The city of "Dura-Eupos" before sunset.

A Silk caravan, mostly composed of Sabbatarians, paid exorbitant taxes and, amid the cynicism of the Roman soldiers, entered the city.

Known to the Romans as the "Pompeii of the East", this famous city was the caravan center of the Rest Empire from 500 years ago. Serving the East-West Trade Road. The people of Anxiu are good at doing business, selling goods, and fighting for baht. There are many mansions and huge merchants in the city. Over the centuries, a huge amount of wealth has been accumulated. Ten years ago, however, it was captured by the Romans.

The Roman Empire, crusade from east to west. The Mediterranean Sea has been turned into an inland lake. Dura Europs is located on the banks of the Euphrates River in the Syrian province on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean. Today, Syria is one of the most important provinces of the Roman Empire, with several legions stationed. Always on guard against the counterattack of the Rest Empire.

No matter what the tide of the war was, trade was never interrupted. Just pay taxes according to the law and obey the laws of the rulers. Even enemy merchants were allowed to trade in and out of this eastern Pompeii. Earn high profits.

In particular, it is convenient for Silk Road merchants who go to Seres (Silk Country, Silk Country, Silk Country, now means Han).

Caravans march through lively neighborhoods. Mix in the noisy crowds and arrive at the lower town, a trading post as old as the city. It is also one of the last remaining strongholds of the Rest Empire in the city.

"Meet Your Highness." Lift the veil and look at each other. The merchants spies and bowed one after another. The owner of the caravan turned out to be a prince.

"Get up." The prince, who had been in the dust all the way, couldn't take a break: "People can be found." ”

"Whereabouts have been discovered." The leader of the spies replied, "It is said that it is hiding in the sewers of the port area. He was called 'Ishtar' by the prostitutes of the city. ”

Ishtar, the Mesopotamian goddess. The Sumerians are also known as Innina. It is believed to be the daughter of the moon god Shin (Sin). It has a dual godhead, one is the god of war, and the other is the goddess of love and harvest. She also has the deity of the goddess of medicine. Many Middle Eastern goddesses in later generations have taken her as their prototype.

The prince smiled slightly: "I have heard that some people call her the Queen of the Night 'Erishkigale'. ”

Mesopotamians think. Once a person dies, he or she transforms into a misty ghost called "Gidim". Controlled by Ereshkigal, the queen of the night, and her husband, the demon Nergal. Erishkigal and Ishtar are hostile to each other.

"Yes. She treated the poor free of charge and was revered by prostitutes. And because she did not fake her colors to the nobles and merchants who admired her, she was slandered by the superior people in the city. The leader replied.

"Good." The prince took a sealed white goat's horn from his waist and handed it to the leader of the spies: "Take this to the Queen of the Night." He said, 'Prince Regis V,' and asked to see him. ”

"Yes!" The leader took it with both hands.

Soon. The leader of the spy brought back the news of "meeting at midnight in the harbor" safely.

The prince breathed a sigh of relief. Bathe and eat, and take a nap with a scimitar. Wake up exhausted.

The timing was just right.

Under the guidance of the secret agent, he avoided the bright post and arrived at the port on time.

There are prostitutes with lanterns to answer. It is different from the cheap prostitutes who wear heavy makeup, expose their breasts and show off their coquettishness. The body of the lantern prostitute has a divine aura that seems to be absent. She is supposed to be the "divine prostitute" next to the Queen of the Night.

"Divine prostitute" is also called "witch prostitute". It is a clergy who serves the gods. Have sex with pilgrims at the temple and take "night money" to worship the gods. This was the case with the priests of the Parthenon. Early Roman noblewomen had to go to the temple at least once in their lives to "dedicate themselves to the gods". The Dead Sea Scrolls record a similar custom. In other words, different gods may all have this custom.

In the harbor where prostitutes gathered. The patrol of Roman soldiers at night is equivalent to ornamentation. At this time, the Roman soldiers were hugging each other, sweating like rain. The peculiarities of the prostitute community also contributed to this meeting.

Before entering the city's sewers, which lead directly to the Euphrates, the prince was asked to cover his face. Then they sailed in a small boat, and sailed back and forth in the long, dark, foul-smelling sewers, and finally landed. He went up the stairs again, and when he took off his hood, he entered a secret room.

Through a ray of moonlight cast from the skylight. The prince finally meets the legendary Queen of the Night.

The queen wears a burqa and a hood. The face is also covered with a silver mask. Only a pair of shining silver eyes were revealed.

"Your Royal Highness." The voice behind the mask, I can't hear the age.

"Her Royal Highness." The Prince of Rest bowed down.

"Where did the token come from?" The Queen asked.

"A distant oasis." The prince replied.

"The land of the Seris." The queen was noncommittal: "Why did the prince bring him to me?" ”

"There's something to ask for." The prince replied again.

"Since the contract was made, I will no longer owe anything to the royal family. I'm sorry, but I'm not obligated to help you. The queen replied.

The prince nodded lightly in approval: "As a continuation of the ancient contract, the queen has been confined to prostitutes for generations. As one of the parties to the tripartite contract, the father has obtained two contracts for the queen. Just help me do this, and the Queen will receive the full contract. Thus the 'Prison of God' was lifted. ”

"What a difficult thing it is to make the king of rest pay such a high price, and he still does not hesitate to do so." There was a hint of fluctuation in the Queen's voice.

"Break the spell of the Sirens and land on the island of Capri. Save the Roman Empire's Augusta, Rukira, imprisoned in the island's palace. The prince said in a deep voice.

"The Three Banshees of the Sirens are just one of the many legends of ancient Greece." The queen sneered: "There are really people who believe it." ”

"My father and I didn't believe it either." Only then did the prince reveal the secret: "However, the rescue team that landed on the island has never returned. The boatman who fled back was delirious. He repeatedly muttered the 'song of the sirens'. ”

"It's just demagoguery." The queen said, "I wonder why Prince Sabbation wanted to save Augusta of the Roman Empire. ”

"Master of a distant oasis." The prince said, "The governor of the Cyris Empire, send a letter to my father. Rescuing Rukira was a prerequisite for starting the slave trade. ”

"Governor of the Seris Empire, Slave Trade ......" The queen also knows about the distant oasis: 'It is rumored that there are no slaves in the Cyris Empire.'

"Yes." The prince nodded slightly: "Governor of the Oasis, release all the slaves you bought as free people." Let it settle down in the oasis. The slave trade itself, the profits amounted to 100,000 gold coins. And as more and more slaves settled, settled in the oasis. Western commodities are constantly exported to the East. Slaves, who can open the door to the gold trade. And Rukira is the golden key that opens this door. ”

"......I see," the queen pondered, and then decided: "Show me the contract." ”

"Yes." The prince took out two ancient scrolls and handed them to the queen.

"Rescue Rukira and release her from the gods." The Queen has discerned the authenticity.

"Deal." The prince smiled implicitly.