2. Wert thou, this day, to deliver from hell De'yus and Anubi, and their thousands of millions of self-torturing slaves, they would but use their deliverance to mock My creation, saying: It lasted not; it was but a breath of wind. For which reason thou shalt not yet meddle with the hells of Hored.
3. In four hundred years I will bring the earth into another dawn of light. Till then, let De'yus and Anubi and their hosts take their course.
4. God inquired concerning Osiris and Te-in and Sudga, and Jehovih answered him, saying: Sufficient unto them is the light they have received. Suffer them also to take their course, for they also shall become involved in hells of their own building.
5. But be thou attentive to My Chosen, the Faithists, in all parts of heaven and earth; not suffering one of them to fall into the hells of my enemies.
6. God acquainted Ahura with Jehovih's words; then Ahura prayed to Jehovih, saying: O Father, grant thou to me that I may go to Osiris, and to Te-in, and to Sudga, to plead Thy cause. Behold, the Lord God is locked up in hell; even high-raised Gods would not find it safe to go to him.
7. Jehovih said: Why, O Ahura, desirest thou to go to Osiris and to Te-in and to Sudga? Knowest thou not, how difficult it is to alter the mind of a mortal man; and yet these self-Gods are ten-fold more stubborn!
8. Ahura said: I know, I cannot change them; to break this matter of conceit, and all learned men are liable to fall therein, none but Thee, O Jehovih, have power. But these self-Gods were long ago my most loved friends; behold, I will go to them as a father would to a son, and plead with them. Jehovih gave permission to Aura to visit them, the three great self-Gods.
9. So Ahura fitted out an otevan, and with ten thousand attendants, and one thousand heralds, and with five thousand musicians, besides the officers of the fire-ship, set sail for Che-su-gow, Te-in's heavenly place, over Jaffeth. And when he arrived near the place he halted and sent his heralds ahead to inquire if he could have audience with Te-in.
10. Te-in received the heralds cordially, and being informed of their object, sent back this word: Te-in, the most high ruler of heaven and earth sendeth greeting to Ahura, commanding his presence, but forbidding Ahura and his hosts from speaking to any soul in Che-su-gow save himself (Te-in).
11. Ahura received this insulting message with composure, and then proceeded and entered the capital city, the heavenly place of Te-in, where he was met by one million slaves, arrayed in the most gorgeous manner. These conducted him and his attendants to the arena, where Ahura was received by the marshals, who brought him to the throne, leaving the attendants in the arena. Here Te-in saluted on the Sign of Taurus, and Ahura answered in the Sign Friendship.
12. Te-in signaled privacy, and so all the others fell back, leaving Ahura and Te-in alone. Te-in said: Come thou and sit beside me on the throne. Ahura said: Because thou hast not forgotten me I am rejoiced. And he went up and sat on the throne. Te-in said: Because thou art my friend I love thee; because thou art beside me I am rejoiced. It is more than a thousand years since mine eyes have beholden thee. Tell me, Ahura, how is it with thyself and thy kingdom?
13. Ahura said: As for myself I am happy; for the greater part, my kingdom is happy also. My trials have been severe and long enduring. But of my four thousand millions, more than half of them are delivered beyond atmospherea, high raised; and of the others they grade from fifty to ninety.
14. Te-in said: And for thy more than two thousand years' toil, what hast thou gained by striving to raise up these drujas? Ahura said: This only, O Te-in, peace and rejoicing in my soul.
15. Te-in said: Hereupon hang two philosophies: One seeketh peace and rejoicing by laboring with the lowest of the low; the other, by leading the highest of the high. As for myself the latter suiteth me better than the former. I tell thee, Ahura, all things come of the will; if we will ourselves to shut out horrid sights and complainings, such as the poor druk and the druj indulge in, we have joy in a higher heaven. To me it is thus; sympathy is our most damnable enemy, for it bindeth us to the wretched and miserable. To put away sympathy is to begin to be a great master over others, to make them subservient to our wills.
16. Ahura said: Is it not a good thing to help the wretched? Te-in answered: To help them is like drinking nectar; to make one's senses buoyant for the time being. That is all. They relapse and are less resolute than before, but depend on being helped again. For which reason he who helpeth the wretched doth wrong them woefully. To make them know their places, this is the highest. For hath not even the Gods got to submit to their places. To learn to be happy with one's place and condition is great wisdom.
