Princess history

Chapter Six

Kshatr rode his donkey through the desert barchans all night, checking his way through the stars. The sun had already painted the sky in pink tones of the sunrise, when in the distance bunches of still shaded palms appeared, which loomed on the horizon with a solid dark stripe.

Gradually the twilight retreated, clinging to the shadows of the dunes of the dunes. At this time, with the onset of the morning, a slight breeze blew a harbinger of a hot day. The donkey suddenly gave a sudden, sharp cry, as if happily telling the rider About the near end of the road. Ksatr splashed the animal with his palm on the right warm side, pacifying the ear-splitting cheers, encouraged by the words:

– I also see an oasis with tasty dates and olives that grow there, and most importantly, we finally get drunk on pure spring water.

And the donkey again answered the horseman with approving and joyous cries, in agreement with the host.

«You’re a clever worker, I’m sorry to part with you, but there’s nothing to be done, you’ll find yourself a new owner.»

The clay buildings of Agurmi were surrounded by a high wall built by the townspeople from all the same clay found in these places everywhere. Entrance to the capital of the oasis led through the city carved gates with engraving, heavy wings of which were made of palm tree. In the afternoon the gates opened from the very morning, and everyone could enter and leave the city. Agurmi is located around a rocky hill on top, which is the temple complex of the Oracle of Zeus-Amon Ra.

From a distance, Kshatra was struck by the fact that the elevation on which the temple of Amun stands resembles a man-made gigantic Buddhist stupa. Yes, it could not be otherwise, the priest guessed, because the erection under the temple of a giant, in several underground passages, a labyrinth could only be done when a shelter was built for this purpose. For the departed highly developed races that lived before us, with their construction technologies, this was feasible work. A clay soil, building material, is selected from the vicinity, which is confirmed by the formed valley below sea level around the rock. The departed civilizations possessed technologies of transformation of clay soils on hardness comparable to rocky rocks, which is confirmed by this elevation on which there is a temple complex. Reflecting on this, the path seemed imperceptible. And now the donkey entered the open gates of Agurmi and Kshatr sent him to the center of the city to see the temple complex, surrounded by high walls of four human height. The gate to the temple complex was wide open, and Kshatr sent his donkey to the foot of the steps. At the first step of the staircase he dismounted and standing beside the donkey waited. A long time passed. The sun reached its zenith, mercilessly burning the shaved head of the priest. Here on the dais, though a fresh wind blew, but bumping into a barrier of high walls, lost its freshness and was not felt here at all. Ksatr has become accustomed to the heat of his long life. He learned to endure with ease and patience all the hardships that human existence alone is capable of under the scorching sun of the deserts, blown out by the dry winds of khamsin. Only his donkey could not withstand the searing sunlight. He loudly began to cry for help, issuing such plaintive tones in his voice that he could not hear the animal, could not at all in the temple, who were probably closely following the newcomer. Apparently, however, the desperate cries of the animal became unbearable for the closed priests, as a servant sent by the high priest left the doorway of the sanctuary. He did not go down to the alien and from the heights of the steps shouted to Kshatra:

«What do you and your companion need here in a holy place?»

– Drink the donkey, and meet with the supreme Ur Hem Neter, the guardian of the shrines of the Oracle, talking with Amon! Answered Ksatr. Hearing him, the minister disappeared into the temple. After a while he reappeared with a wooden tub filled with water and a scoop, and descended the steps, put the bucket near Kshatra, scooped water out of it and handed the scoop to Kshatra. The donkey did not wait for the invitation to the tub, but immediately lowered his head to the water, began to drink. When the guests got drunk, the clerk said:

«The Supreme Guardian is waiting for you.» Go straight to you meet the high priest. I’ll take the donkey, I’ll give him food, the laws of hospitality are sacred here, just like our land in the oasis of Amun Ra.

With these words of a servant, Kshatr, from a sack loaded on a donkey, took out the bundle wrapped in soft linen cloth, and then handed the donkey reins to the temple attendant and began to walk up the steps to the doorway of the entrance to the sanctuary. From here, from the staircase, the interior of the room was not visible, the blackness of the door opening, an impenetrable curtain hanging over the entrance leading into the sanctuary. Kshatr entered the room. The eyes that kept the bright light of the sun’s rays, did not see anything around.

