When it got too damp, they threw down coarse-woven grass mats to
keep the mud down.
There weren't too many sources of building stones in the Persian
Valley. Just an endless vista of fertile croplands to fight over, which
was how he had acquired much of his own property, both human and
otherwise.
The skulls surrounding the House war god on the litter were from the
heads of past possessors and contenders for the land owned by Master
Rababull. All of the skulls had their two front teeth knocked out and a
hole punched through the center of the forehead.
When all was ready, Master Rababull was adorned with a ceremonial red
and black robe and walked out in front of the litter, carrying his
sword in his fist.
There were four priests out in front, the two foremost blowing war
pipes, which were also used on New Year's ceremonies, and the two
hindmost bearing smoking clay incense pots blackened by soot.
Sounding their pipes, the two priests in the lead started blowing hweee
and hwaaa fanatically while the whole procession, with the acrid
incense smoking putridly, marched from the assembly area behind the
temple and worked their way slowly toward the temple proper.
Hweee-hwaaa, hweee-hwaaa, hweaeaea they sounded in unison, blowing
continuously in a deafening discordance as they proceeded.
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