Siamese cats rule in the House of Bast and live in a world where mankind no longer exists. They worship the Egyptian goddess Bast and live peacefully and happily in the world that She has created for them. Ruled by females, all is well until good Queen Salome dies and Belvedere, her daughter is about to become queen. Belvedere is not quite the same as other cats. Intent on ridding herself of her younger sister, Alice, who she sees as a rival, she soon finds friends among some of the other more lowly cat breeds and sets about an execution that does not quite go to plan. Before long the House of Bast is in turmoil and only Ka, Princess of the Foreign Black clan, can save Alice and her beloved son Pangur Ban. She must call down the power of the goddess and seek the help of Cailleach Bheurr, Queen of the Ferals, if peace is to be restored.
Salome’s Daughters and their many companions take part in this tale in many famous places in England’s West Country: Stonehenge, Glastonbury, Tarr Steps, the wilds of Exmoor, Culbone Church, Corfe Castle and Cerne Abbas. Meet the Beast of Exmoor within these pages and find out what a gorrible is. Discover the delights of the Dance of Cerne and the Day of Amenti, along with many other wonderful mysteries that the House of Bast has to offer.
Full of allegory, blending mythologies and developing them in time-honoured and classical tradition, this is a book that will reward its readers with many a tear and a smile.
‘The stars disappear and a red and angry dawn emerges in the east; for in her fury against Hecate, Bast has thrown a little moon dust into the sky and the sun consumes it hungrily. The goddess Sekmet, who comes with the rising sun, looks down and laughs for she recognises the anger of Bast. “Never fear, beloved Bast,” purrs Sekmet, the goddess with the lion’s head and Guardian of The Fire, “I too will watch over Alice and my special gift will be to guard her in the caves and the forests, on the moor and in the wilderness.”’