17. Herein have thousands of Gods fallen; they helped up the poor and wretched; as one may, in sympathy to serpents, take them into his house and pity them. They immediately turn and bite their helpers. But speak thou, O Ahura; for I have respect to thy words.
18. Ahura said: If a man plant an acorn in a flower-pot, and it take root and grow, one of two things must follow: the growth must be provided against or the pot will burst. Even thus draweth, from the sources around about, the lowest druj in heaven. None of the Gods can bind him forever. Alas, he will grow. All our bondage over them cannot prevent the soul, soon or late, taking root and growing. How, then, can we be Gods over them forever?
19. Te-in said: Thou art a God over them; I am a God over them. Where is the difference? Ahura said: I am not in mine own name; though I am God over them, yet am I not God over them. For I teach them they shall not worship me, but Jehovih. I train them that I may raise them away from me. Neither do my people serve me, but serve the Great Spirit. Thou teachest thy drujas that thou art the all highest, and that they shall be contented to serve thee everlastingly. Thou dost limit them to the compass of thy kingdom. I do not limit my subjects, but teach them that their progression is forever onward, upward.
20. Te-in said: How do we not know but the time will come unto them, and they shall say: Alas, I was taught in error. They told me there was a Great Spirit, a Person comprising all things, but I have found Him not. Will they not then revolt also? Was not this the cause of De'yus' fall? He had searched the heavens to the extreme, but found not Jehovih. Then he returned, and possessed himself of heaven and earth. Although he failed, and is cast into hell, it is plain that his sympathy for drujas caused his fall. From his errors, I hope to guard myself; for I shall show no sympathy for the poor or wretched; neither will I permit education on earth or in heaven, save to my Lords or marshals. When a mortal city pleaseth me not, I will send spirits of darkness to flood it unto destruction. Yea, they shall incite mortals to fire the place, and do riot and death. Thus will I keep the drujas of heaven forever busy playing games with mortals, and in bringing provender and diadems to forever glorify my heavenly kingdom.
21. Ahura said: Where in all the world hath a self-God stood and not fallen? Te-in said: Thou mayst ask of mortals: Where is a kingdom or a nation that stood, and hath not fallen? Yet thou perceivest nations continue to try to found themselves everlastingly. But they are leveled in time. Things spring up and grow, and then fall into dissolution. Will it not be so with ourselves in the far future? Will we not become one with the ever-changing elements, and as nothing, and wasted away?
22. Ahura said: One might say of man and spirits: There were some seeds planted; and many of them rotted and returned to earth; but others took root and grew and became large trees. But yet, is it not true also of the trees that they have a time? For they die, and fall down, and rot, and also return to earth.
23. Ahura continued: Admit this to be true, O Te-in, and that the time may come when thou and I shall pass out of being, doth it not follow that for the time we live we should contribute all we can to make others happy?
24. Te-in said: If by so doing it will render ourselves happy, with no danger to our kingdoms, then yea, verily. For which reason are we not forced back after all to the position that we shall labor for our own happiness, without regard to others? One man delighteth in art, another in philosophy, another in helping the poor and wretched; and another in eating and drinking, and another in ruling over others; shall not they all have enjoyment in the way of their desires? Shalt thou say to him that delighteth in eating and drinking: Stop thou; come and delight thyself helping the wretched!
25. Ahura said: This I have seen; the intelligent and clean have more delight than do the stupid and filthy; the rich more enjoyment than the poor. As for ourselves, we delight more in seeing the delighted than in seeing the wretched. More do we delight to see a child smile than to hear it cry; but there be such that delight more to make a child cry than to see it smile; but such persons are evil and take delight in evil. Shall we, then, indulge them in their means of delight? Or is there not a limit, as when we say: All men have a right to that which delighteth themselves, provided it mar not the delight of others?
26. Te-in said: Thou hast reasoned well. We shall delight ourselves only in such ways as do not mar the delight of others. Whereupon Ahura said: Then am I not delighted with the manner of thy kingdom; and thou shouldst not practice what giveth me pain. Because thou hast resolved to educate not mortals nor angels, thou hast raised a hideous wall in the face of Gods.
27. Te-in said: This also wilt thou admit: that as we desire to delight ourselves we should look for the things that delight us, and turn away from things that delight us not. Therefore, let not the Gods turn their faces this way, but to their own affairs.