«What are you asking, guest from the desert?» – the voice of an invisible person who addressed him unexpectedly, sounded out of this darkness, made him start in surprise. Ksatr turned his head mechanically to the speaker’s side. Through the scattering gloom, as the eyes became accustomed, a figure of the high priest Ur Hem Neter appeared in a white, long toe-robed apparel. Below, near the ankles, along the perimeter of the clothing was a red wide with human palm embroidery strip with a woven golden thread, which gave the clothes of the keeper of the temple of the Oracle a rich decoration. The same embroidery ended with wide sleeves at the wrists of the hands. The head of the priest was clean-shaven. The eyes were summed up in black, emphasizing the gleam of the pupils, which made it difficult to tear off the view, which gave the priest a hypnotic advantage of influencing the interlocutor and the ability to subordinate him to his will. The room was cool and full of spicy honey smells, mixed with the smell of wax and incense incense.

– Greetings to you a descendant of the tribe of the priests expelled from the temple of Shiva Nataraja, that in Hindustan and who found refuge here in the oasis of Amun. I am the supreme priest of the temple of Lord Shiva from the shores of the Indus, brought you a sacred gift that must be preserved in the labyrinth of treasures, along with priceless treasures stored in the bowels of this sacred place. Accept and preserve this divine gift there. With these words, Kshatr unfolded the cloth, and the crown gleamed with a pomegranate ruby sparkle, the stones interspersed with leaves in a frame of black metal.

– About! cried the high priest of the god Amon. «This is the Black Crown of the Gods!» – This priceless relic should be kept here in the temple of the god Zeus-Amon Ra! – he wailed excitedly.

Author’s note:

From the ancient papyrus, the description of the Crown of the Gods – «On a narrow round hoop of black metal, thin, rounded, broadened at the ends black bipartite leaves bent outward. In the three sheets of a slightly larger size, apparently marked the crown, sparkling large scarlet stones, apparently rubies. Above the leaves, the bands of the same black metal were folded inwards. Ahead, where there were rubies, the strip ended with protruding teeth. On each side on the ground, which corresponded to the head on the head, golden discs were embedded in strips. In the center of each disc there were sticks of strange gray color, in the form of short posts, with flat ground ends. They dazzled brilliantly in the sunlight, eclipsing the burning of rubies. Exactly the same stones were embedded in the back strips, joined by two arms above the parietal part of the ornament.

A careful glance could be noticed that the special brilliance of the gray crystals came from the small particles scattered inside the clouds with metallic mirror-like ebb.»

– I am forced to bring this sacrifice here in this place, where the greatest commander of Alexander the Great, the Oracle called the son of the god Zeus-Amon Ra! And the Black Crown of the Gods is meant for a man whose veins are the blood of the gods.

– You, the repository of the relics of the gods, doubted the predictions of the Oracle? – The threatening voice rumbled high priest.

«No, I do not enter into disputes with the gods, for they lead the destinies of mortals.» I brought this gift for storage in a labyrinth of treasures, and ask to place the Black Crown of the Gods in the vault. Kshatr demanded to the keeper.

– I cannot do this, because I do not have a second key to open the door to the labyrinth of treasures. The second key must be kept by Pharaoh of Egypt Ptolemy XII. «Pompously with arrogance,» answered the priest, looking contemptuously at the stranger.

– «It dislikes, and then there is a second copy of the keys.» Those who built the labyrinth certainly took care of this. "Kshatra thought bitterly, and said aloud:

«Today, on the night of the vernal equinox of the twentieth day of the month of Pakhon, Ptolemy XII will be here.» His caravan is approaching the oasis. Give him honors worthy of his royal person. And lead to the labyrinth. Show all the treasures. Give him the opportunity to replenish the treasury, to restore the power of Egypt. And after the place of Ptolemy XII will be occupied by Cleopatra VII, his daughter, do not interfere with replenishing the treasury in times of distress and her. The second half of the key, unlocking the door to the treasury, is with the king, he took him on the road.

– Your priceless relic, oh, the high priest of the temple of Shiva Nataraja, for us it is the divine sign of the god Amon Ra, which gives us the right to keep the crown of the gods. And I, Ur Hem Noether is the supreme keeper of the Oracle temple in the oasis of Siva, I promise you to put a relic of the gods in the vault. We will render a worthy welcome to Ptolemy XII, and his daughter Cleopatra.

