Plot Wisdom's Daughter

a statue of priestess of isis, roman, 2nd century, bce

finally, return egypt, once again, beauty , wisdom become source of contention. swears oath of celibacy, serve isis goddess of spirit of nature, , turn away aphrodite goddess of love.

but, greek soldier of fortune, kallikrates, formerly employed pharaoh, comes sanctuary. takes oath serve isis; pharaoh s daughter pursues him; and, seeing way ayesha looks @ him, determines destroy her, rival.

the princess mocks ayesha s prophecies mere parlor tricks. goads father giving ayesha away, sex slave, 1 of allies.

repeatedly, ayesha in danger; but, in midst of fire , battle, isis , followers save ruin , rape. ayesha s fame grows great, called isis come earth , “wisdom s daughter”.

finally, king of kings, of persian empire, comes see her. laughs afraid of must old hag, isis s priestess. spits on isis s statues, , burns old gods. however, again beauty, king glimpses beneath veil; betrays her; and, determines rape her, rest of country.

a temple wall painting of goddess isis, circa 1360 bce

isis saves her; and, escape, reunite old captain, kallikrates, , princess.

ayesha inspired isis wants rebuild cult , usher in new golden age, in world, through herself. led hidden kingdom of kor, in africa, begin.

once there, ayesha meets former tutor, has been guarding flame of eternal life, make person young , powerful, long world endures. passes 1 last mystery onto ayesha, warning of temptation vanity.

the princess mocks ayesha s fading youth; , feeling ashamed, in front of kallikrates, ayesha determines break oaths, , make herself , him both immortal, rule world, gods, stepping flame. way feels isis come earth , indeed. but, wisdom s daughter fortune s fool, , falls love s folly.

kallikrates afraid when sees ayesha, in preternatural beauty, after has bathed in flame; and, dies. others either flee in terror or killed, overwhelmed beauty. aphrodite laughs @ her, , isis.

now, ayesha cannot die, or opposed. terrible, beautiful, , deadly lightning.

after kallikrates death, princess flees, urging leo s descendants revenge on she, through artifacts passes down, holly , leo find, in first book, she: history of adventure.

sir h. rider haggard s recreation of sherd of amenartas, in collection of norwich castle museum, in egyptian princess urges leo s descendants revenge on she.

ayesha doomed wait, in kor, return, through centuries, becoming weary of world. has learned world , nature has offer; but, still must wait, love , redemption.