Ahura said: Thou art wise, O Te-in. But this I have found; that something within us groweth, that will not down nor turn aside. In the beginning of life we look to ourselves, which is the nature of the young; but when we grow, we take a wife, and we delight to see her delighted; then cometh offspring, and we delight to see them delighted. After this, we delight to see our neighbors delighted; and then the state, and then the whole kingdom. This delight to be delighted groweth within us; and when we become Gods we delight no longer in the delight of a few only, but we expand unto many kingdoms. As for myself, I first delighted in the delight of Vara-pishanaha; but now I delight to see other Gods and other kingdoms delighted. For that, I have come to thee. I fear thy fate. I love thee. I love all thy people, good and bad. Behold, this I have found, that it is an easier matter to suffer a river to run its course than to dam it up; to dam up a river and not have it overflow or break the dam this I have not found. The course of the spirit of man is growth; it goeth onward like a running river. When thou shuttest up the mouth, saying: Thus far and no farther! I fear for thee. I tried this matter once; I was flooded; the dam was broken. I see thee shutting out knowledge from mortals and angels; but I tell thee, O Te-in, the time will come when the channel will be too broad for thee.
29. Te-in said: How shall I answer such great wisdom? Where find a God like unto thee, O Ahura? And yet, behold, the Lord God, Anuhasaj, toiled with thee hundred of years, and learned all these things; yea, he traveled in the far-off heavens, where there are Gods and kingdoms which have been for millions of years. And he came back and renounced the Great Person, Jehovih. He said: All things are not a harmonious whole; but a jumble; a disordered mass, playing catch as catch can.
30. Ahura said: And what hath befallen him? And is here not a great argument? For we behold in all times and conditions and places, in heaven and on earth, wherever people assume doctrines like unto his, they begin to go down into hell. They flourish a little while, but only as a summer plant, to yield in the winter's blast. For this I have seen for a long time coming against these heavens, even thine, that, as darkness crushed De'yus, so will thy heavenly dominions soon or late fall, and in the shock and fray thou wilt suffer a fate like unto De'yus.
31. Te-in said: For thy wise words, O Ahura, I am thy servant. I will consider thy argument, and remember thee with love. In a thousand years from now I may be wiser; and I may have my kingdom so built up that it will be an argument stronger than words.
Hereupon the two Gods brought their argument to a close, and Te-in signaled his vice-Gods and marshals, and they came; and when Ahura and Te-in had saluted each other, Ahura was conducted away from the place of the throne, and after that beyond the capital. The vice-Gods and marshals delivered him to his own attendants, and with them he embarked in his otevan, and set sail for Sudga's heavenly kingdom, over the land of Vind'yu.
2. The capital house of Sudga was made of precious stones and gems, the work of thousands of millions 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 one could scarce look upon them. These were watch and watch, with two other groups of one million each, and they stood watch eight hours each.
3. None but the vice-Gods and the high marshals could cross the arena to the palace, walking, but 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. Neither must any one 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, a thousand anthems. So that only the few, as compared to the millions, ever laid eyes on the throne of Sudga. And after they so beheld him on the throne, for they were only permitted to gaze but once on him, and that at a great distance, and amidst such a sea of fire they scarce could see him, then they must re-crawl back again to the place of beginning, again reciting another thousand anthems.
4. Which made Sudga almost inaccessible, and permitted only such as were favored to even look upon him, which with the ignorant is a great power.
5. When Ahura came to the capital and sent word to Sudga who he was, praying audience, Sudga gave orders to admit him, commanding Ahura to walk upright into his presence, along with the vice-Gods. Accordingly, in this manner Ahura came before Sudga, and saluted in Love and Esteem, answered by Sudga 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.
6. Sudga said: Because thou hast come to see me I am overflowing with joy. Because I know thou hast come to admonish me for my philosophy and the manner of my dominions, I respect thee. Because thou didst once try to found a kingdom of thine own, and failed, I sympathize with thee; but because thou wentest back on thyself and accepted Jehovih, and so was rescued from thy peril, I commiserate thee.
7. Ahura said: To hear thy gifted tongue once more is my great joy. To know that no misfortune was in store for thee and thy kingdom would give me great delight. Because I love thee, and the people of thy mighty, heavenly kingdom, I have come to admonish thee 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.
8. Sudga said: Can a brave man justly cast his cares upon another? Was not thyself given to thyself for thyself? If so, thou desirest none to work for thee? If so, how hast thou a right to work for others? If thou prevent them working out their own destiny, wrongest not thou them? Moreover, thou sayest: To cast thy cares on Jehovih, and to work hard for others, these two give thee the greatest happiness: Wherefore, art thou not selfish to work for thine own happiness? For is not this what I am doing for myself in mine own way.