Learning About the pilgrimage of Ptolemy XII to the Oracle of the Temple of Zeus-Amon Ra, he replaced the majestic rhetoric of contempt for a constructive dialogue, and the supreme minister of the temple of Amon Ra, the messenger of Kshatra, was warmer.

– I have to you, oh, the most worthy of the worthy Ur Hem Noether, you are the one who speaks with God Amon Ra, and bears the title of the Oracle, which gives you the right to broadcast in the name of the god Zeus-Amon. I need to take in the treasury a little food of the gods, to maintain the strength of the pharaoh, as I will watch his health in the desert.

«I already told you that I do not have a second key from the secret door to the treasury, but I have what you are asking for.» How much do you need? «The priest looked inquiringly into Kshatra’s eyes, waiting for an answer.

«Put me thirty beats (a measure equal to 7.5 grams) of Ambrosia.»

Ur Hem Heter made a sign to the attendant. He approached, bending to the ear of the approaching servant; the high priest whispered something in his ear. Having received the instruction, the minister withdrew. After a while, the returning servant handed the bag with the contents to the high priest.

«That’s what you asked for.» – Pulling a bag of soft leather Kshatra, said Ur Hem Noether, – Here thirty shat Ambrosia, may God save Amon Ra Pharaoh of Egypt.

Passing the Crown of the Gods and with a bag of fiscal gold, which in ancient Egypt was called Ambrosia, received from the high priest of the Temple of the Oracle of Amon Ra, Kshatr stepped down the stairs. There, with a donkey, the servant of the temple was waiting for him. He handed Kshatru the donkey’s reins, bowing low, expressing his respect for such an important guest. Kshatr led the obedient animal to the market square and sold the donkey, slapping his palms on the sides for the last time. The new owner asked:

«Dervish, are you not taking all your bags?»

– There are medicinal herbs and overseas fragrant tea. Dilute with hot water and prepare a pleasant, thirst quencher. To me anymore what for. – Kshatr answered, removing from the donkey a leather bag full of bundles. «Everything else that’s on it is yours, and tea and herbs.»

– I respect the tea here for a fortune; I cannot accept such an expensive product. – frightened the new owner of the donkey.

– You have nothing to worry About, I did not steal this tea, well, you want, take this gift from me as a tribute to you. I am a rich man and I have everything, even if you have a little good for the soul of the goods, it will be pleasant for me to remember that my donkey is in good and good hands. Kshatr said warmly, throwing his bag on his shoulder, and again turned to the merchant: «Tell me, good man, can you buy a good young camel?»

– Yes. You’ll go through the bazaar, behind it there will be a corral for the cattle, where the merchants sell good pack and race camels. There you will find anyone that suits you. – The new owner of the donkey answered, patting the animal on the sides.

«I’m very grateful to you, kind man.» Now I see that my donkey is in good hands.

«Well, if you say so, I’ll accept this gift, thank you.» Be happy and all the best to you, kind person. But the money that I gave you for a donkey is not enough to buy a camel; you need to have a fortune for this. – With a cunning eyebrow and a smile, the trader answered.

«Do not worry About enough money for this.» Kshatr answered calmly. The merchant surprised Kshatra from head to foot with surprise, counting his response with insolence. He was very puzzled by the poor clothes of the donkey’s salesman. But, nevertheless, he began to closely monitor Kshatr, watching which way he would go. And making sure that the poor donkey vendor is moving toward the cattle paddock, he made a sign to the people watching him. Those followed after the man who wanted to buy a camel.

Ksatr carefully examined the camels sold, asked the sellers how often they buy pack animals. The sellers replied that caravans arriving in the oasis needed young and healthy pack animals and that this was not a problem for these places. Kshatr talking with the sellers, surrounded him from all sides, and noticed several people that they came for him and silently, stood at a distance. Deciding that you can always buy a good pack camel, he left the market square.

Kshatr left the capital of the oasis Siva Agurmi, stepping forward to meet the alleged movement of the caravan of the pharaoh. For a while, he watched a string of camels moving toward Agurmi, and then turned to the aircraft standing next to him. I went into it. After a few moments a huge flying saucer soared into the sky and dissolved there, turning into an invisible point…

Cleopatra, sitting in the saddle of a camel, removed the curtains from the canopy. Looking impatiently at the misty distance of the stretching barchans, trying first to see the lands of the oasis. Suddenly a bright flash broke out in the blue of the sky and the sky pierced the lightning. She quickly jumped off the camel and rushed headlong to the horse on which Pharaoh was riding. The caravan driver stopped the camels; all froze in superstitious fear, waiting for what Pharaoh would say.

