Chapter 43
Sudga, after assuming a heaven for himself, moved it over the Nua Mountains and called it Hridat, in which place he had eight billion angel slaves, in the same manner as Te-in’s. Sudga’s capital city, Sowachissa, his highest heavenly seat, was modeled in the style of Sanc-tu, De’yus’ heavenly place in Hored, at the time of its greatest magnificence.
The capital house of Sudga was made of precious stones and gems, the work of billions of angels for many years. And when Hored was pillaged, prior to De’yus being cast into hell, millions of its most precious ornaments were stolen and brought to Hridat. The streets of Hridat were paved with precious stones; and an arena surrounded the palace on every side, set with crystals of every shade and color, and of every conceivable manner of workmanship. On the borders of the arena stood five hundred million sentinels, arrayed in gorgeousness such as only Gods had looked upon. Inside the line of sentinels were one million pillars of fire, kept brilliant day and night, by the toil of five hundred million slaves. Inside the line of the pillars of fire were one million marshals, so arrayed in splendor that one could scarcely look upon them. These were on a rotational watch with two other groups of one million each, and each group stood watch eight hours.
Only the vice-Gods and the high marshals were permitted to walk across the arena to the palace; all others must crawl on their bellies; and for every length crawled, they must kiss the pavement and recite an anthem of praise to Sudga, who now took both names, Sudga and Dyaus. Nor must anyone repeat the same anthem twice, but it must be a new anthem for each and every length of the person. For a tall person, a thousand lengths were required from the line of marshals to the palace, thus requiring a thousand anthems. So that, only the few, as compared to his millions, ever laid eyes on the throne of Sudga. Moreover they were only permitted to gaze no more than once on him, and even then he was at such great distance and amid such a sea of fire, that they scarcely could see him; and after they saw him on the throne, then they must re-crawl back again to the place of beginning, again reciting another thousand new anthems.
All of which made Sudga almost inaccessible, and permitted only those who were favored to even look upon him, which with the ignorant is a great power.
When Ahura came to the capital and sent word to Sudga who he was, requesting a meeting, Sudga gave orders to admit him, commanding Ahura to walk upright into his presence, along with the vice-Gods. Accordingly, Ahura came before Sudga, and saluted in LOVE AND ESTEEM, and Sudga answered in FRIENDSHIP OF OLD. The latter at once commanded privacy, and so all others withdrew, and Ahura and Sudga went up and sat on the throne.
Sudga said: Because you have come to see me I am overflowing with joy. Because I know you have come to admonish me for my philosophy and the manner of my dominions, I respect you. Because you did once try to found a kingdom of your own, and failed, I sympathize with you; but because you went back on yourself and accepted Jehovih, and so was rescued from your peril, I commiserate you.
Ahura said: To hear your gifted tongue once more is my great joy. To know that no misfortune was in store for you and your kingdom would give me great delight. Because I love you, and the people of your mighty, heavenly kingdom, I have come to admonish you and plead for Jehovih’s sake. As for myself, I have found that to cast all my cares on Him, and then turn in and work hard for others, these two things give me the greatest happiness.
Sudga said: Can a brave man justly cast his cares upon another? Was not yourself given to yourself for yourself? If so, you desire none to work for you? If so, how have you a right to work for others? If you prevent them from working out their own destiny, do you not wrong them? Moreover, you say that casting your cares on Jehovih, and working hard for others, gives you the greatest happiness. How is it, then, that you are not selfish by working for your own happiness? For is this not what I am doing for myself in my own way?
Ahura said: Granting all your arguments, O Sudga, where shall we find the measure of righteous works if not in the sum of great results? For you or I to be happy, that is little; for a million angels to be happy, that is little. But when we put two kingdoms alongside, and they are the same size, and have the same number of inhabitants, is it not just that we weigh them in their whole measure to find which of the two kingdoms has the greater number of happy souls? Would this not be a better method of arriving at the highest philosophy?
Sudga said: Yes that would be higher than logic, higher than reason. That would be the foundation of a sound theory.
Ahura said: And have we not found, both in heaven and earth, that all kingdoms that are overthrown owe the cause of their fall to the unhappiness and disaffection of the ignorant? As soon as the masses begin to be in unrest, the rulers apply vigorous measures to repress them, but it is only adding fuel to the fire; it deadens it awhile, but only to have it burst forth more violently afterward.
Sudga said: You reason well, O Ahura; go on. Ahura said: How, then, shall we determine the happiness of two kingdoms, in order to determine which has the greater happiness? Are revolts not evidence of unhappiness? Hear me, then, O Sudga; where, in all the Jehovihian heavens, has there ever been a revolt? And on the earth, where have the Jehovihians, the Faithists, rebelled against their rulers? Behold, in the far-off etherean heavens, the Nirvanian fields, never has any God or Chief been environed in tortures. As for my own kingdom, my people will not rebel against me, nor do I need to fortify myself against such disaster.
Sudga said: You are wise, O Ahura. The only way to judge a kingdom’s happiness is by the peace, contentment and civility of its people toward one another, and by the confidence between the ruler and the ruled. He who has to guard himself lives on the eve of the destruction of his kingdom and himself. And yet, O Ahura, remember this: The Jehovihians of heaven and earth are high raised before they become such; anyone can be a ruler for them, for they know righteousness. But I have to deal with druks and drujas. How, then, can you compare my kingdom with the Nirvanian kingdoms?
Ahura said: Alas, O Sudga, I fear my arguments are void before you. You show me that the line between selfishness and unselfishness is finer than a spider’s web. Even Gods cannot distinguish it. And yet, behold, there was a time when I said: I will be a mighty God, and not bow to the Unknown that brought me into being. For this I labored long and hard; the responsibility of my kingdom finally encroached upon my happiness. Long after that I put away all responsibility, and made myself a servant to Jehovih. Then a new happiness came upon me, even when I had nothing that was mine in heaven and earth. This is also beyond my understanding; yet it is inside of me as a new tree of delight. It is this that I would tell you of, but I cannot find it; it does not fly away; it baffles words, even as a description of the Great Spirit is void because of His wondrous majesty. Such is the joy of His service that even Gods and angels cannot describe it. With its growth we look famine in the face and do not weep; we see falling ji’ay and do not fear; with the ebb and flow of the tide of Jehovih’s works we float as one with Him, with a comprehensive joy.
Sudga said: To hear your voice is joy to me; to not hear you is great sorrow. Behold, I will consider your words of wisdom. In your far-off place I will come in remembrance and love to you.
Thus ended the interview, and Sudga signaled his vice-Gods and high marshal to come; so he saluted Ahura in the sign of CRAFT, and Ahura answered him in the sign, TIME.
And then Ahura, between the vice-Gods, led by the high marshal, departed, passing beyond the arena, where the vice-Gods and high marshal delivered him into the charge of the marshal hosts, who conducted him beyond the line of sentinels, where Ahura joined his own attendants and went with them into his otevan, and set sail for Agho’aden, Osiris’ heavenly place, which had been over Par’si’e, but was now moved over Arabin’ya.