3rd Quarter Moon

Book of Wars Against Jehovih Chapter 19, Chapter 20

OF THE HOSTS OF OSIRIS, THE FALSE.

1. Now sallied forth the captains, generals, and well-disciplined hosts of hada, the angels
of De’yus, bent on independence to the earth and heaven from all other rulers save the
Lord God, and to establish him forever. Foremost of the three mighty divisions was
Osiris’army, of more than a thousand million angels, going boldly forth to cover the great
lands of the earth, Arabin’ya, Parsi’e and Heleste.

2. In the front, dashing madly on, was Baal, and next him, his assistant Goddess,
Ashtaroth, followed by their first attendants and high exalted officers. Some of whom
displayed great maps of mortal cities and cultured lands, where the peaceful worshippers
of Jehovih dwelt, hundreds of thousands. And the lists of altars and temples to the Great
Spirit, where the righteous came daily and deposited their earnings and products as
sacrifices for benefit of the weak and helpless. And the wide fields, where toilers brought
out of the earth, religiously, wheat, and flax, and cotton, and barley, as gifts from the
Great Spirit. And the canals, filled with boats, carrying produce, and fruit, and cloth, in
interchange, one district with another. And the mounds and tree-temples of the I’hins, the
sacred people, small, white and yellow; the forefathers and foremothers of the great
I’huan race, the half-breeds, betwixt the brown burrowers in the earth and the I’hins.

3. Over these maps, and charts, and lists, the generals and captains discoursed as they
descended to the rolling earth; most learnedly laying plans to overturn Jehovih’s method,
and build up De’yus, the God of Hored.

4. Osiris himself, to display such dignity as becometh a great God, halted in his heavenly
place, and now head-quarters of the belligerents. And so rested on his throne, with his
tens of thousands of messengers ready to answer his summons and bear his will to the
remotest parts of his mighty army, and to bring him back news in return of the nature of
the proceedings. And betwixt Osiris’and De’yus’ thrones another long line of messengers
extended, a thousand angels, high raised and resolute, suitable to travel in the ever-changing atmospherean belts of great velocity.

5. Beside Baal, on the downward course to the earth, but a little behind him, woman-like,
was Ashtaroth, with her thousand attendants, all accoutered to show their high esteem for
their warring Goddess. By the oft-changing wave of her hand, her part of the army had
learned to know her will, and most zealously observe her commands.

6. And now, on every side, farther than the eye could see, the thousand millions rushed
on, some in boats, some in ships and otevans, and others in single groups, descending. As
one can imagine an earthly kite sufficient to carry its holder high up in the wind, so,
reversed, and single-handed, hundreds of thousands flew toward the earth by ballast flags,
the most daring of angels.

7. Toward the earth they came as if on a frolic, full of jokes and loud boasting, sworn and
swearing to forever clear the earth of Jehovih’s worshippers. Many of them, long trained
in schools and colleges and factories, in heaven, only too glad for a change of scenes and
labor, and all promised by their superiors that now they were to take their first lessons in
becoming Gods and Goddesses. Of whom thousands and thousands hoped for some
daring deed, in order to gain sudden promotion.

8. To the east and west, and north and south, Baal and Ashtaroth spread out their armies,
wide as the three great lands they had sworn to subdue unto the Lord God, who, of
woman born, was the most presuming son the earth had yet brought forth. And to alight
on the earth, to flood the temples and altars with so great an abundance of spirits as would
drive Jehovih’s ashars into disastrous confusion, and vanquish them, was the theme and
project. To be foremost in so great a work was the temptation of promotion, which caused
them on every side to strive with their utmost speed and power.

9. The which Jehovih foresaw, and so spake to God in Craoshivi, warning him; whereof
due observance of the danger had been communicated by messengers to the managing
angels in the altars and temples of worship. And these again, through the rab’bahs and
the oracles, had spread abroad amongst mortals the threatened dangers, cautioning them.

10. Thus Jehovih’s angels fortified themselves, through the faith of mortals, and held on,
bringing together their scanty numbers, knowing well that by Jehovih’s law they must not
resist by arms, but only through words and good example, high-toned by faith in the
Father over all.

11. Down, down, down on these, on every side came the destroying hosts, the thousand
millions; with oaths and loud clamor rushing for the altars and temples; flying suddenly
to the holy arcs; in hundreds of thousands of places, shouting:

12. Avaunt this arc! Avaunt this altar! Avaunt this temple! Ye Jehovian usurpers, begone!
In the name of the Lord our God! We command!