«Father!» – Cried the princess, approaching Avletu, – Zeus-thundered gives us a sign, you saw the lightning that the star swept over the barchans?! Exclaimed Cleopatra excitedly.

«I did not hear the thunder, it’s a good sign.» Zeus-Amon Ra gave a friendly gesture to us. This means that we are under his full patronage and that we are on the right track, my daughter. Go, you have nothing to worry About; we will soon be in Agurmi.

Cleopatra, encouraged by the words of Ptolemy, with the help of a guide, sat down under a canopy in the camel’s saddle, and the caravan moved on. Soon after the barchans at the horizon there were beams of green tops of date palms. The path of the caravan was nearing its end.

At the end of the day a caravan of the pharaoh appeared in the vicinity of the oasis…

Kshatr appeared to the Supreme Curator of the Solar System with a report of the work done on Pharaoh Ptolemy XII and his daughter Cleopatra. Entering the Curator’s residence, he went under the vigilant accompaniment of the security robots to the reception room. Before Kshatr the doors of the door opened, allowing the priest to enter the waiting room. An invisible barrier stopped Kshatra, and immediately he saw on himself a thin ligature of the rays of the scanning device that slid over it, looking for harmful viruses and unwanted objects that could cause harm. When the suspicious was not found, the invisible wall disappeared, and Kshatr walked to the door of the office. As always, at his desk from the green translucent stone sat Curator with a friendly smile.

– Greetings to you Supreme Curator Theo! Arrived from the oasis Siva, report on the completed task.

«Greetings, Priest Kshatra.» I know everything you’ve done and I’m grateful.

– I am glad to serve the Galactic Coalition for the sake of the prosperity of the Earth and the Solar System.

«Ptolemy will receive a lethal dose of radiation from the radioactive radiation of the Black Crown.» You have to save his life, as long as possible.

– Why, your supremacy, the Coalition decided on this step?

– Ptolemy XII knowingly bears the nickname Avlet. He is not so much a ruler as an artist. The hope of Egypt in a strong ruler and this ruler will be Cleopatra. And the extinction of her father before her eyes will be a strong incentive to absorb the knowledge of the art of governing a huge country. To preserve independence at the level of the power of Rome. I see in the young princess and the mind, and willpower, and the courage of a strong ruler in preserving the descendants of the civilization of the Phaeton.

– What do I have to do next? Ksatr asked.

«Return to Ptolemy as a Witch Doctor.» Extend his life as much as it will be possible after this exposure to the Black Crown…

Chapter Seven

– It must be stopped! A trip to Hindustan will destroy Alexander the Great. – Said the high priest of the temple of the god Marduk. «We, the council of the elders of the supreme temple of the god Marduk in the capital of the Persian kingdom, have gathered you here.» Babylon will receive you the wisest of the wise. You, who have arrived from four corners of the globe, to realize the most important decision. How to stop the bloodshed and suffering of the conquered peoples, in the event that he dies at the peak of his glory? Unavoidably, strife and strife in the lands conquered by them will follow. Speak thou a wise man from the northern latitudes. – We adhere to peaceful and noble deeds. And we will never take action that harms a person. I do not want Alexander the Great evil, I can only say that his worst enemy is the fall. Sin can kill. I’m sorry for the glorious invincible commander. I’ve finished. – The wise man inclined his gray head in a sign of sorrow, leaning with both hands on the staff. His long gray hair was strewn across his shoulders, on the gray fabric of his cloak, a long gray beard covered his arms, falling along his staff.

«What do you say, sage from the west?» – said the priest in a white Arabian foodie made of soft linen cloth, turning his shaven head to the Chaldean sage.

– We are the custodians of knowledge of our people do not wish evil to any of the people. As well as the sage from the northern land, I tend to believe that only sin can bring Macedonian mortal danger. – Said the sage, shaking black as a pitch, beard, covered with a black cloak with a hood covering his head.

«What do you say, High Priest from the East?» – With these words the priest of the temple of Marduk turned his shaven head to the sage from the East.