9. Ahura said: Grant all thy arguments, O Sudga, where shall we find the measure of righteous works but 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 be 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 hath the greatest number of happy souls? Would not this be a better method of arriving at the highest philosophy?
10. Sudga said: Yea, 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 have the cause of their fall in 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 deadeneth it awhile, but only to have it burst forth more violently afterward.
Sudga said: Thou reasonest well, O Ahura; go on. Ahura said: How, then, shall we determine the happiness of two kingdoms, in order to determine which hath the greater happiness? Are not revolts evidence of unhappiness? Hear me, then, O Sudga; where, in all the Jehovihian heavens, hath 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, hath never been any God or Chief environed in tortures. As for my own kingdom, my people will not rebel against me, nor need I fortify myself against disaster.
13. Sudga said: Thou art wise, O Ahura. The only way to judge a kingdom's happiness is by the peace and contentment and civility of its people toward one another, and by the confidence betwixt the ruler and the ruled. He who hath to guard himself liveth on the eve of destruction of his kingdom and himself. And yet, O Ahura, remember this: the Jehovihians of heaven and earth are high raised ere they become such; any one can be a ruler for them, for they know righteousness. But I have to deal with druks and drujas. How, then, canst thou compare my kingdoms with the Nirvanian kingdoms?
14. Ahura said: Alas, O Sudga, I fear my arguments are void before thee. Thou showest me that the line betwixt 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 bow not 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 unknowable to me; it is within my members as a new tree of delight. This it is that I would tell thee of, but I cannot find it. It flieth not away; it baffleth 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 weep not; we see falling ji'ay and fear not; with the ebb and flow of the tide of Jehovih's works we float as one with Him, with a comprehensive joy.
15. Sudga said: To hear thy voice is joy to me; to not hear thee is great sorrow. Behold, I will consider thy words of wisdom. In thy far-off place I will come in remembrance and love to thee.
16. Thus ended the interview, and Sudga signaled his vice-Gods and high marshal to come; whereat he saluted Ahura in the Sign of Craft, and Ahura answered him in the Sign, Time.
And then Ahura, betwixt the vice-Gods, led by the high marshal, departed, passed beyond the arena, where the vice-Gods and high marshal gave 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 Parsi'e, but was now moved over Arabin'ya.
2. It was built after the manner of Sudga's; that is to say, modeled after Sanc-tu, in Hored, but more magnificent than Sudga's kingdom, and far larger. The arena-way was five thousand lengths of a man across; so that approaching visitors to the throne must crawl two thousand lengths in order to approach the throne. And they also had to repeat an anthem of praise, or a prayer, for every length crawled, going and coming. And they were, like at Sudga's, permitted to approach only to within a long distance from Osiris; whilst the array of lights around him were so dazzling that scarcely any could look upon him. And they that thus approached were so reverential that their minds magnified Osiris' glorious appearance so much, they verily believed they had looked into the Creator's face, and saw, of a truth, man was of his image and likeness. And thousands, and even millions, that thus crawled to look upon him, afterward went about in heaven preaching Osiris as the veritable All Highest Creator of heaven and earth.
3. Osiris made his Godhead to consist of three persons: first, himself, as The Fountain of the Universe, whose name was Unspeakable; second, Baal, His Only Begotten Son, into whose keeping he had assigned the earth and all mortals thereon; and, third, Ashtaroth, His Virgin Daughter, into whose keeping he had assigned life and death, or rather the power of begetting and the power to cause death with mortals.
4. Osiris was the most cunning of all the self-Gods; for thus he appropriated the triangle of the Faithists; thus appropriated the names and powers of the Lord God, the false (now in hell), for only through Baal and Ashtaroth could any mortal or spirit ever attain to approach the arena of the throne in Agho'aden. And here again, they had to pass the high sentinel, Egupt, before they were entitled to the right to crawl on their bellies over the sacred pavement, the way to the heavenly palace.
