Scarab

All of my life, I have been fascinated by Ancient Egypt. When I was around twenty
years old, my mother took my three younger sisters and me to a Psychic Fair in center
city. I did not tell the psychic that I was born in the 7th month, the 11th day, with
a Caul (Veil) at the time. The woman told me that I was a very old soul and that she
felt the strong presence of Pharaoh Hatshepsut around me. At the time, I had never
heard of Hatshetsup. She also insisted that I would become 'rich, beyond my wildest
dreams'. In any event, I totally dismissed what the psychic said and never gave it
another thought...not for nearly 50 years.

Half-way through 'Althrop of Green Hedges', I suddenly had the strong desire to start
work on another story. That story was to become 'SCARAB'. It was as if I was being
directed by a personal Muse who provided me with a vivid picture of people and
happenings I had no way of knowing about at the time.

It was while I was sitting in my hospital room, eating food for the first time in a week
(having been on IV's and oxygen until my own personal miracle happened) that I
turned on the TV (it was 2AM) and watched a three hour documentary about King
Tut, Hatshepsut and Senmut.

I discovered that the relationship between the Pharaoh Hatshepsut and her beloved
architect, was true. Archaeologists had discovered Senmut's tomb built below that
of the Pharaoh's (sacrilege) and that workers on his tomb had carved ancient graffiti
(showing the architect 'doing her Highness from the rear'., etched on the outer wall.
I had learned that the Ancient Egyptians believed that to speak one's name after he/
she had passed over into the after-life', was to re-awaken their spirits and allow them
to be reborn.

Suddenly, that psychic's words long ago made perfect sense to me. It is my belief that
Hatshepsut waited all those years for me to tell her love story so that people would
again speak her name and that of her lover, Senmut...that they might find each other
again and have a second chance for happiness. As it is written, so shall it be.