«It is a great honor for me to take part in a secret meeting of the greatest of the great sages who came from the North, the West, and the South.» Well, let my voice also be heard by the god Shiva Nataraja, who destroys the auras and demons with his dance Tandava during the spring solstice, to purify the aura of the world from accumulated sins by man. May the great god Shiva and Alexander, the greatest of the great generals of the world, resist the fall. – Said the priest of the temple of Shiva Nataradzhda from Hindustan. He was in the clothes of the Indians, seemed quite frail. His not high growth, like a teenager’s, huge brown eyes, with an intelligent and serious gaze, betrayed in him a man who was wise and experienced the life experience of the priest.

«What will you answer, sage of the Southern latitudes?» – asked the Indian who asked to the sage with an aquiline nose and an ornament from feathers on his head. The white hair of an Indian with his temples descended to his shoulders braided in two braids.

«The spirits of my ancient Maya people and the spirits of our sages tell me that only the sinless and pure deeds of Alexander the Great can help him live a long and full of life full of good intentions. However, man is not sinless. He will be destroyed by sin. I said everything.

– So, how to be? – asked the priest of the temple of Marduk.

– In our Shiva temple, the Black Crown of the Gods is kept. «The high priest of the temple of Shiva Nataraja took the floor, the sage from the east. – Alexander will step on the conquest of India, tempted by a crown giving power over the world, to someone who dares to hoist it on his head.

«Before, he will enter Egypt.» – The wise man began to speak from the West. – There, the Oracle of the temple of Amon Ra in the oasis of Siva will proclaim him the son of the god Zeus-Amon Ra and this will give the conqueror strength and confidence in his invincibility. He will step on the conquest of India, to become the master of the world on his own; will try on the Black Crown of the Gods. But the crown can only be put on his head by the one with the blood of the gods flowing in his veins. Sons of mortals cannot even touch the Black Crown without negative consequences for themselves.

– In Hindustan, the epidemic of malaria is spreading; the sage from the South began to say. «He will fall ill with this disease, we should warn the commander About this.»

– Returning from India, Alexander will feast, and enjoy all the temptations that are only available to a person who has everything to fulfill any desire. From this, his immunity will drop dramatically, and malaria can kill him. «The sorcerer began to speak with sadness,» I do not wish him to die with all my heart. But I cannot help, because he will not listen to me and will not accept my advice not to invade India.

«Well, so be it, for no one can escape from fate.» What cannot be avoided? – Finished his speech priest of the temple of Marduk. He said goodbye to the wise men, the aircraft waiting for the wise men in the inner courtyard of the temple. Ksatr, driving a flying disk, brought each of them to his abode…

The sun was still shining over the distant barchans and tops of the date gardens when the high priest of the sanctuary of Amon Ur Hem Heter stepped out onto the terrace of the temple. He put his hand to his forehead and peered into the distance. There, a string, akin to the thrown by God on sand dunes of beads, the caravan stretched out, which moved to the oasis.

«Your path is close.» – Said the priest aloud, turned to the doorway of the door leading to the sanctuary, and disappeared there to prepare for the ceremony of meeting the pharaoh…

Cleopatra, exhausted by a long transition, could no longer sit in the saddle of a camel and leaped impatiently onto the soft sand, went to her father.

– I saw in the distance a green of date gardens, covering almost the entire horizon. And in the middle, this green, towers the structure of the temple on a rock. I just cannot believe, Father, that our way will soon end.

Ptolemy looked at his daughter with paternal tenderness, as they looked like characters. Like her, he could not sit in the saddle when he saw the first tops of palms, got off his horse. Slowly moving along with the caravan, as a simple camel driver.

«We will meet with the priests of the temple of Amon Ra before we go on vacation.» And at night I will go into the sanctuary to the Oracle to ask what awaits us?

«Father, will you take me with you?» Cleopatra asked cautiously.

«Yes, I will take you with me, even if it violates the canons of the sanctuary of Amun.» We will still go there together, because you will rule Egypt after me.

Ptolemy looked into the distance, at the palm trees already visible and the walls rising on the rock of the temple.

«Father, tell me, it was not for nothing that you went so hard to just ask the Oracle About our destiny.» What really made you do this transition?

– Black Crown of the Gods from the temple in India, a lost relic from the treasury of Alexander the Great, which he inherited as a military trophy. He entrusted the crown of the gods with him to the sarcophagus.

