hallway. They walked through the halls, Guntab knowing his way through, and Saj just a half-pace behind.
They came out into a small room, lit with torches. Two men were seated at a table full of food. One had his long hair pulled back by a white fabric headband and wore a robe with tassels of fringe on it. He had a short, thick beard. The other was bald and wore a tunic similar to Saj, but much simpler.
“My brothers,” said the man with the long hair, as he held his arms out. “Welcome, welcome.”
“It’s good to see you Urmah,” said Saj, clasping forearms with him. Guntab did also.
“You come here armed, Guntab?”
“It’s for when I leave.”
Said the other bald man, “I came with my spear and you didn’t complain.”
“Because,” said Urmah, “You didn’t hide your spear.”
“Leave him alone,” said Saj, as he took some cheese.
“Where is Gun?” asked Guntab.
“You know him,” said the other bald man. “Late as usual.”
“Hail to you all, blessings be upon your house,” came a voice from the doorway. They all turned to see another bald man come in, wearing only a loincloth that was woven between his legs and pleated.
“Allul,” cried Urmah, again holding his arms out. “Welcome!”
“Our Lady’s grace upon you,” said the bald man, as he kissed Urmah, and then each of the men in turn. He stopped at Guntab, and put an arm around his waist. “Why are you angry?”
“Where is Gun,” he spat.
The rest of the men looked at him.
“Eat something,” said Allul. “Because otherwise your anger will eat you up inside.”
The bald man in the military tunic approached with a piece of bread and cheese. “He’s right.”
Guntab took the bread. Allul did not release Guntab’s waist. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen you.”
“I’ve been busy.”
“Too busy to come to my little hovel by the sea? You used to come there after every market day.”
Then a man came into the room. He was big, broad, built like a house. He filled the doorway as he came in. He smiled, beaming at them, and said, “Look what I have!”
He stepped aside, and a smaller man, with hair of flax and wearing only a loincloth like Allul stood in the doorway. He looked embarrassed.
Guntab drew himself to his full height. “Get that slave out of here.”
“Slave?” said Urmah. “This meeting is for us only, not for any slaves.”
“How do you know he’s a slave?” asked Allul.
“Because I sold him to him two days ago,” snarled Guntab. “Now get him out of here.”
Said Gun, “He doesn’t understand what you’re saying.”
“Oh, he understands well enough!” said Guntab, as he approached the man. He knew the man intimately because even he himself found him irresistible. Guntab didn’t damage the goods, but he did take the slave to his bed to examine him thoroughly.
“We do not have slaves here,” said Urmah firmly. “For very important reasons.”
“Slaves gossip,” said the other military man. “He’s right. Bring him back home and come back.”
“Send him upstairs until you’re done,” said Guntab. “I don’t have time to wait all night while you reapply your makeup after you fuck him.”
The big man narrowed his eyes at Guntab. “You’re getting close.”
Urmah slipped out of the room. Allul squeezed Guntab’s waist to try and get him to calm down, because Guntab had stiffened his entire body at that one look from Gun.
The flaxen-haired young man did not move from the doorway, until two men in robes just like Urmah grabbed him and frog-marched him out of the room. He glanced back at Gun, a look of fear on his face, but Gun reassured him, “I’ll come get you as soon as I’m done.”
“Oh, he didn’t understand that,” said the military man.
“Shut up, Lahunga.”
Lahunga just shrugged.
“Now, you see why I called this meeting,” said Guntab, stepping out of Allul’s embrace. “We drew lots, in the desert, when the Lady first called us back from the dead, do you remember that?”
They all nodded.
“And you, Gun, drew the largest lot, and you, Gun, were going to be the one to land the killing blow on the Murderer.” Guntab walked up to the big man, finding himself staring up at him. “And what have you done for three years?”
“Don’t blame me–”
“Saj and Lahunga joined the military and has access to the palace as guards. Urmah became a priest of the Lady and can go to the palace whenever he wishes. Allul is a fishmonger and has access to the palace kitchens. I am a slave-seller who can go to the palace at will with new slaves. And you, Gun? What access does a bullfighter have to the palace?”
“For your information, I have been working toward exactly that.”
“Prove it.”
“Gilgamesh has asked me to a banquet in honor of my defeating their Bull of Heaven.” He looked to each of the men. “You will all come with me as my servants.”
“Over my dead body,” snarled Guntab.
“No,” added Lahunga.
“I will go,” said Allul.
“No,” said Urgula. “I will not debase myself.”
Everyone looked to Saj. Saj shrugged. “I am known in the Army now. If I go to a banquet disguised as a slave, they’ll know me.”
Gunab said, “That was a stupid idea! What happened to our original idea, that we would go into the palace under cover of night, and then we would go to his bedchamber and attack? How hard is that?”
“There are six of us. We won’t be able to get through the cordon,” said Lahunga.
“We can’t die.”
They looked at each other.
“Oh, you forget that, don’t you? We live by the grace of the Lady, praise be Her name. If She chooses to claim us, then we will return to Erishkigal’s realm willingly. We live our lives for Her.”
“Then why are you in such a rush to get rid of it?” asked Gun.
Allal exhaled sharply, as if he’d been hit. Guntab rocked back. “We have…a quest.”
“You’re so worried about the quest, did you ever think that the Lady gave us this life to live? We were taken too soon by that Murderer, and now we have a chance to live our lives again.”
Saj said, “Let us ask the Lady what she wants of us.”
Now all the heads turned to Urmah. He nodded. “We will use the sacrificial temple. No one is there.”
The six men followed Urmah up a set of winding stairs. He led them into a chamber, with decorated with blue and white stones, showing the winged bulls in relief. At the end of the chamber was a figure of a woman, her eyes painted black and her black hair long past her shoulders. This was an older temple than the ones above, and meant for smaller gatherings. The altar was unlit, though it would be for the private use of those who meant to sacrifice.
The six men disrobed, hanging their clothes on hooks located outside of the chamber. Even Urmah took off his fringed robes. Guntab nodded, remembering far back to his childhood when his mother took him to Innana a long time ago: “All are naked before the gods, for all are equal in their eyes.”
They crowded into the hot room, dimly lit by one torch and a high window to the outside. Urmah began the chant, the hymn to the goddess, and the men joined in one by one as each line was sung. Guntab swayed with the men, with the music of their voices, finding himself in a half-trance.
The altar fires burst forth, and Urmah stepped back, bumping into the men behind him. He stared, wide-eyed into the flame. Then it dampened, and slowly went out. He turned to face the men.
“Well?” asked Guntab.
“We attack. Tonight.”