The Storytellers Goddess Part 3

"Ninshubar," said Inanna.

"A message is not the same as My presence. I need to go to Her."

"Beloved Inanna," said Ninshubar.

"Ereshkigal sent You a message. You can send Her one. I'm afraid She is Queen of a realm that will exact from You everything You have if You go. Inanna. Please. It is dangerous to go to Ereshkigal's Underworld. Inanna, the guards will take Your fine garments. They will exact a price from You, Inanna. They may take Your life."

"Ninshubar, I am going to go," said Inanna.

"But I can see how worried you are, and so I concede this one thing. If I do not return in three days, send someone after me."

And so it was agreed. Ninshubar helped Inanna dress in garments that best proclaimed Her Queen of Heaven. The starry velvet train of Her gown floated after Her as She and Her servants left the Realm of Heaven and made their way to the Underworld.

At the opening to the Underworld, Inanna left Her servants.

"This journey I take alone," She told them, and began Her way down to the palace of Her Sister.

When She had walked the first thousand steps into the Earth, She came to the first gate. She could not see the faces of the guards there, but She could hear their voices.

"Give us Your crown," they ordered.

"Do you know to Whom you speak?" said Inanna.

"We know," said the voices.

"There is no pa.s.sage here without a price. Give up Your crown."

Inanna lifted the golden crown from Her head and gave it to the guards.

The gate opened.

Inanna descended another thousand steps. There was no light now, other than the light of Her own self. She came to the second gate. Here the guards asked for Her earrings.

"I do not plan to stay," said Inanna.

"I am a visitor here only."

"Ereshkigal exacts payment from everyone who enters here. Even visitors," said the guards.

Inanna unhooked the jewels from Her lobes. She gave them to the guards. The second gate opened.

At the third gate, Inanna had to give over Her necklace. It weighed heavily in Her hands as She pa.s.sed it to the guards. The gate opened.

Inanna traveled another thousand steps deep. There they took Her cloak with its starry velvet train. She shivered with cold. The fourth gate opened.

At the fifth gate, the guards asked Inanna for Her diamond belt. Inanna held Her head proudly, but Her voice trembled.

"You have taken My crown and all of My jewels. You have stripped the covering from My shoulders and chest. Surely that is enough. You will not also take the belt that holds up My skirts?"

"The price of entering here is Your belt," said the guards in voices that had no trembling. Inanna gave over Her belt and held up Her skirts with Her hands.

At the sixth gate, Inanna said, "I am naked without My skirt."

"You must give up Your skirt," said the guards.

Inanna wrapped Her arms about Herself for warmth and comfort. Her skirt fell to the floor, and She stepped away from it. The gate opened.

"This is the last gate," said the guards at the seventh gate.

"To enter here, Inanna, Queen of Heaven, You must give up Your last."

Inanna used Her right foot to push the jeweled shoe from Her left foot.

But the toes of Her bare left foot could not push off Her right shoe.

So Inanna bent and with both hands removed that last bit of covering from Her body. The floor was icy cold. The last gate opened, and Inanna pa.s.sed into the palace of the Queen of the Underworld.

There sat Ereshkigal on Her throne. Her face was turned away from the door. Her hands lay limp on Her knees. Inanna saw that the ceiling of the huge dark room curved over absolutely nothing except Her Sister on Her throne, the coffin before Her, and a basin of blood.

"Sister!" whispered Inanna.

The word echoed in the emptiness.

"Sister!" said Inanna, louder this time. Her voice sounded little and afraid.

Slowly Ereshkigal turned Her face away from the shadows. Only Her neck moved. The G.o.ddess's body on Her throne stayed still.

Inanna walked forward in the cold with Her hands outstretched.

"Sister," She said. There were tears on Her face.

Inanna stopped when Her eyes met the eyes of Ereshkigal. Ereshkigal's face did not move. Inanna saw that in the center of each of Her Sister's eyes was a tiny human skull. Each of the skulls had eyes. All the eyes stared at Inanna.

Inanna fell to Her knees.

"Sister!" She cried.

"You do not greet Me and I have come to comfort You! Sister, greet Me!

Let Me mourn with You."

The terrible eyes of Ereshkigal didn't answer. They just looked.

"Ereshkigal!" cried Inanna.

"Don't You know Me? I am Your Sister!"

The mouth of Ereshkigal opened.

"I know You," She said. Her voice was flat.

"You are My Sister, Inanna, Queen of Heaven, and You've come here to die."