Chapter 4
Kabalactes said: My most high Holy Council, Lords of heaven and earth, listen. Today, my scouts on the borders of Vridat, my suburban kingdom in Tua, saw a light descending, like a world on fire. Consternation came upon my dutiful subjects, fearing some foreign God menaced their liberties. To appease them, Hathav, my Lord in command, dispatched messengers here, to know my will.
But when they arrived, others came also, but from the heavenly plateau, Itussak, my northern kingdom, with the same ominous tale. Then came others, from different kingdoms in my heavenly regions. Some have seen the light only faintly; some have seen it as brilliant as a pillar of fire. While here, within our well-secured heavenly seat, it has been only like a falling meteor.
Speak, my Lords, do you know more of this?
Maithivi, Lordess, said: All Highest of Gods, take into consideration womanly fears, and detract accordingly from my magnified expressions. To me, this descended star is some far-off ally with God, Jehovih’s worshipper in Paradise. For by the course of the falling light, it landed there. Is this not some stratagem to re-establish Jehovih, Whom we have chased from earth and heaven?
Fiebowh, Lord, said: It has been less than a year since some other foreign God descended to Paradise. Behold, this last one comes from the same angle beyond Chinvat. Perhaps the former was only a scout sent from some realm, which has now answered with this mighty airavagna?
Sin Loo, Lord, said: It was said of old: When the heavens clear, look out for Jehovih’s worshippers, the infidels against the reigning Gods. Now, behold, in the very season when a’ji flies away, and our souls are on the eve of rejoicing, here comes an ominous meddler with our slaves, to do us mischief.
Thus spoke many Lords, alarmed; for a secret sin, like slavery, justified by the master’s conscience, being held down, is easily tormented with suspected griefs, not yet come to pass.
And more than this; in Kabalactes’ Holy Council of one million members, were many who had long been promised preferment and higher dominion than to legislate for another’s kingdom; and they had received nothing worthy of the name, for more than a thousand years.
And these had a small spark of hope left, that some external disaster to Kabalactes’ extensive kingdoms would open the way for rich adventures on their own behalf, with millions of slaves to do them reverence.
So, even while their tongues upheld their monstrous idol, Buddha (the false), their own souls were equally perfidious.
When many of the Holy Council had spoken, then Kabalactes spoke again: My marshal in chief shall select a host a million strong, and provide them an arrow-boat; to which command, I appoint Teanvettas, general, to go to Paradise in my name, to greet, and to learn the will and pleasure of this adventurous God who comes to the vanquished kingdom of Jehovih’s Son; to offer him the freedom of my kingdom for a month’s visit. Perhaps he has never seen a city built of gems and precious stones; and the palace and throne of the all highest God. Which, to look on, may abash him from undertaking some foolish scheme.
Now, accordingly, from the false Buddha’s magnificent heavenly kingdom there went out an arrow-boat, the most precious gem ever built in these heavens. And in it, a million hosts arrayed as very Gods and Goddesses in splendor. While Teanvettas, with his shining crown and blazing jewels, bespoke his generalship as from a rich kingdom.
Two hundred thousand slaves worked the boat, and many of these had been Buddhist priests in earth-life, and were now serving their apprenticeship of two hundred years, in order to have the privilege of crawling at a future time on their bellies to see the throne of Buddha (the false), and see their all highest ideal God.
Thus, then, went the arrow-boat, in all its glory, to Paradise, seat of Jehovih’s Son.