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142 Figure 42 "Lest the gods be filled with fury at them," and as a way to "set up an eternal memorial," the comrades cut down one of the cedar trees, made poles of it, and formed of them a raft with a cabin on it. In me cabin they put the head of Huwawa, and pushed the raft down a stream. "Let the Eu- phrates carry it to Nippur," they said. And thus rid of the monstrous guardian of the path to the Landing Place, the two stopped to rest at me stream. Gil- gamesh "washed his filthy hair, he cleaned his gear, shook his locks over his back, threw away his dirty clothes, put on fresh ones. He clothed himself in robes and tied on a sash." There was no need to rush; the way to me "secret abode of the Anunnaki" was no longer blocked. He totally forgot that the place was also "the crossroads of Ishtar." Using the Landing Place for her sky-roaming, Ishtar was watching Gilgamesh from her skychamber (Fig. 42). Whether or not she had witnessed the battle with Huwawa is not re- ported. But she was certainly watching Gilgamesh take off his clothes, bathe and groom himself, clothe himself in fine robes. And "glorious Ishtar raised an eye at the beauty of Gilgamesh." Wasting no time, she directly addressed Gil- gamesh: "Come, Gilgamesh, be thou my lover! Grant me the fruit of thy love!" DIVINE ENCOUNTERS