Less than a second passed between the lightning's appearance and its strike. Many people had not even realized what had happened.
A few seconds later, those who understood began to scream. The crowd surged, and people shoved one another as they backed away.
The commotion drew the attention of the soldiers in dark green combat uniforms. Weapons in hand, they pushed through the crowd toward the lion.
The lion and the lightning had already given them an impression of supernatural power. From what they had seen on television, people wielding such power could boil seas. But as Egyptian soldiers and followers of Sekhmet, they would never allow anyone to disrupt a celebration this important, even at the cost of their lives.
Having punished those who had offended him, the majestic lion ignored the approaching soldiers. He fixed his golden eyes on Catherine, opened his jaws, and gave an elegant smile. "Beautiful, alluring lioness goddess Sekhmet, might I have the honor of being your lover and spending your mating season with you?"
A lion speaking human words should have been a shocking, mythic sight. But what he said ignited the anger of everyone present.
"How dare you insult the great Lady Sekhmet!"
"Blasphemy! This is blatant blasphemy! Whoever you are, however powerful you may be, we Egyptians will never make peace with you. I, Aharenibo, swear that one day I will carve the flesh from your body piece by piece and offer it to the great Sekhmet!"
"Heretic! I curse you in the name of the gods! After death, your soul will fall into the Underworld, never to be reborn!"
The Egyptian Priests surrounding Catherine glared like Fanatics whose Faith had been defiled. They poured out their fury at the lion and proclaimed their devotion to their goddess.
If these Priests