Ninos had just been sent away and the goddess Inanna appeared opposite Amon two paces away. She was smiling and looking at him, the pretty red lips but slightly pouted with a hint of anger. She was not holding her ivy scepter, and neither was she wearing a gold crown on her head. Her long brown hair hung down freely unadorned, and she wore a lapis lazuli necklace that laid on her chest as well as a cotton dress with indigo stripes, the very one that Amon had bought for her in the town of Som for sixty copper coins.
She did not appear as a goddess, and except for the necklace, the girl in front of Amon was the shepherdess slave he met at the time, Inanna. Amon also looked at her, he was half a head taller than her, and he slightly lowered his eyes with a smiling expression. The two just smiled and looked at each other, no one said anything for a while, and there seemed to be no need to say anything more, now that the seemingly impossible to fulfill promise was finally accomplished by Amon.
In the distance, inside the small building, Gabriel saw the scene. Then she turned and disappeared from the window. It’s hard to guess what kind of reaction people will have when they first see a real god, and Gabriel grew up believing in the Ennead, but for mortals, there is always an indescribable awe at the sight of a real god.
But Gabriel was different, she was not afraid. Seeing a real god for the first time in her life, the shock and confusion was difficult to describe, but she turned away from looking, perhaps not wanting to disturb those two talking. In any case, Amon did not need anyone by his side to protect him.
After a long time, Inanna suddenly glared at Amon, took two steps forward to hug his arm, and gently leaned her head on his shoulder. Then she said with a slightly bitter tone: “Amon, you are so bad!”
Amon froze, wondering how he was bad? Even though Amon had been through countless storms and dangers, he did not have much experience in dealing with women, let alone with a goddess. The goddess’s hair tickled his earlobe and neck, and Amon looked down and asked: “Did I do something wrong? Guiding people to build a city on the Plains of Duc and constructing a shrine for you was a promise I made back then, and now you see it fulfilled.”
Inanna leaned sideways into Amon’s arms, reached out and grabbed one of his hands and wrapped it around her waist, then said, “Have you ever seen a shrine like that?”
Amon laughed, a little embarrassed. “I didn’t think they would build the statues like that, if you’re not satisfied, I can have them rebuild it.”
Inanna: “I didn’t say I wasn’t satisfied, that’s how I appeared at first, in the position we are in now.”
Amon: “If that’s the case, why are you saying I’m bad?”
Inanna laughed. “Not that I want to say it, but for such a shrine to appear in the Plains of Duc, some gods would probably be infuriated by it!”
Amon: “As long as you don’t have a problem with it, it’s fine. I’ve been out of Ejypt for so long, but you didn’t show up until now, are you waiting for me to fulfill my promise?”
Inanna: “Yes, I was waiting for this day, I was right about you! You did something that shocked the world, and today you surprised me again!”
Amon: “What’s wrong? Wasn’t today’s ceremony expected by you?”
Inanna: “You actually wrapped your arms around me at an altar! This means that you have passed the test of unceasing cycle, obtained the ninth level of the power of origin, comprehended the realm of the source of divine power, and can share this divine realm with me.”
Amon smiled: “That’s an unexpected gain. If you mind, I can leave that statue, I didn’t expect that when I first made the promise.”
Inanna clenched her pink fist and lightly hit his chest: “I didn’t say I’m unwilling, you deserve all these! I’ve been trying to guide you, I didn’t know you already accepted guidance, why didn’t you tell me?”
Amon: “You haven’t seen me, how can I tell you?”
Inanna: “Which god have you been guided by? This has to be accepted by the main god in the divine clan, did you join the Ennead? In any case I am glad that you have joined a divine clan and do not need the secret of becoming a god from me, yet you still built the shrine and returned my divine realm for me. This is what I am most grateful for, but I feel some pity.”
Amon asked: “Pity for what?”
Inanna tilted her face up in front of his chest and smiled playfully. “It’s a pity that I wasn’t the one who guided you and couldn’t make you make a vow to me.”
Her face was so close that Amon could have kissed her on the lips if he had only lowered his head, but he sighed softly and said: “Is that kind of vow what you want? I have seen the Scorpion King and the Lion King, and the vows are still present, but Tiamat who guided them to join the Anunnaki divine clan has long since fallen.”
Inanna stepped on his foot not so lightly: “I was just kidding, look at you all serious! Can you tell me who guided you to join which divine clan? …I don’t want to force you to divulge your secret, but if you are an emissary of the Ennead, your statue cannot appear here, because from today, this is also your divine realm.”
Amon replied: “I am not an emissary of the Ennead divine clan, and to tell you the truth, I have not joined any divine clan.”
