Chapter 9
The hosts of the second resurrection were now conducted to the mansions previously created in Haraiti by Fragapatti; and they were provided with teachers and occupations, according to their development.
Fragapatti said: The marshals-in-chief will now send the builders of fire-ships before me; I want to speak to them. Now when the builders came, and duly saluted before the throne, Fragapatti said:
Go build me an avalanza capable of carrying three billion angels, with as many rooms, and make it capable of descent and ascent, and with east and west and north and south motion, and prepare it with a magnet, so that it may face to the north, while traveling.
The builders saluted, withdrew, then went and built the vessel. And it was two hundred thousand paces east and west, and the same north and south; its height was one thousand lengths, and the vesture around it was a thousand paces thick; and it was provided with etherean curtains, two hundred thousand; and with four hundred thousand banners, of all possible colors, shades and tints. Besides these, were fifty thousand small flags and streamers. The floor was woven in the form of a spider’s net, extending from the center outward, and with circular bars at crosses; and the framework within was constructed with one million uprights, the entire height of the vessel; and yet across these were twenty million bars; and within the whole, were the rooms and halls, and places for musicians.
When it was completed, the builders notified Fragapatti. He said: Athrava, come and sit on the throne. I promised to go and see Hoab and his colony, in Zeredho, when he sent word to me regarding certain matters. Behold, messengers have notified me, and Hoab desires to know how he can establish his colony, so that he may never again fear being bothered by other Gods and angels.
Let fifty thousand musicians enter the ship with me, besides a sufficient number of captains and officers to manage the ship. The marshals at once made the proper selections, and took them to the ship, where they all entered, Fragapatti with them, and they departed.
So Fragapatti returned to Zeredho, the second highest lower heaven, of which the ambitious Hoab, with his colony, desired to be sole occupant forever.
Hoab was waiting to receive him, having aroused up a sufficient number of his indolent subjects to maintain the semblance of a heavenly Council. But what a surprise! He had expected only a small vessel, with a few attendants. And now, when he saw the magnificence of the avalanza, and the majesty of the band of musicians, so far transcending anything he had ever seen, he feared, and was awe-stricken.
Fragapatti approached slowly, but with Avom lights, and when the ship was close, the hosts aboard cast out hundreds of thousands of perfumed ovaries, which exploded with beautiful colors, filling the surrounding atmosphere with the most delightful perfume. Finally the avalanza came to anchor and Fragapatti, without any ceremony, alighted, taking a thousand attendants with him, and came directly up to Hoab, who was abashed somewhat on account of his shabby appearance.
Fragapatti said: Friend and brother, peace and joy to you and your house! To which Hoab replied: All hail, great Chief! Happiness attend you and your hosts! And if I had not previously discovered you were a philosopher like myself, I would apologize for the vast difference between the respective appearances of our hosts. But you are welcome all the same!
Fragapatti said: A mere incident of conditions, most noble God. You are aware that when children go on a holiday excursion, they attire themselves in their best; so it is better that I find an apology than that you should.
Hoab said: No, Chief, there is a philosophy in this matter which has worried me lately: A thousand years ago my colony was ambitious to attire itself in grandeur, and to build fine ships and go on excursions also. Five hundred years later, they ceased building ships and going on excursions, saying: What is the use? Lately, they are all utilitarians, doing just as little as possible. In fact, many of my subjects deny themselves comforts, on the plea that they can do without them.
Fragapatti said: You remember when I was here before, I said to you that without contentment no people had attained to peace; and you did acquiesce. Why, then, should you not rejoice that your people have thus subdued ambition and curiosity? Has your mind lost its contentment in so short a time? You know I came here to impart to you and your people the great secret, that you may fortify yourselves in such a way that you shall never fear for Gods or angels molesting you.
Hoab said: Hear me, O Chief: If my people lose all ambition for rites and ceremonies, and dancings, and excursions; and keep constantly striving to deny themselves of everything except what necessity calls for; and if that necessity becomes smaller and smaller, where will the end be? Will not all inspiration die out? For, to tell the truth, since my people have given up rites and ceremonies, and prayers and singing, they have also given up rejoicings of soul, and are becoming like a dead people.
Fragapatti said: Then you would seem to prove that to hold on only to the useful in life would ultimately end in suicide to the state, to the family, to the individual, and even to the soul?
Hoab said: Many of my people are too lazy to clothe themselves; and because of shame, they seek secluded places, as they say, to live as they please. Do such people not commit suicide against the state? Has a man a right to withdraw himself from his fellows, saying: It suits me better? We have been told that in the first age of mortals, they had no ambition to live together, being void of all talents, and that the Gods inspired them to language and to society, giving them rites and ceremonies as an inducement to make them harmonious and attractive to one another.
Fragapatti said: How shall I account for the difference between your arguments now and the other time I was with you? You desired me to believe that you and your people were the highest, best, happiest of all people in all the heavens. Why this change?
Hoab said: You promised me you would teach us some way of protection against being molested by other Gods and spirits from other kingdoms. Since then I have reasoned on the subject, and I perceive that if such a state of security could be given to my people, they would wander off into isolation, and even forget language and judgment. But, you told me you had been in heavens where such a state of seeming impossibility exists?
Fragapatti said: Do not let arguments sway you, O Hoab. But rather, examine proofs for yourself. I thought that my statement to you was too extravagant to be believed without evidence. Behold, then, what I have done: I brought a vessel large enough for all your people, desiring that you go with me to my kingdom, newly founded in Haraiti; and if at the end of a few years, and you desire it, I will take you and your people to still another kingdom, in a far-off world. After that, if you desire it, I will provide the same conveyance back to Zeredho, with power to rule over it to your heart’s content.
Hoab said: Fairest of Gods! I feared, indeed, that you had come with the old story; to worship the All Light, the Unknowable Nothingness; with foolish ceremonies and rites, and prayers and songs of praise; which, however good for the ignorant and superstitious, are worthless to a God as enlightened as I am. This you perceive with your own judgment. I will gladly go with you, and I will persuade as many of my people as possible to go also. You are the first God who ever came to our heaven, who did not want to circumscribe our liberties, which neither I nor my people can tolerate. ||
These things were then communicated to the people of Zeredho; and after a few days they gathered together, and went into the avalanza, every one of them. Fragapatti signaled the commander not to go direct to Haraiti, but by way of Utza, one of the hells in the Aoasu mountains, inhabited by billions of spirits in darkness, many of whom did not know who they were, nor even have names, being infants and idiots, chaotic and foul smelling.