The silence in the room was almost deafening.
Nabonidus, almost ashamed, opened his mouth to speak, with his breath shaking, like he had seen a ghost, "my king do you not like it?"
suddenly, everybody began clapping, cheering and shouting, admist the crowd you can hear them whisper,
"ahh, such wisdom for one man"
some in outmost astonishment, whisper,
"it is extremely beautiful"
whiles the women will not help, but wink at him and roll their hairs, showing great signs to be noticed by the great poet.
but, only a few people understood what he meant by peom he just sang.
"you surprise me all the time Nabonidus, tell me how do you do this things?" The king sincerely desires to know,
"Tell me, how does a king rule?" Nabonidus poses to the king,
King Sargon replied "I do not know, it just comes from within I think",
"it is same and even so for me my king", Nabonidus replied.
"well then, everybody may return", King Sargon loudly commands facing the crowd, demonstrating with his right hand to the door.
Nabonidus and his team as the rest of the people in the palace parking up to go, the king insisted, "not you Nabonidus, come with me", the king said
The king took Nabonidus to a long line of beautiful trees, the fall of each leaf, was like a soft gold, with many glitters, each being hit by a ray of beautiful sunlight, it was so slow, watching each leaf fall to the ground.
beautiful female dancers where underneath them, playing the harp, and the string instrument, it is sorrowful and beautiful, there is no laughter here, only pain, displayed in the dancing and playing of this women.
" this is overwhelming", The king, abruptly interrupting the most beautiful view from the eyes of Nabonidus,
"this is my most loved place in all of Babylon, it is the most beautiful to me, I know, Nabonidus, you can speak of many more places, more beautiful, probably, the artist mansion, even of the poets street, or the dying music of the Chaldeans,
but I find here soothing and terrible at thesame time, I always come here to think and then select a concubine",
The king paused, looking at Nabonidus expecting a reaction, did not get any reaction from him,
"I thought I was funny Nabonidus"
"Oh my king, pardon your servant, I am simply carried away, by your speech and this place", Nabonidus replied.
"I have brought you here, to ask you two questions, and I will get to it, I understand you are a busy man, tell me in your sincerity, I pray you, am I a bad king?
"My king", Nabonidus speaks: "I remember the first time I entered your palace, it was said to me that my poetry has earned me the ear of the king, there's no one that possesses fear in the world, that had it more than me that day,
but as I entered, I began to see the beautiful carvings, so realistic, some where made from bronze, gold, silver and precious stones, the glamour of the city became widen, I must magnify my heart, but then as I was just about to put myself to enjoy the sculptures,
I saw the powerful paintings, looking at the King's wall, some of those paintings people can no longer speak of the deep meaning that follows it.
it was something else, and when I finally arrived at your face, I noticed, something in me was gone, it was my fear, it disappeared, because I realized that you are an artist like me...
King Sargon interrupted him, "the poetry you played that day still burdens me till now", they both laughed.
"My king, everyone has fear in them, but that fear, can become our evil, the reason the people tame us bad, there are beautiful things we do, and sometimes, those things then scar people for ever, they will never forgive you.
it is those little things that disqualify us, it mustn't take much: I remember one of the king of Israel, his name was Saul, he was a good King, serving his God, and then this God, asked him to utterly destroy the Amalakites, leaving nothing alive.
he did so, but yet selected the fat ox to sacrifice for his God, and his God disqualified him for keeping just those animals alive, quickly was another king anointed over him, yet he was alive, there's no king without a mistake.
"That is alot to take in", the king replied, taking a deep breath, "here is my second question, tell me the meaning of your poetry today, I have wondered dearly as to what it means, please tell me I pray you"
Nabonidus reluctant to speak, Sargon observing him said to him, "fear not Nabo, I am in need of help"
Nabonidus replied, "my king, i mean no disrespect, I honour your crown, I have written that poetry to remember kalumtum,
there was honour in his believes, but it was collected from him, wisdom was in his mouth, but it is too late to hear him talk,
death is that storm that takes away the best from us, and death comes as men, as kings, as excuses, as mistakes for some, it also comes as a choice.
"kalumtums death disqualified you from your throne, my king do you not see it? do you not pick the scent already? Your season comes to an end, not because of anything you did, but because your time has ended...
And during end times mistakes are bound to happen...
"Nabonidus, I have done many things wrong" the king replied, interrupting Nabonidus again,
"there was a war we fought against the Ethiopians, while other Kingdoms and Nations fight with canons, knives, swords,spears and arrows, we the Babylonians we fight with magic and wealth.
the Ethiopians had secret and cunning inventions, things stored away, things that if in the hands of the wrong people you can damage the world, even their magic, although it was small, nothing compared to ours.
we would have lost that battle, all we wanted from them was to teach us their natural way of living, their natural herbs that closed the mouth of large wounds, even books of bringing the dead to life, but we only needed their knowledge of nature, but then we were loosing,
my daughter the high priestess of inanna, she learnt her way with swords, she was swift in battle, her name is...
Well I can not utter her name, not any more, maybe not now, the king looking so sad bent his head, "maybe not today"
"The Ethiopians fought like mad men that day, using magic and swords, but just as the battle was about to be collected from our hands,
I began to hear a voice, so I thought, but it was the entire battle field, it was my daughter, with sword in her hands, her knees in defeat, but her voice raised a song,
a song to Inanna, it's supposed to be harmless, but that song invited the spirit of inanna, then it started, the bones of the Ethiopians began to crack and break, so much so that there began to fled the battle field, retreating.
she saved our lives that day, but we lost still, yes, because till today I still have no knowledge of the secret of the Ethiopians,
but I wasn't grateful, at least for my life, I considered myself a god, in my intoxication I will scream, "Sargon the god has arrived" those in my palace heard me say it, and my daughter, i... I..
(the king releasing a sigh of relieve, yet filled with so much guilt and shame)
"what now happens to the man that have done something wrong, something so terrible?"
Nabonidus, in great shock understood what he has done and how he felt, quietly replied, "My king, If it doesn't befall you, then it will surely come as a curse to your generation,
often I have heard people say, "at least I won't be around to see their failure, in my time I won"
In my much thought, I have concluded, it takes a stupid son to ruin the legacy of his father, and in death people will send curses to his name, his grave will become an irritation,
his name will grow as reproach and soon it will be forgotten, It is more torture for the dead if you ask me",
Nabonidus noticing that the king had left him there, was surprised, "when did he... Oh Sargon, you are indeed funny."
N/B: IF YOU LIKE IT, PLEASE DO WELL TO SUPPORT ME, THANK YOU SO MUCH