The Sun Gods Woman Part 2

In front of the control panel, Annie Lynden was busily typing in her destination codes. She'd already

entered her ID, pa.s.sword, social security number, and an a.s.sortment of other coded information that told Merlin she was actually who she said she was.

Apparently he had believed her as he was now humming contentedly.

She turned, having caught a slight sound. Listening, she tried to hear it again, but there was nothing.

Focusing back on her project, she ran down the checklist again. There were several pages of detailed

instructions, and it took her quite a bit of time to make sure all was as it should be.

d.a.m.n it, there was that sound again. Almost like a moan.

Annie half turned in the chair, and didn't notice Merlin or the fact that he was looking a little more perky

than he had ten minutes ago. In fact, if she had bothered to look closely, she might have even noticed that he was glowing.

A definite moan came from the shadows at the back of the lab."That's it," muttered Annie. "I'll be d.a.m.ned if I'm waiting any longer for this viewing time. I don't carewho's back there, I'm going ahead."

She turned back to her keyboard and entered the final sequence of numbers destined to open a channel

to the year 1810.

Looking up at the screen anxiously, she completely missed the fact that Merlin was now looking like Tinkerbell on steroids.

The screen flickered and began to lighten.

Images appeared, but they didn't look much like London in the Regency. There seemed to be a verybright sky, desert sands perhaps, a palm tree or two...what the h.e.l.l was this?Annie frowned.Behind the rack of electronics equipment, Kimmy gave a final sob and came violently as Mark thrust into her one last time to achieve the most monumental climax he could remember having in his entire life.

Merlin screamed his joy and latched onto the nearest living thing.

Annie disappeared.

Chapter 2.

It had to be the worst hangover she'd ever had. Annie Lynden's head was throbbing to the point of agony, and her stomach was upside down and threatening to come out of her ears if she moved.

She was scared to moan, the sound might kill her.

Suddenly a gentle hand laid a cool soft cloth on her forehead. Thank G.o.d. She must be in a hospital. Her addled thoughts worked through the equation...MERLIN, the lab, some kind of explosion and- hospital.

Relaxing, she sighed with pleasure as the cloth stroked its way across her face and down her neck onto her naked b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

Whoa. Naked b.r.e.a.s.t.s?What the h.e.l.l kind of hospital was this? Very carefully, she raised one eyelid. She shut it again just ascarefully.

There was a half naked woman next to her bed.This was really weird.Annie thought for a few moments, and decided to risk both eyelids this time.Bad move.

There were other women near her bed and they were completely naked.

A moan seemed appropriate at this point.

"Relax, n.o.ble One, all will be well." The cloth resumed its soothing trek over her body, and Annie

clenched her eyes shut against the absurdity of it all.

"I know you are awake and probably feeling quite dreadful, but if you could just sip some water, you'd do much better."

An arm worked its way behind her and raised her slightly, and a cool cup pressed against her lips. In

spite of her reservations, Annie drank, hesitantly at first, and then thirstily as the cold water slipped down her parched throat.

She lay back and finally opened her eyes.

"I'm heavily medicated, aren't I?"It was the only option she could imagine as she gazed slowly around her. Her headache was receding,but it felt lousy enough to completely preclude the possibility that she was dead. Dead people didn't getthumping migraines.

Nor did they open their eyes onto a scene right out of a Hollywood epic.

Tall pillars soared to the ceiling of the room in which Annie lay. Mosaic tiles decorated just about everything, and a breeze was blowing gently across her bed. A warm breeze that smelled-different.

She turned her head and gasped.

There was no window next to her, just an opening in the wall framed by long panels of gauzy fabric. But

it wasn't the lack of a window that stopped Annie's heart for a moment or two.It was the scene beyond that froze her in her tracks."Oh s.h.i.+tttt..." she breathed.All tan and gold and brown, a huge ziggurat dominated the horizon, its steps covered with lush foliage.

Decorations sparkled and glittered from the walls, and there seemed to be a lot of people walking up and

down the enormous staircase leading to the entrance. Palm trees surrounded it and were scattered all over the gardens nearby. Her view outside was framed by a shrub with some kind of brilliant white flower on it and a man leading a camel strolled down the street outside the house. The heat of the day made the distant views s.h.i.+mmer, the sky was cloudless, and Annie had never seen anything that looked less like her home.

"Where the h.e.l.l am I?"A low chuckle greeted her words. "Welcome to Sumer, n.o.ble One.""I'm not your n.o.ble One," answered Annie, saying the first thing that came into her mind."Indeed you are. What else would you call yourself? We found you on the very center point of the Circle of the Moon, you have hair the color of moonlight, and eyes that rival the sky in the moments after sunset. Your arrival has been foretold for many years in our legends. How can you doubt that you are the daughter of the Moon G.o.ddess, sent to help us in our time of need?"

Annie closed her eyes, digesting this speech. Nope, didn't compute. Waaaay too far out. She had to be on some really heavy dope.

"My name is not 'n.o.ble One'," she said, quietly but firmly. "My name is Annie Lynden. Or it was until a short time ago."

