Chapter 5
Osire said: In the name of Jehovih, peace to you! To which Daveas replied: No, in the name of Apollo, who I am! How dare you approach, except to crawl on your belly? For four hundred years the honor of my kingdom has been revered by all visiting Gods; but you come as a barbarian. Down, wretch! Before I have you bound and cast in prison!
Osire said: Why should I not come before you? Behold, the Great Spirit created the whole universe for His Sons and Daughters. By what right have you usurped a portion? And from what Source comes your authority to bid me kneel to you? But if you can show me where you have one just claim to enslave these people, rather let your argument run there, for I have come in the name of the Father to liberate them, so that they may be prepared for the second and third resurrections.
Daveas said: Do not think that I have neglected to prepare for rebellious Gods like you. Behold my millions of subjects! What is your handful? I tell you truly, I have prisons large enough to hold you and your hosts. Neither flatter yourself that I am ignorant. For two hundred years I labored in the so-called resurrections; I made myself a slave to the multitude, giving all my labor and time. Then I saw my folly, and so built a third resurrection myself. This is, therefore, my lawful kingdom. Moreover, I tell you to your face, you wretch, there is no higher heaven than mine. Neither do you come from a heaven as great as mine. But having great self-conceit, you have come for mischief. I have heard of you from other heavens! But now you have put your head into the halter. Seize him, marshals! Seize him and his hosts! Cast them into prison!
Osire did not speak, but raised his hand upward in the seventh sign, and suddenly his hosts cast forth sheets of light brighter than the sun. Daveas stood back frightened, and his marshals fled. Presently, Osire, with a thousand attendants, stepped forth in flames of light, and went up into the capital and surrounded Daveas, the usurper, but did not touch him. And now the ship was illumined, and lo, the sentinels of Daveas’ Council broke and fled. Immediately after which, Osire spoke, saying:
Hand of Your hand, O Jehovih; voice of Your voice, overturn this house and throne! And, behold, the light of the upper heavens rested in Osire’s palms, and he struck the house and the throne, and they tumbled over like straw before a hurricane. Alone stood Daveas, the evil God, half speechless and half blinded by the great Light of Jehovih. Down! Down! said Osire, to the walls and temples of the city. And his hosts concentrated at any point Osire’s hand directed; and lo, everything fell and was scattered far.
Meanwhile, the officers of Daveas fled in all directions, except those who were overcome by the light, and these fell and buried themselves amid the rubbish.
Stop! Stop! cried Daveas. Give me air! I perish! I am a consuming fire! And he tossed his hands aloft; then cringed his face within his glittering robes. And now Osire called forth thunder and lightning, and sent shafts through, and over, and about the whole plateau of Vibhraj, and the din and roar confounded all the eight hundred million souls, so that they ran no farther, but stood and waited, watching for what would happen next.
Osire did not stop (in his proceedings), but went forward to a more suitable place, to build his throne. Jehovih! Almighty! he cried, Elements of Your elements, O Father! Found here a throne for Your Son! And even so it was accomplished, for while his words went forth, the elements rose to do his will, and there arose a most excellent throne, strong and adamantine, on which Osire ascended. Meanwhile, Daveas had fallen down flat, weeping and wailing; but Osire, by a motion of the hand, called Wang-te, a most enlightened archangel, with her attendants, to bear him away, which was quickly done.
Quickly now the place was cleared, and with pillars of light as brilliant as an arc in the etherean firmament, the hosts of Osire fenced around a sufficient space for a city of a billion souls. Now Osire appointed Klesta, to be Dawn Goddess, and he gave her a Council of fifty thousand ethereans. Outside of the walls of the pillars of agni were Daveas and his eight hundred million subjects, in dire confusion.
Wang-te, the archangel, said to Daveas: In your own falsehood you are favored to free yourself awhile, to organize a new kingdom, but in holiness, and then return and command obedience from this smothering host. Behold, you have taught them to believe you are Apollo; say to them now: I am not Apollo! I have been false!
Daveas madly replied: Never! Jehovih and His kingdoms be accursed forever! You strange spirits come from far-off kingdoms to despoil and overturn the most righteous place in heaven! Are Jehovih and His servants destroyers? To which Wang-te replied: This is no time for argument; see here these countless millions! If I and my attendants withdraw from you, you will be as one drowned amid this sea of ignorance and horrid smells. Assume at once, for pity’s sake, to purge yourself of your life-long falsehoods and treacherous tyranny. Announce yourself as Daveas, as you are, and I can save you!
Daveas rudely thrust her aside, saying: Never! I acknowledge to no one! If there is a higher heaven, I will ascend there as I am, Apollo! Apollo! Wang-te said: Do not put me off; in Jehovih’s name! Remember what you are, and from the little you have seen, how powerless you are before Omnipotence! Your fate is like that of all dictators on the verge of a chasm of horrors. Daveas did not wait to hear her further, but proclaimed aloud, Apollo! Apollo! and stood aside. Presently his former officers rushed to him, and with that came the sea of millions of spirits, unorganized, unwashed, unfed, frightened and mad, for love of the name Apollo, the meaning of which they did not know; and they became as a knot of serpents, entwined around the central figure, Daveas and his officers. And in the terrible brawl not one voice could be distinguished from another. And the outer extreme pressed inward, on every side, and presently the eight hundred million resembled a ball, a knot of darkness, with a dull and rumbling moan within, and fearful clamor on the surface, from which horrid smells issued in all directions.
Wang-te and her attendants hastened back to the throne of Osire, Son of Jehovih, to tell what had happened. Osire said: What shall I do, O Father? Then the Light of Jehovih came, and Jehovih spoke, saying: Consider My creation, My Son. I made the young child to fall with few bruises; but the full-grown man falls heavily. Shall I make a separate rule to favor kings and queens on earth, and false Gods in heaven? No, truly. Behold, I will make of Daveas an example in heaven, and on earth also. Because he has spurned his own name, so will I make both angels and mortals to curse and shun the name, Daveas.
Osire said: Proceed with my kingdom, in the name of the Father. Let Daveas rest awhile as he is.
After that, Osire departed, taking the remainder of his hosts with him in his fire-ship; and he went to a heavenly place to the westward, where Seru was, being a false God, with ten million slaves; and Osire destroyed Seru’s kingdom also. Next, he went to a heavenly place in the north, where Raka, a false God, had seventy million slaves; and Osire destroyed his kingdom also, liberating his slaves, and putting a guard over Raka. ||
So in that way, Osire traveled throughout atmospherea, demolishing all the heavenly kingdoms of the false Gods, of whom there were, in all, seven hundred and eighty; but many of them had less than a million subjects. For a total of thirty days, Osire was engaged in destroying all the evil kingdoms in the lower heavens, and then the work was finished.
Osire said to his hosts: For thirty days we labored in destroying that which was; now we will rebuild to Jehovih for another thirty days. Take the ship, therefore, to Vibhraj, for there I will found my central kingdom. And, after we have completed the work of starting the second resurrection on a sure foundation, then we will go down to the earth and overturn the kingdoms of the false Lords and men.