He was telling the truth, and Inanna could tell. She stood up straight in surprise and looked at him and said: “Then what is all this about? Did that cat tell you the secret and fell because she broke her oath, why would she do that?”
Amon showed a mournful look and shook his head: “She did not fall because she violated the oath, she left to be freed. As for the power of the origin, I comprehended it myself. If there is any unknown secret that she had told me, it is the judgment of fate. Schrodinger had unfolded her soul imprint to me before she departed. Inanna, did you already know the origin of the cat beside me?”
Inanna lowered her head and said: “I didn’t notice the cat at first, and didn’t even know it was beside you when I met you in Som. Later, when Bastet showed up to separate the Red Sea for Moses and the others, it became clear to me that she had been by your side all along. As far as I know, Bastet was once the emissary closest to becoming a true god in the Ennead divine clan, and I never thought that she would leave like this. Amon, are you very sad?”
Amon: “I should probably be happy for her, it was a relief, but it was really hard to let go at that time.”
Inanna hugged Amon’s arm again: “It seems that not only I am paying attention to you, you are able to comprehend the power of origin by yourself, there are very few people like this in the history of the continent. The last person who comprehended the power of origin by himself and became a god was Marduc.”
This time it was Amon’s turn to be astonished. “Marduc! He did not receive the guidance of a divine clan, but comprehended the power of the origin on his own, and eventually became a true god?”
Inanna nodded. “You might be a rare genius, but you are not the only genius in the world. The path that you walked, countless others have thought about it over the millennia. But even if you understand the secret, it is difficult to reach the end of the path with a limited life, and even if you do reach the end, it is difficult to pass the judgement of fate and finally become a god who transcends eternal life. This you have not yet done, and before you, Marduc had done it.”
Amon asked in disbelief: “If so, why did he become one of the two god kings of the Anunnaki divine clan?”
Inanna blinked and looked at Amon with meaningfully and said: “You are not yet a true god and do not understand the world of the deities. What is the purpose of life after obtaining the achievement of transcending eternal life? The endless emptiness and solitude that comes with it? Without the support of a divine clan, all gods would fall into this confusion.
It was Ea, the god of wisdom in the Anunnaki clan, who guided Marduc, and Ea was Marduc’s guide after he became a god, not before he became a god. As such, Marduc eventually joined the Anunnaki. Such deities are often the most powerful because they are already capable of becoming true gods without guidance. Think of Enkidu, what would happen if he became a true god?
Marduc was bound by a small oath, yet possessed great power, which is why he was able to become the main fighting force in the battle of the gods. After a conflict with Enlil broke out, they eventually split the Anunnaki into two, and Marduc became another god king. Amon, you are also capable of having such achievements, as what you have done so far has exceeded my expectations.”
Amon spoke after a while: “Are you hoping that I will become another Marduc?”
Inanna hugged his arms tighter: “It was so difficult to find someone like you, you are unique, and I want to protect you and wait for you to become a true god. Then I will be your guide to allow you to join the divine clan. At that time, what we have done today will have the greatest meaning, and the Plains of Duc will become our eternal realm.”
Amon placed his other hand on her shoulder. “Inanna, you should know me, there is no way I will ever bow down to Enlil and join his clan.”
Inanna: “I know that your heart has long since denounced Enlil, but that’s okay, I can just as easily invite you to the Anunnaki if you are already a god. You just need to make a very simple oath. Maybe one day you will have a conflict with the Enlil like Marduc did, but I know you will not betray me, and that is enough.”
Amon asked in disbelief: “Why must I join the Anunnaki?”
Inanna: “I see you don’t understand. But when the day you become a real god, you will know why. Your realm is in the Plains of Duc, because your source of neteru is here, and I am afraid that joining the Anunnaki is the only option. I know what Girtablullu is thinking, he wants to become a real god and establish his own divine clan, but when the time comes, he will understand that it is impractical. The choice of Marduc back then has proved this.”
Amon was confused and said: “I really don’t understand, let’s talk about it when the time comes, and I hope you won’t be disappointed if I refuse.”
Inanna resumed her smiling expression and looked at Amon with affection: “You have not disappointed me! What I said today is not a request, but a wish to repay you. Wait until you become a god, since you already understand what is the judgement of fate and possesses a divine realm, you should consider how to take that final step. Let me help you, please.”
Amon: “How are you going to help me?”
Inanna pointed a finger towards the shrine and said: “I heard what that man said to you just now. He wanted to guide you to think in a different way, and although he didn’t shake your faith, what he said was quite interesting. With what you have already achieved right now, I’m afraid it’s not appropriate to appear in the open like this.”
Amon laughed bitterly. “It is a bit inappropriate. People cannot tell whether I am Amon or the god Amon, whether I am a living human being or a god standing on the altar. Every appearance of mine is regarded as a miracle.”