"Welcome Annilin," said the woman.

Annie sighed.

"I have to face this. I really have to face this. It's probably a drug-induced fantasy, but I have to face it. The only other answer is that I've been...thrown back...in time..." Her voice trailed off as she put two and two together and came up with about four thousand. Years, that is.

G.o.dd.a.m.ned friggin' Merlin...he'd sent her back through time to Sumer. Not the Regency, where she could have coped quite nicely, thank you. She could probably have handled the French Revolution, or even the court at Versailles. But ancient Sumer? What in blazes did she know about ancient Sumer? She' d taken one lousy course in Sumerian culture and that was only because the guy she'd been in l.u.s.t with at the time had signed up for it.

This, to make the mental understatement of all time, was not good.

She opened her eyes and took stock of her situation.

Beside her bed was a woman, looking down at her with concern in her eyes and a drinking vessel with water in it clasped between her hands.

Seeing Annie's gaze, she smiled.

"I am Ens.h.i.+lla, servant of the Moon G.o.ddess. These are my handmaidens..." She waved elegant hands at several young women who were fluttering about at the far end of the room. It appeared that fas.h.i.+on was not a problem in Sumer-no one bothered to wear much of anything.

Ens.h.i.+lla was at least partially covered. A wrap skirt of sorts was slung around her hips and held in place with a heavily jeweled belt. She wore a heavy choker of similar design, and a large half-moon swung down between her ample b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Her nipples were quite dark, and Annie wondered if they had been hennaed.

Realizing that her mind must be functioning, if she could wonder about henna and nipples, Annie tried sitting up.

The room swam for a few seconds, but then righted itself.

Ens.h.i.+lla was at her side helping her. "Take it slowly, Annilin. You will be dizzy for a while. It is the effect of being sent here from the G.o.ddess' home. The last n.o.ble One to arrive this way was very ill. You are lucky, or possibly stronger, being a woman." Ens.h.i.+lla's lips quirked at this statement, and Annie couldn't resist the urge to smile back. It appeared as if feminism was universal, regardless of the time period.

"There have been others to arrive like me?"

"Just one. Our Shepherd. You will meet him at the Festival. But now we must get you on your feet and well again."

Wanting to ask more questions, but knowing that Ens.h.i.+lla was right, Annie allowed herself to be helped to her feet and across the room. The tiles were warm beneath her bare skin, and the air comfortable. She knew she was lucky to be indoors, because she would have roasted outside in the hot sun. The naked handmaidens scattered at her approach and revealed a beautiful bath, large and inlaid with exquisite tile work. There was a delicious scent coming from the water and soft linen cloths laid to the side. Obviously this had been prepared for her.

Mmm, thought Annie. It's good to be a G.o.ddess.

There was easily room for ten people in the bath, which could have doubled for a small swimming pool.

Annie noted an inflow pipe that permitted a trickle of water to continually replenish the tub, and putting her hands beneath it discovered it to be warm.

"It is warmed by the rays of our Sun G.o.d, Annilin," said Ens.h.i.+lla, watching Annie's movements and

guessing her thoughts."Very clever," smiled Annie.Everybody got into the tub."Oh, I...um...well, isn't this fun?"Ens.h.i.+lla had dropped her skirt and jewelry and stepped into the bath with Annie and the other four women. "We will be honored to wash you, n.o.ble Annilin," she said, bringing the cloths closer."I...er, well, thank you," said Annie, not sure what protocol demanded when naked in a tub with five women from four thousand years in the past. This wasn't covered by any reference books she'd come across.

Hands covered in scented lather swept over her body, and it seemed as though there were a heck of a

lot more than five people in the tub all of a sudden. Much attention was paid to Annie's hair, with lots of oohing and aahing over its texture and color.

Annie barely avoided a face full of lather by dodging an over-enthusiastic handmaiden.

"If you will allow me, Annilin..." Ens.h.i.+lla grasped Annie's thighs and pulled them apart."Whoa there, your Elegance, Ma'am, we don't do that where I come from." Annie slammed her legsshut tighter than a new pair of scissors.

"But Annilin, you are the representative of the Moon G.o.ddess..."

"Yes. I got that bit. White hair, pale skin, the eye thing..." answered Annie, inching back and away fromthose eager hands."The Moon G.o.ddess, Annilin...""I'm missing a few little details here, aren't I?"Ens.h.i.+lla sighed. "Annilin, your mistress must have bestowed forgetfulness upon you as you traveled to the temple." She brushed a lock of her hair away from her shoulders and straightened herself in the water. "Now pay attention."Annie suddenly flashed back to elementary school. She hoped there wouldn't be a quiz later.

"The Moon G.o.ddess is a very important member of our Pantheon. She is wors.h.i.+pped for her beauty, and also her gifts to us, her humble children. She gives us darkness that we may rest from our labors..."

"She gives us the rhythm of our time that we may know when to reap and sow..." continued another maiden.

"She gives us the rhythm of our bodies that we may know when we are to bear our children..."