13. But alas, for them, every arc, and altar, and temple to Jehovih was invincible. There
stood His angels, so strong in faith, unmoved and majestic, that even the assailing spirits
halted, overawed. And as they stood a moment, contemplating whence came so great
majesty, to be in such common place, the Jehovians made this reply:

14. To none we bow in adoration but Great Jehovih! Whose Very Self contributed to
make us what we are, His servants in doing good unto others with all our wisdom and
strength! In Him we stand to shield His helpless ones by virtuous peace and love
harmonious. Wherefore, then, come ye in arrogance, demanding our wards to service of
your God, born of woman?

15. The Osirians said: Fly, O sycophants! Ye that bow down in fear and trembling to One
hollow as the wind, and Personless. Too long have earth and heaven been cajoled by far-off foreign Gods, who come hither to win subjects for their kingdoms’glory, by that pitiful tale of an Ever Presence Over All, Whom none have seen nor known. Begone!
Give us these earthly anchorages! To build in unit, earth and heaven, to rule ourselves by
Gods we know and reverence!

16. The Jehovians said: Is this your only power? By threats and commands? O harmless
words, in mockery of truthful Gods! No good works nor promises, save to exalt the self
of earth and hada, and glorify your masters, born only equal with yourselves. Why not
rush in and carry us off, ye that are a thousand to one, and by your deeds prove the great
source whence ye draw your power?

17. The Osirians said: To give ye a chance of liberty, to save ye from the Savior’s
judgment, Anubi, who shall cast ye into hell, we hoped to find your willing departure in
peace. Behold ye, then, we will wall this altar around and shut off the attendant ashars
with mortals, and flood the place with drujas, to obsess them to total madness. If, then, ye
love your wards as ye profess, abandon all to us, for the glory of De’yus, whose son is
Osiris, our commanding God.

18. The Jehovians said: Words! words! words! At first no explanation, and only your
command. Now, forsooth, an argument! And presently ye will withdraw, deceived in
what your commanding Gods told you would result. We tell you we will not hence, save
by our superiors, Jehovih’s, rightly raised to precedence.

19. The Osirians said: For which reason, behold our Lord God, who was honored in the
title through Jehovih’s hand; whom ye should obey according to your oaths.

20. The Jehovians said: Till such time the Lord God put aside Jehovih, we were his; but
when for his self-glory he denied his Creator, his false position freed us from his
obligations. To obey him now, would make us false to Jehovih, and forever weaken us in
reaching the Nirvanian kingdoms.

21. But now the clamoring angels, Osirians, in the background crowded forward
menacingly, and the tide rose to the highest pitch. The morning sun was dawning in the
east, a most wonderful assistant to Jehovih’s sons in time of battle; and their messengers
brought from the fields and country places many ashars who had been on watch all night
with sleeping mortals. The Osirians saw them coming; knew the turn, one way or another,
was at hand! But by the audacity of the Jehovians, one to a thousand, were kept looking
on in wonder till the sun’s rays pierced their weapons and melted them in their hands.

22. First one and then another of the Osirians, then tens and hundreds and thousands,
turned away or looked about, discomfited, like a host of rioters attempting to assault a
few well-trained soldiers, and, becoming affrighted, turn and flee harmlessly. So
Jehovih’s sons and daughters won the victory in the first assault, save in rare instances,
one in a hundred, where the Osirians triumphed and got possession.

Chapter 20
1. And over all the lands, east and west and north and south, of Arabin’ya and Parsi’e and
Heleste, stood the discomfited Osirian angels, in groups, tens of thousands, unseen by
mortals, and considering how best to proceed to overthrow Jehovih and His worshippers.

2. Meantime, messengers and map-makers bore the disastrous news to Osiris, who in turn
sent word on up to De’yus, the self-Lord God, who now, through Osiris, his most favorite
God of power, sent these commands:

3. When night is on and mortals sleep, my hosts shall fall upon the ashars, the guardian
angels, and drive them hence, obsessing every man, and woman and child, in these great
divisions of the earth. What care I for the altars and temples and oracles and arcs? Possess
ye the mortals before the morrow’s morning sun. Hear ye the command of De’yus, The
Lord your God, through his high-raised son, Osiris!

4. And the well-stationed messengers plied all day long to the near and remote parts of
the assaulting armies, giving De’yus’ commands. And ere the sun went down, the whole
thousand millions knew their work, and were wheeled in line, to march with the falling
darkness, and pounce furiously upon the ashars of Jehovih.

