Inside the Palace

At the palace, Patrick and Duzi got out of the chariot. Patrick took a deep breath to calm down. He followed Duzi inside.

The palace rooms were large and drafty. Glazed tiles covered the walls and floor. Patrick felt cold.

Carvings and paintings decorated the walls. Most of the images were of battle scenes. Some of the pictures showed animals running or slaves working.

There was a map of the world. It showed the earth as flat. Patrick smiled. There was also a chart. It showed the cycle of the moon. Was it a calendar?

A few of the pictures had writing near them. The Babylonian writing had dashes and sideways v shapes: > or <. In some places, the writing looked like bird tracks.

Tables held sculptures and painted tiles. Some tables had clay tablets stacked underneath them.

Patrick went to a table and picked up a tablet. He touched the strange writing on it.

“Do you know how to read and write?” Duzi asked.

Patrick nodded.

Duzi said, “Perhaps you can become a scribe.”

No way, Patrick thought. He didn’t want to sit at a desk. He carefully set the tablet down.

“Can’t I become a scout for the king, like you?” Patrick asked. He wanted to race in a chariot and carry a spear.

Duzi smiled. “You’ll live longer as a scribe,” he said. “Or a seer. For either profession, the king will have to appoint you.”

Duzi walked toward a narrow hallway. “Come with me,” he said. “You need to wash your face. You must look presentable when you see the king.”

Duzi led Patrick into a large room. It had lots of low beds. The frames were made of thick poles. Ropes crisscrossed the poles to form a mattress.

Duzi pointed to a door at the end of the room. He said, “You can find water to bathe with in there.”

Patrick hurried to the bathroom.

Beth stood alone in the courtyard, thinking. She planned to run away as soon as it was dark.

Tanzi appeared at her side. He gently put a hand on her elbow. “Anatu wishes you to come with me,” he said.

Beth saw a sun and a moon tattooed on the back of his hand.

“Are you a slave?” she asked.

Tanzi nodded. “I bear the mark of Adad,” he said. “I have served him since I was five.”

“So young!” Beth said. “Were your parents slaves too?”

The old man shook his head. “My home country is Syria,” he said. “King Nebuchadnezzar attacked my city. My parents died in the battle. I was taken captive and brought to Babylon.”

Tanzi steered Beth in the direction of the temple. “Come with me to the temple,” he said. “Anatu needs us.”

Tanzi led Beth through the courtyard past the statue and altars.

They came to the temple. It had two stories. A wide set of stairs was on the outside of the building. The stairs led to the top floor and the roof.

“The priests and priestesses may come inside,” Tanzi said. “We are their servants. And so we’re allowed to enter too.”

Tanzi gingerly climbed the stairs.

Beth followed Tanzi step by slow step. They stopped at a small door halfway up the stairs.

Tanzi pushed open the door. He motioned for Beth to go inside.

Beth looked around. There was nothing special inside the temple. It was just a beautiful home. All of the walls were covered in colorful glazed stone.

At the back was a kitchen with a fireplace. There was a low bed. In one corner was a table. It had odd musical instruments on it.

The rugs were wool. They were woven with images of the sun and moon.

“Who lives here?” Beth asked.

“You are daft, child,” Tanzi said. He lightly slapped the back of her head. “Don’t ask such questions in front of Anatu.”

Beth rubbed her head. “I’ve never been to Babylon before,” she said. “How am I supposed to know who lives here?”

“Adad dwells here,” Tanzi said. “That’s why it’s called the Adad temple.”

A chill went up Beth’s spine. “You think he’s real?” she asked the old servant.

“Of course,” Tanzi said.

“Have you seen him?” Beth asked.

Tanzi shook his head. “No one sees the gods,” he said. “Kings are the gods we can see. They are the ones who protect us.”

Beth was confused. “So I’m supposed to serve a god named Adad. Everyone thinks he lives here. But he isn’t really here.”

“Ah,” Tanzi said. “But he is here. Adad speaks to us through signs and omens. You’ll help Anatu with that.”

“What signs and omens?” Beth said.

“You’ll see,” Tanzi said. “Anatu will teach you.”

Beth wanted nothing to do with the angry priestess. She needed to get out of there soon.

“Here is Anatu’s room,” Tanzi said. He limped inside.

Beth followed. The room was small but elegant. There was a makeup table, and soft cushions were arranged on a low couch. Rugs hung on the wall and lay on the floor.

Beth moved to some long, thin curtain panels and pushed them aside. They covered a window. The window overlooked a street outside the temple.

Tanzi said, “To look like a priestess, you need a headdress.” He picked up a headdress similar to the one Anatu wore. It was a gold hat shaped like bull horns.

Beth scowled. “I don’t want to wear that,” she said. “I’ll look like the princess of cows.”

Tanzi frowned. “It is an honor to be a child of Adad,” he said.

I’ll pretend I’m in a school play, Beth thought. It’s just a costume. The headdress doesn’t mean anything. But still, she didn’t think Eugene or Mr. Whittaker would like her wearing it. It gave her an uneasy feeling.

Tanzi gently placed the headdress on Beth’s head. He took a comb from the table and smoothed her hair. Then he placed pins in her hair so the headdress would stay on.

Suddenly Beth heard the temple door swing open. Sandals slapped on the tile floor.

“Where are you, Tanzi?” Anatu shouted. “We’re at the holy altar. Hurry up!”

The palace bathroom was large. It had room for at least ten men. But Patrick was alone. He washed his face, hands, and feet in a small fountain.

Patrick heard a hissing noise. He turned around. The helicopter Imagination Station stood in the middle of the bathroom. It was as if the machine could read his mind. He wanted to leave Babylon, but he couldn’t.

The Imagination Station’s white paint seemed to be glowing. Patrick touched the machine’s side. It was warm. The door automatically opened.

Patrick stared at the empty seats and the red button on the dashboard. He hesitated. He didn’t want to get inside without Beth.

“Hurry up,” Duzi called. “King Darius is waiting.”

Patrick slowly moved away from the Imagination Station. He turned to leave the bathroom. The machine hissed.

Patrick looked back over his shoulder. The Imagination Station was gone.

He felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. He had never ignored the Imagination Station before. He wondered, What if it doesn’t come back?