The Stories of Thoth and Ma'at:
Neter
News Sports: Doom in Dunqul
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As lights come up on the Space, THOTH, MA'AT and
ANUBIS are seated at a desk in what resembles a
TV news room. Neter News Sports title and logo appear
on video screen behind them. On this screen, and
on others positioned on other walls, conventional
2D video footage is projected as this scene continues.
LIGHTS change to sand-orange.
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| THOTH:
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Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome
to Doom in Dunqul, the long-awaited showdown between the reigning
champion (SET VIDEO appears): Set, the Red Land Slasher, and his challenger,
the Hero from Hierakon, the untested mystery competitor, Horus,
Royal Prince of Egypt (HORUS video in).
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| MA'AT:
For the first time, a fight is
being brought to you just because the rules of this density require it. Human beings have
gone beyond the routine unpleasantness of a lover's quarrel, or
catching the melon thief, or settling a small score. You're
arming and organizing yourselves now, so you're ready for a high-stakes fight. A spectacular combataclysm.
A rock banger and sand scorcher so hot that it can only be held
here, well away from the cities, the oases and the
royal vineyards, out here in the Flats of Fire. As you can see,
downtown Dunqul is not likely to replace Abydos or
Giza, or even your own cow shed, as the tourist destination
of your dreams.
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AERIAL MAP of the Upper Nile appears, zooming in to
a detail map of Dunqul and to the fight arena, the
"Frying Pan".
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| ANUBIS:
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And we're even farther from the River than
Dunqul: six days by caravan from the town itself, four days to the nearest
whiff of the Black Land. Never before in Egypt's history
has any public event been staged so far up the river,
above the first cataract at Abu, and actually closer to the
second, here at Buhen. From where we sit, we look down with
some uneasiness (Other NETERS agree:) on this: the Frying Pan,
the sea level sand flat that sits at the foot of these hills and gets
so much reflected heat from them that this may be the hottest place on Earth.
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In what follows, ISIS and other
NETERS appear on video screens as they speak, their
voices audible OFF. |
| ISIS:
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(VIDEO:)
How could Horus possibly agree to fight in such
a place?
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| THOTH:
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Asked many people, some of them afraid that the
Prince had inherited some of his father's inattentiveness about scenarios
that could prove fatal.
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| NEPHTHYS:
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(VIDEO:)
It's too dry here. And much too hot. And it's ugly.
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| THOTH:
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You could find more breeze inside a brick, and
more excitement at night in the smallest one-bottle tent in Selima. Why fight
in the Frying Pan?
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| HORUS:
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(VIDEO,
with ANUBIS:) Sure, we both need water. But I can get
up into the cool air when I need to, and I can fly to the nearest oasis faster
than Set can run or ride there. We have to do it here. To settle
this completely, I have to beat Set in his own desert. If I
can take him here, I can hold him anywhere.
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| ANUBIS:
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(VIDEO:) Any predictions?
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| HORUS: (VIDEO:)
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No, except I'm in for it now. I've
got a terrifying experience just in front of me.
I'm up against the Neter who invented death, the ultimate artist of agony
and poet of pain. I'll be lucky to come out of this
with both wings. I only want to say how grateful I am to be
here, and, most of all, to you people (To CELEBRANTS:) cheer
up! If you think I'm about to die, then you are in for
it too. If you feel fear, see this: fear is Set's
gift to you. It's the cheapest poison he's got.
The more of it you swallow and keep in you, the stronger he
becomes. The more love you feel, the stronger I get. I ask
you to love, to love one another, to love those whom you don't
know yet, to love even the one you avoid the most. We will see
today if Love does prevail. I know you can do it. Will you?
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| ANUBIS:
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(On
VIDEO with HORUS:) So, champ, if you like to hate, it's already
too late.
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| HORUS:
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(VIDEO:)
Yes, but if you lift us in love--
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| SET:
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(VIDEO:) Yeah, when push comes to shove, then you'll
glide like a dove and we'll see you above and blah ba baaah.
The more of this I hear, the more sure I am that when you
talk so much in rhyme, you have too much idle time. When this
is all over, if Horus survives it, he could hire himself out
to walk around the Black Land and talk. They wouldn't
need fertilizer.
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| ANUBIS:
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(Live,
from desk:) That's after the dustup, Red Rocker. But
what happens now?
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| SET:
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(VIDEO:)
Well, did you ever
see anything faster than a falcon? And
he's so young, Needlenose! The top contenders are peaking
earlier all the time.
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| ANUBIS:
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How are you going to get to him? (VIDEO-within-a-VIDEO, of HORUS
training, now appears in SET VIDEO.)
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| SET:
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(VIDEO:) If I saw any weaknesses in that style, would I tell
you?
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VIDEOS OUT as SET enters the Space. On the
ensuing lines ISIS and NEPHTHYS also enter, taking
their places near the news desk.
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| SET:
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(To CELEBRANTS:) How are
you all holding up? This
heat is a nightmare, isn't it? Please try to be cool. Help is on the way. You're about to make the
acquaintance of wine, friends, and believe me,
it's worth the wait. Thoth? How's the Beakster?
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| THOTH:
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It's not exactly Lake Moeris.
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| SET:
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The bird in the sand wants the dew
in the bush.
(THOTH nods, laughs.) The mystery twins are here. How is it with you ladies?
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| ISIS:
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I've been more opulently entertained. Osiris
and I always loved to walk in the moonlight.
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| SET:
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Yes. My wife likes
that too. (Pause.) I'd be silent
too if I were you. So when do these people get to dance with the grape?
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| ISIS:
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Between rounds of your--
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| SET:
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Wine! Yo Ha! Babunga! Do I envy you! Wine is a--no,
why spoil the discovery? Thanks for coming, everyone. You can sit back
now and enjoy the Collision with a Vision. Back to you, Anubis.
(Begins to exit.)
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| ANUBIS:
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Wait! Predictions?
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| SET:
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Eight to five on Set. But I wouldn't bet
two mangos of my own substance on it. First round, inconclusive.
Second round, I fear he'll discommode
me mortally. I only hope that when it's over, someone
will bury me in palm wine, lemon, ginger and honey, no salt,
to make me tender. (To CELEBRANTS:) An
honor, as always, everyone. (SET begins to exit.)
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| ISIS:
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As though you were in any danger of being killed.
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| SET:
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We live in hope. (Exits.)
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