– How could she be at the priests of the temple of Amun here in the heart of the Libyan Sahara desert? The princess asked curiously.

– All in due time the daughter. – Pharaoh left the answer. «I brought you here so that you would learn a lot About what will give you power and power to rule Egypt when I do not.»

«Father, you are still young and full of strength, and so often you tell me About my government.» – Cleared Cleopatra.

«After our exile, as a crow flies over the body of a wounded warrior, a flock of robbers of Romans of all colors attack Egypt, we need to be prepared for anything that does not happen.» – With a sigh answered the daughter of Avlet.

The panorama of palm gardens opened to the caravan’s eyes with lush vegetation and the blue of large lakes. The terrain sloped downward, forming a wide valley around the rock on which the temple of the Oracle of Amun Ra is erected, as if hovering over the tops of date palms and olive trees.

The sands were gradually replaced by stony soil, and the lush date and olive gardens left the horizon. Approaching the gardens, the palms almost completely concealed the temple, their tops.

Between the two gardens of date palms on the caravan’s path, suddenly a huge round pool was laid out with hewn stones, with a stepped staircase descending directly into the water. Soldiers guarding, tied their horses to palm trees, and in clothes began to throw from the shore directly into the water. Some of them could not swim, and went to the bottom, crying for help. The comrades helped them to get ashore. There were incredible, joyful cries from the heavenly bliss of ablution with cool water. Ptolemy and his daughter were standing on the slabs of the pool with smiles on their faces. Cleopatra suddenly took off her blue veil, remaining in a white tunic, ran down the stairs to the pool and began to scream and laugh in the pool water. Two guards standing on both hands of the pharaoh, watched with tension the princess, threatening the soldiers, so as not to dare to approach the royal person. Finally the soldiers noticed Cleopatra. They began to get out of the water on the stone slabs of the opposite shore and shout out so that Pharaoh could hear them:

«Thank God, Amon Ra, who sent us the pool of Princess Cleopatra?»

The princess heard her name in the Egyptian dialect, shouted back:

– Peace to the people of Egypt and prosperity, be it to you!

She got out of the water, and, going up to her father, said:

«I have such bliss as here in these waters of the basin, called by the people my name just now, I have never felt. Truly it is necessary to pass through the desert to plunge into these divine waters, which give healing to the decline of forces from the sand of hell.

Pharaoh indulgently turned his head towards his daughter and majestically replied:

«Come, the priests of the sanctuary of the Oracle await us.» – Having said this, Ptolemy turned towards the city, through which Pharaoh and his daughter had to go, accompanied by two guards to the temple. Cleopatra gave her veil to a slave girl who served her on the way and herself in a wet yet tunic followed her father to the capital of the oasis of Agurmi.

Security soldiers were engaged with a representative of local officials, who was engaged in caravan accommodation and accommodation.

The road again went up, and the roofs of the houses were already visible above the high city wall. From the Cleopatra’s basin with the date palm garden, Pharaoh and her daughter, accompanied by two guards, walked unhurriedly to the city wall, along the road trampled by the pickers of dates and olives from the gardens that grow on its both sides. Earlier, the horses and camels of the caravan were arranged, arranging them for rest, while the soldiers and Cleopatra splashed in the pool. Pharaoh and his companions entered the wide open city gates, skillfully made from palm tree and painted in blue. All houses were made from a clay straw mixture with manure that became hard in the sun like a rock. The road led to the square where the pilgrims saw before the benches of hay, the camels were chewing the food slowly. The horses of the guard snorted beside the tether. Leather bags with oats are fixed at horse mouths.

The road became steeper, until it hit the high wall of the temple complex, which began on the right and left of the wide staircase that led to the terrace at the entrance to the sanctuary of the Oracle.

Pharaoh and her daughter walked through the open gate of the gate and, with the steps of a wide staircase, climbed to the terrace, where eleven priests in white linen clothes and long dresses until they met them. To the right and to the left of the lined priests, two clerks with censers with smoking incense, from time to time, swapped places, fumigating their row with the smoke of the censers. In the middle stood the high priest of the temple of Zeus-Amon Ra. His white robe was with a rich embroidery trimmed with gold threads at the feet around. All the priests without exception had shaved heads and masculine eyes.