Steampunk Cleopatra
By Thaddeus Thomas
Amani, a companion of Cleopatra, seeks to rediscover Egypt's suppressed science and history. She is the beloved of her princess become queen, but that may not be enough to overcome the system they've inherited. If she fails, her country and Cleopatra, both, could fall. History meets fantasy, and together, they create something new. Experience an intelligent thriller about star-crossed lovers and an ancient science that might have been.
Excerpt
In the glow of moon and torchlight, I stood before the statue of Serapis as it coddled three-headed Cerberus. The temple doors opened. Theodotus entered, and I caught a glimpse of Andros, shadows tracing the perfect contours of his face. His cheek and scalp blushed with the kiss of torchlight, and I found myself transfixed, staring, once more aware of what had slipped away while I scourged myself with grief. The doors closed.
Theodotus moved past me and triggered the idol's mechanism with a coin. Serapis released a tiny scroll, and it slid down the ramp into the bowl. He read the paper aloud.
A bountiful family is the reward of a well-tended marriage.
I tensed. If Theodotus knew Pharaoh was dead, he had chosen the message well.
He slipped Serapis's tiny scroll into my hand. “How many barren couples returned to tear down the god who failed them?”
“None.”
“None,” he said. “Not in Alexandria. They wait forever in the promise of future blessings, but the oracle is fake. Serapis is a lie. So, what would be the right thing to do? Does the righteous soul have faith in these scribbles, or does she tear down this abomination?”
“What are you saying?”
“I'm saying Amani is a good person, too good for Alexandria.”
“That's not reasonable.”
“When we recognize someone as good, we mean that person is beneficial to the smooth running of the system,” he said. “We don't mean someone's objectively good, but that they're a good disciple of Serapis, like yourself. You’ve served Ptolemy since his return, faithfully and dutifully. Yet, this is the man who murdered Dio, the love of your life. Was what he did righteous? No, it was evil. So, what of us? Is it righteous to serve him?”
He waited for me to answer, and, though I was a master in the art of debate, I found myself silenced.
“For us, the survival of the Ptolemaic dynasty, the continuation of the system, is the ultimate goal,” he said. “Maybe we even convince ourselves it's the ultimate good. Do you suppose Amani will see it that way?”
“Supporting Pharaoh is the righteous thing to do,” I said.
“We deserve to rule?” he asked.
“We do.”
“Why?” he asked.
“When Alexander came, Egypt welcomed him. They gave us the kingdom, and they've prospered under us.”
Theodotus put another coin in the cup. Serapis repeated his routine. “We repeat the mythology that defends the system, but if we're honest, we know better. Our allegiance isn't to Egypt. Egypt is something we possess, something we control, and we build our systems to keep it under our control.”
“We all make our compromises,” I said. “It's the only way.”
“It's the only way to thrive in the system we've built,” he said, “and that is why we are not good people, you and I. We did not build the system for good people, only good disciples. Amani is not a good disciple.”
“You're wrong about her.”
“Be careful about how far you trust her,” he said. “Our city may not tear down gods, but it takes pride in pulling down its royalty.”
Thaddeus Thomas lives on the Mississippi River with his wife and three cats. Steampunk Cleopatra is his first novel, but he has a short story collection available at his website, ThaddeusThomas.com. There he also runs a book club where readers can receive indie book reviews and recommendation. His second book—Detective, 26 AD—releases July 9th and follows Doubting Thomas as he is conscripted to be an investigator for Pontius Pilate.
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Thank you to The Coffee Pot Book Club for giving me the opportunity to host this book.
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