5. But the true God, in Craoshivi, had been warned by Jehovih’s Voice of the course of
events, and he had sent his messengers with all speed down to the earth to warn them of
the enemy’s designs that night; the which they accomplished none too soon, for, already,
when they had completed their most exhaustive work, the sun had dropped below the
west horizon.

6. So, at the midnight hour, the terrible approach began on all sides; and to each and every
spirit there came enemies, in tens, and hundreds, and thousands, shouting: Begone, thou
Jehovian fool! The Lord our God and his son, Osiris, command! Away from thy sleeping
mortal ward, or by the voice of God we will cast thee, bound, at Annubi’s feet, food for
hell! Begone!

7. Each Jehovian answered: To Great Jehovih I am sworn! Though ye bind me and cast
me into hell, by the Great Spirit’s hand I will free myself and come here again and teach
His sacred name. And repeat forever my peaceful mission to raise up this heir of Jehovih!

8. Again the threatening adversaries stormed, and wondered whilst they stormed, that one
alone stood so boldly in face of such great odds and flew not away at once. And every
ashar laid his hand on the sleeping mortal in his charge, for by this his power was
multiplied a thousand-fold, and raising up his other hand, thus addressed the All Highest:
By Thy Wisdom and Power, O Jehovih, circumscribe Thou this, Thy sleeping heir, that
whosoever toucheth the mortal part shall cut himself from off Thy everlasting kingdoms!

9. And, with the words, a circle of light fell about the place, bewildering to the assaulters,
who, having once halted, opened the way to their own cowardice to recoil within them, a
most valiant warrior against unrighteous deeds. Whereupon, a war of words and
arguments ensued, till again the morning sun rose upon the almost harmless assault, and
left the Osirians discomfited and ashamed.

10. Though not in all places, for in some extremes they waited not for words but rushed
in and laid hands on the mortals, gaining power sufficient to hurl clubs, and stones, and
boards, and stools and tables about the house, and so roused, wide awake the mortal
occupants. Who, seeing things tumble about by some unseen power, were quickly up and
frightened past composure. Some hurried off to the rab’bahs, some to the oracles and
temples, to inquire about the trouble betwixt the ruling Gods.

11. And in these few places, when once De’yus’ spirit-soldiers gained possession,
they fastened on in thousands, even quarreling as to who had most honor in the
hellish work. And yet not one of the ashars in all the lands was seized or borne away.

12. And now, in the time of the rising sun, the messengers of the Lord God flew hastily
to Osiris’kingdom, where he sat on his throne, expecting news of an overwhelming
victory. And when they told him of the most pitiful failure, save in so small a degree,
Osiris raved and swore: By my soul, I swear an everlasting curse, but I will fill all
the hells in hada with these fool-hardy ashars! Yea, even though I go down to the earth
in person, and with Baal and Ashtaroth go from house to house throughout the world!

13. Osiris again sent word to De’yus, who was of vast experience, and not so hasty; a
wiser God, and better acquainted with the tides in mortal energy to serve Jehovih. So
De’yus sent back word to this effect: To rest the soldiers three days, that the surveyors
might measure the stature of mortal faith, and so make the third attack more successful.
And with these words concluded, to wit:

14. Because of the long spiritual peace amongst mortals, there must be many grown to
intellectual disbelief in an All Highest. For groveling down in the earth to measure
the rocks, and to study the habits of worms and bugs, for generations, their seed
hath brought forth many skeptics, believing nothing of spiritual kind, but rating high
their own judgment. With these, for lack of faith in Jehovih, the ashars are powerless
to ward off my soldiers. Mark them out in every city and in all the country places,
and again at mid-hour of the night, fall upon them, crowding away Jehovih’s ashars.

15. Besides these, find ye the ignorant and superstitious amongst mortals, who are
lazy and of lustful desires, for by their habits the ashars have little power in
their presence. Mark these also, and, at midnight, fall upon them and possess them.

16. And go ye amongst the rich, whose sons and daughters are raised in idleness and
pleasure; whose thoughts seldom rise to the heaven; for with them the ashars are also
weak to protect them, who are most excellent subjects to spirits fond of sporting
pleasures. Mark ye them, also, and at midnight fall upon them, driving hence the ashars.

17. Abandon ye the altars and arcs and temples and oracles, and all the strongest, most
zealous Faithists, for the present. Save such few as still flatten the head and are dull in
judgment, whom ye shall also possess.

18. Thus prepared Osiris and Baal and Ashtaroth for the third assault on Jehovih’s angels.
And their millions of groups were kept in constant drill, ready for the work. The first fire
and flush of boasting was already gone from them, save of a few, and the serious aspect
of a long war stared them in the face.