Page 26 of Ra
“Are you well?” he finally asked when she actually began to look pained.
“I hope so,” she muttered before she shook her head. “Okay. Let’s look at it like this… if you see something you want or need, in order to get it, you must buy it. Instead of giving people your favor, you give them money. They have what you need, they give it to you, you give them money, not favor.”
“So, money would be my favor, rather than my approval.”
“Yes. They offer you clothing. You choose only the pieces you want to wear, and they tell you how much money you will give them. You give them the money, and then they can use the money to purchase other things that they need.”
“Ahhh! In that way, I am helping them acquire all they need without my powers!”
“Yes! See? It works!”
“I do see! I understand. Take me to the place of the money and I’ll take all that I need,” he said, striding confidently out of the front door and slamming it behind himself.
“No! Wait!” she cried out, running after him. “They’ll put you in jail for that! It’s called bank robbery!”
Azi yanked the door open and ran after him. “Ra! Ra! You can’t just go demand money! They’ll put you in jail! It’s called robbery!”
“No, it is all mine anyway. Everything is!”
“Ra, please. Come inside. Put on some suitable clothes. We will go buy you your own clothes…”
“And some for you as well for your presentation,” he said happily.
“Some for me, too. And I’ll try to explain as we go why you can and can’t do certain things. Alright?”
“I do not want to put on other clothes at this time. I’m comfortable.”
“Ra, please.”
“Why? I am going to find new clothes. I do not need to put on different clothes now. I will soon be wearing different clothes anyway.”
“Ra…” she said, shaking her head again.
“Ah, I am beginning to see, Azenath. I do see. You do not wish for other females to see me without my body covered. It is too enticing for you, and you fear that other females will feel the same and not be able to withstand their need for me.”
This time her eyes actually did cross. “Yes. Yes, that’s it. I don’t want other females to see you without your body fully covered.”
“There is no need for worry, Azenath. I am not in the market for concubines at this time. Let us get your presentation taken care of first, then I shall worry about concubines. I will even consider you first,” he said pleasantly as though bestowing a gift on her. “I shall put more clothes on now,” he said as he walked past her and toward the house.
Azi fisted her hands at her sides and clenched her jaw to prevent herself from snapping and saying something to undo thelittle progress she’d made in talking him into putting on clothes. “Dear god,” she whispered.
“Very well! Dear god and dear Azenath we shall be.”
Azi heard Ra open the door and walk back inside the house. She allowed her head to fall forward, her chin almost riding on her chest as she followed him back inside, too frustrated to even lift her head to look where she was going.
Chapter 7
“Remove the glass so that I may wave to the people, dear Azenath!” Ra insisted as he pressed his face against the window again.
“Ra, they don’t want to wave to you. They’re just trying to get to wherever it is they’re going.”
“They will rejoice at my blessings upon them,” he said petulantly.
“We’re in a hurry. Maybe you can bless them later.”
“I don’t think you understand the position I hold,” he muttered, turning his body to face forward and flopping back into his seat with his arms crossed.
“Look, you need to understand something. You can’t be advertising to everyone you meet who you actually are. If you do, they’ll do one of two things. They’ll either take you to an insane asylum and lock you up where you’ll never be free again, or they’ll panic, thinking it’s the end of the world and all the old gods are coming back and it’ll be every man for himself. Neither is a good thing.”
