The dust kicked up on her feet, slinking between her toes and coating her skin, but she didn’t notice.  As Linda turned the corner and found herself embraced by the spices and incense that filled the air, the unforgiving sun on her back, she realized that she had never really been alive until now.  Her vacation in Egypt was even better than she imagined it would be… despite the fact that she was stuck with a tour group.  She had really wanted to explore Gebtu herself, especially after all the research she had done before booking the trip.  It was once an ancient metropolis of political importance and housed places of worship for a variety of gods and goddesses, far more than any other city in the region.   Now she was finding herself a bit frustrated over the tour guide’s lack of knowledge on many of their stops… she ached to have an adventure of her own, and spend as much time as she wanted satisfying her curiosity.

            The group made many stops that day, mostly at statues and decrepit ruins that could have been almost anything at one time in history.  Linda hadn’t seen or learned of anything that she didn’t already know… she couldn’t complain about the chance to experience Egypt firsthand, though.  It was saturated in the exotic and the intangible; so many aspects of modern life still holding the past in its fibers, clinging to it like a possessive lover.  The sun was setting now, bathing the city in hues of violet, mauve and rust..  With the wind picking up, the group was getting restless and anxious for a good night’s sleep.  On their way back to the hotel, they made one final stop.

            “Our last exhibit for the day”, the tour guide said in a nasally voice, “was built around 1950 B.C. and is one of the last ancient temples in Egypt dedicated to the god Min.  The limestone walls”, she said, indicating the towering blocks of yellowish stone on either side of the doorway, “are called an ‘edifice’ and are inscribed with hieroglyphics depicting Min’s life.”

            A loud, rotund man at the head of the group raised his hand.  “Who’s Min?”.

            Linda already knew the answer to that question.  Being a serious student of ancient Egyptian mythology and culture, she was all too familiar with the pantheon of gods and goddesses they worshipped.  Min was the god of harvest, mining, travel and fertility.  When the growing season began, throngs of farmers would flock to this temple – and others like it all over Egypt – and offer various gifts and pray for a favorable year.  He was mostly associated with grain, thunderstorms, and arrows.  Min played another vital role to his followers.  He was the god of fertility and sexuality, and was often depicted in hieroglyphics and statues as being rather healthy and eager… he’s really happy!, Linda thought with a giggle as she looked at the edifice coyly.

            After giving a brief explanation of Min’s presence in ancient culture and everyday life – carefully leaving out any references to his exaggerated statues or the meaning behind them – the tour guide continued.  “Unfortunately, we are not allowed to enter the temple, but feel free to take photographs of the exterior. Most of the turquoise inlays are still here, and you will notice the gold marbled along the base of the columns.”.  She probably said a lot more than that, but Linda wasn’t listening, instead straining to peek inside the temple doorway.  She couldn’t see much, but did notice that the inner sanctuary was lit faintly from inside, the naos sparkling under the mysterious light.  This box would have held the statue of Min, which was believed to house his spirit, but of course this statue would now be in a museum somewhere.  She wanted to see the inside so badly… what would be the harm in taking a quick peek?  Could she get away from the group long enough?

            Eventually the other tourists had their fill of pictures and flimsy answers to their questions, and were more than ready to call it a night.  Trailing along behind the group, Linda snuck into the shadows of an alley down the street.  After making sure the others – who were too tired and overheated to notice she was gone – had turned the corner, she slunk back to the temple.  It was imposing and dignified… so much detail and care had been put into every piece of it, every stone and carving.  The doorway gaped open and had no visible means of security.  In fact, it almost looked like someone had just been there… hopefully, she could get a better look before she is discovered.

            Linda’s sandals made a swishing, muffled sound as they stepped over the threshold and into the inner sanctuary.  The walls were lined in coral and turquoise listello in various patterns of red and blue.  Underneath it, carved stalks of grain crossed with barbed arrows were prominent.  The light she had seen from outside came from oil lamps positioned in each corner of the temple, and they cast an oddly comforting glow on the mosaic tiles, setting the myriad of colors ablaze against the limestone walls.  The columns were inlaid with thin riverlets of gold, intricately woven and twisted, the sheet music to an ancient lullaby   Behind the naos was a towering painting of the god Min.  With a bull’s face and horns and a ridiculously large member, he embodied all the qualities his followers credited to him.  Linda couldn’t help but feel a salacious sense of admiration as she imagined the statues she had seen in books and online.  Damn, he’s huge!, she thought with a giggle.

            After looking over her shoulder, she continued to examine the hieroglyphics that lined the walls.  She was starting to feel the heat and exhaustion of the day’s tour, and it rested on her shoulders and back heavily, like a thick wool coat she couldn’t strip off.  Although it was evening, it was stifling outside, and Linda’s head was light and buoyant.  Instictively, she leaned against one of the columns and slid to the floor, just long enough to let her energy come back.  When she realized that only  priests were allowed in this temple, she felt a small shiver down her spine.  She was witnessing something that few people ever had, even back when it was built and was still relevant.  Resting her head against the column, she closed her dry red eyes for a moment, hoping they would feel better soon.  She tried to imagine the rituals they performed, the gifts that were offered.  What do you give to the god who has everything? , she thought with a snort.

            Maybe she fell asleep, and it was really only for a couple of minutes… or maybe she had passed out from the heat, but when she opened her eyes she realized that she was no longer alone.