episode 10. A
PPD, the Guest and Mata Hari arrived in Alexandria on the night of the 4th day of the new moon, 48 B.C.
It was pitch dark. The moon was waxing 🌒 a sliver, hence the entire city was embraced by a sleepy darkness. The fire torch in Mata Hari's hand was the only beacon of light to illuminate their pathway. They stumbled through the sandy city into a tiny complex, between what they surmised, looked like a granary in the dark, and a cow shed. They heard the mooing of the cows and saw the shadows of their horns against the walls of the cowshed. Even in the dark they could navigate the streets confidently, such was the precision of the city planning.
"Bombay, you know where I come from.....every road has more pot holes and digging work, than pollution in the sky. It's a source of national pride for us. They dig, they lay pipe lines, they concretise and then they dig again. They dig for the metro, piped gas, JIO fibre, gold, oil, diamonds and dreams. It keeps the contractors well lubricated for the next seven generations, and keeps the familial dynasties of Mumbai Mahanagarpalika well secured with cash coming out of their pillow covers and mattresses," ranted the Guest, in a stage whisper.
PPD, who had only ever been a tree on stage, never mastered the art of soto voce and said loudly "how do we know this in an inn?"
"Shoosh, you zilly man!" admonished Mata. "Don't drav attenshun to us teel vee are changed."
𓉐 𓄿 𓀀
"Here ve have reached da inn," she declared confidently.
"Umm...how do you know this is the inn?" asked PPD tentatively in a softer voice.
"You beeg fat bozo, can't you read?" she barked, pointing to the sign. "Day ees a door, the bird symbolises travel and the man is resteeng. Hoo travels, and then rests at a door? Hoo?"
"A traveller!" whispers the Guest, in fascination.
"Eggzackly!" retorted Mata.
PPD was beginning to feel outclassed by Mata's talent for espionage. She was just something else!
They snuck into the inn, and Mata managed to converse in broken Heiroglyphics, that they wanted some clothes and a room for the night.
" 
"
The Inn keeper, a tiny rotund gnome-like man with a red and gold striped cloth over his head, and a long crisp white dress concealing his lack of any sort of enviable physique, silently handed over a change of clothes, and took the bails of hay Mata offered him in return.
A beautiful white cat with a black N95 mask stared at them piercingly from atop the reception desk.
Fifteen minutes late our trio convened in the kitchen dressed as locals.
"That's alot of makeup!" remarked PPD critically when he saw the Guest.
"Have you seen yourself?" she retorted. "I guess you couldn't stay off the kajal for long!"
PPD shifted around uncomfortably. He tried to close the low cut neckline of his garb, as he was just so uncomfortable showing this much cleavage.
"Embrace it," whispered Mata to him, conspirationally, looking absolutely spell binding and perfectly at ease in her garb.
"I heard tomorrow is the day HRH Julius Caesar is coming to Alexandria for da verry furst time, to meet da beautiful HRH Cleopatra."
"You know, she's called Cleo Batra here," the Guest giggled to PPD. "Like a punjoo woman."
PPD laughed and Mata gave both of them a withering stare.
"Focuz, you two, or you will be fed to the crocodiles!" she admonished them.
"Ve need to go to da Palace outside to see the welcoming ceremony. I heard der will be gold coins thrown in the Nile to honour da dead forefathers, and dat special offerings vill be made in the Temple of Hatshetput, da only female Pharoah of da ancient times."
PPD and the Guest looked at each other excitedly! What an absolute treat!
"Dey said a galley of a hundred sheeps will come down da Nile, and HRH Julius himself will be aboard on of dem. He will disembark at the palace of da Queen, and see her for the first time. Hopefully, he will help her settle the issues with her throne."
PPD and the Guest shifted in their chairs. The Sun dial was switched off because it was night time, so they simply had to patiently wait till the sun rose again, to countdown to the ceremony.
"Maybe get some sleep till the morning?" asked the Guest finally.
"Good plan," said PPD heading up to his room. The Guest and Mata shut their door, and while Mata immediately slipped off into a deep NREM cycle, the Guest began dreaming of galleys, and Roman togas, and Egyptian customs and flitted from one dream to another....
--------to be continued.