Acts of Faith Ch. 03

Her heart pounding, the High Priestess ran to the door and pulled it open. In a furious rush, she bounded down the dark hall and there, by the abzu, she saw one of her lions, she could not tell which, its entrails spilled across the floor like the innards of a lamb sacrifice for the sake of a Priest's divination. She began to weep. The Temple is desecrated. It is the worst blasphemy. He will be cursed. They all will be cursed. The High Priestess ran. She would go to her people. They would protect her. Past the sanctuary now, Enheduanna ran toward the orange yellow glow of Utu's first light coming into the Sanctuary's entrance. Was he behind her? The High Priestess could not tell. There were many foot steps behind her.

Then, in front of her, along either side of the ramp that led to the Ziggurat's steps were at least a dozen men with swords. She stopped, her heart still pounding, pounding harder still. She turned to see another twenty or so men behind Ane, staggering toward her, his bloodied dagger in hand, his nitah limp and dangling like a small dead fish. Then let the men of the world defile it, she thought. Here is my death oh Goddess of the land and the sweet water. I will be with you soon Inanna. The Great One be praised. Honored be my Radiant Lady.