Inanna stretched out her finger to poke on his chest and said: “In fact, it is no longer necessary for you to appear in the public as you did in the past, the statue will allow you to perceive the happenings here, and if necessary, you will understand what the believers want and need. If you want to appear among the mortals, you can do what I did once. Remember the shepherdess you helped, Inanna?”
Amon smiled and put his arm around her shoulders: “You are still Inanna right now.”
Inanna: “You have such a rare quality, no matter who I am, you haven’t changed at all. You have more important things to do now, in order to successfully pass the final test, there must be a place where you can train in peace, even for hundreds of years, without being disturbed, while drawing upon the constant stream of neteru from your divine realm and waiting for the final test to come.”
Amon: “A place like Aeru?”
Inanna: “The gods of Anunnaki have their own Aeru on earth. My palace on the Syah Plateau will be open for you. When you need a safe and quiet place, you can go there.”
Amon smiled: “I don’t want to occupy your palace, and I have my own disciples who need guidance, but I want to see what a divine palace is really like? After that I can guide my disciples to build one as well.”
Inanna blinked: “That’s not so easy, if you want to do it just give it a try. Can I make a request?”
Amon: “Go ahead.”
Inanna: “You can come and go to my palace at will, and if you build your own palace in the future, I hope that I can come and go there whenever I want to find you.”
Amon replied simply: “No problem, building such a place is a vague idea. I’m afraid I will need your guidance and help. Do you want to take me to your palace now?”
Inanna: “You can call it Inanna’s Rose Garden if you want. But there is one more thing that you have promised but have not done it yet. Moses and other clansmen have not returned here, they are still roaming on the way.”
Amon thought for a moment. “It was the conditions proposed by Marduc that held them back. I let them choose for themselves, as their last test before returning home. But I have to tell you, even if they return to Salem, they will no longer believe in you.”
Inanna’s expression became a bit sorrowful again. “I know very well the mind of the world, whether they believe in me or not is no longer important, my shrine has been inaugurated in Salem. But this is my bet with Enlil, and Enlil is after all the king of Anunnaki. Since the agreement has been made, I have to keep it.”
Amon asked: “What agreement did you and Enlil make in the first place?”
Inanna replied: “After the Great Flood, I wanted to recover my divine realm. However, to do so, I had to go out of Enlil’s divine realm and find the descendants of Duc. Enlil made two bets with me, and the first was that I had to find such a person who was not bewitched by my beauty and did not eat all the pastries in my hands, to go to Enlil to redeem what I had lost without resorting to force or breaking a promise. It was you who helped me win the bet in Som.”
Amon: “And the other bet?”
Inanna replied quietly: “For the descendants of Duc to return home, they will have to go through a lot of hardships. What a strong will it would have to be driving them onwards for that to happen! The one leading them to the Plains of Duc must have had the strongest courage and the most determined will. The final test of the gods is cost and sacrifice, the ability to distinguish between one’s selfish desires and one’s faith in the ideal. If that person is willing to give up his desires in order to fulfill his wishes, then Enlil will allow the people of Duc to return home in peace.”
Amon frowned and said: “Can you be more clear?”
Inanna lowered her head and whispered: “I have made it very clear. Enlil’s bet is that the leader who leads the Ducians back to their homeland will have to stay outside the Plains of Duc himself. It is not coercion, but a sacrifice and price that he willingly pays for the sake of his people.”
Amon’s brow locked deeper: “Why would Enlil make such a request?”
Inanna’s voice turned thinner: “Because Enlil thought that the people who built the shrine for me would be the descendants of Duc, and that the one who would lead the Ducians back home must be you. I made this agreement and also made my own request that if the leader of the Ducians could voluntarily pay that price in order to fulfill the wishes of his people, then I would guide him to join the Anunnaki, and Enlil agreed.”
Amon suddenly realized: “So that’s how it is, the gods’ agreement is made for me!”
Inanna: “Yes, it was all prepared for you, but now it seems to have become a joke. The person who built the shrine for me is not a descendant of Duc, and the person who led the Ducians home is not you. The gods’ agreement now falls onto Moses.”
Amon gently released his arm around Inanna and said in a solemn voice: “This is your agreement with Enlil, neither Moses nor I have any agreement with Enlil and do not need to keep any promise!”
Inanna took Amon’s hand and said: “Please don’t be angry with me! The gods did not anticipate today’s situation, and at that time I really wanted to guide you to join the clan and tell you the secret of the gods as the rarest reward in this world. Of course you don’t have to keep my agreement with Enlil, but Enlil will still send emissaries to block your people, unless Moses makes a voluntary sacrifice. And this time I am not allowed to intervene.”