5. Only the vice-Gods of Osiris and his chief marshal could walk upright to the capital palace, and they with heads bowed low. And when Osiris was informed of Ahura's coming he sent word that he should come upright, with head erect, but veiled from head to foot. To this Ahura gladly consented; and, being thus veiled by Egupt and handed over to the vice-Gods and the chief marshal, he walked upright till he came to the high arch of the palace; here they halted, and Ahura saluted on the Sign Old Time Love, and Osiris answered in the Sign Joy in Heaven. Whereupon Ahura left the vice-Gods and walked near the throne, and Osiris came down, and they embraced in each other's arms, not having seen each other for more than a thousand years.
6. Osiris signaled the vice-Gods and chief marshal to fall back, and they did so, and they ascended the throne and sat thereon, privately.
7. Osiris said: This is a great joy! To meet one's loves, is not this greater, after all, than all the pomp and glory of the Gods? Ahura said: True; but who is wise enough to live to enjoy so cheap a glory? We run afar off; we build up mighty kingdoms, and our places are replete with great magnificence; in search after what? Whilst that which doth cost nothing, love, the greatest good of all in heaven and earth, we leave out in the cold. More delight have I to again look upon thy buoyant face, and hear the music of thy voice, than I ever had in my heavenly kingdom of seven thousand million angels.
8. Osiris said: Is it not so with all Gods, and with mortal kings and queens? They boast of the extent and power of their countless millions; and yet they have not more to love them than would match in numbers their fingers' ends, whom they can take into their arms in the fullness of reciprocity. What, then, are pomp and glory? Are not kings and queens of earth but watch-dogs, to guard the stinking flesh and bones of other mortals? And are not the Gods equally base in their dirty trade of ruling over foul-smelling drujas?
9. Ahura said: It is so. But whence is this great desire to rule over others; to lead them; to be applauded; and to revel in the toil of millions? Would it not be wise for the Gods who understand this, to resign their mighty kingdoms and go along with their loves to feast in the great expanse of the universe.
10. Osiris said: True, O Ahura. But who hath power to do this? Certainly not the Gods. And is it not so with mortals? For thousands of years, have they not been told: Except ye give up your earthly kingdoms, and give up your riches, ye cannot rise in heaven. But, behold, the rich man cannot give up his riches; the king cannot give up his kingdom. They are weak indeed! As well expect an unhatched bird to fly, as for such souls to be but slaves in our dominions. This do I perceive also, of mine own kingdom, I cannot give it up; because, forsooth, I cannot get the desire to give it up, although my judgment saith it would be the highest, best thing for me.
11. Ahura said: Are not great possessions like unto dissipation? I have seen mortals who admit the highest, best thing to do is to live the highest, best one knoweth, and straightway go off and pollute the body by eating flesh and drinking wine. They also know the right way, but to attain to the desire to put in practice what one knoweth to be the highest, they have not reached.
12. Osiris said: Yea, all this is dissipation. And if a man give away what he hath, is not that also dissipation? Can it be true, O Ahura, that even as we manipulate mortals, to drive them to war or to make them play peace, to make them destroy their kingdoms and build up others by our angel armies, which they know not of, that we ourselves are ruled over by the Gods in the etherean heavens?
13. Ahura said: It seemeth to me thus, Osiris, that is to say: That the etherean Gods above us rule us, but not in the same way, but by their absence from us when we do unjustly, and by their presence when we do righteously. We rule over mortals by direct action upon them, shaping their destinies by our heavenly wills, and they are often cognizant of our angel servants being with them. But when we cannot appropriate a mortal to do our wills, we withdraw our angels and suffer him to fall into the hands of drujas.
14. Ahura continued: Not that the Gods above us, O Osiris, send evils upon us; but that we foster evils within our own kingdoms which take root, like thorns and nettles in a neglected field, and they grow and environ us. Even this I have seen in thy heavens in the far future. It will come upon thee, O Osiris, and with all thy wisdom and strength thou wilt meet the same fate as De'yus, and be cast into hell.
15. Osiris said: Were I to judge by all the self-Gods who have been before me, I should assent unto thy wise judgment. But hear thou me, O Ahura, for mine is not like any other heavenly kingdom, nor formed for mine own glory only. This, then, is that that I will accomplish:
16. I will cast out sin from amongst mortals, and all manner of wickedness; and I will give them a heavenly kingdom on earth. They shall war no more, nor deal unjustly with one another; nor have suffering, nor immature deaths, nor famines, nor sickness, but peace and love, and righteousness, and good works and nobleness.
17. For I will go down to them in person in time to come; and I will take with me angels high raised, and appoint them unto mortals, and give them corporeal bodies for their pleasure, and they shall be the teachers of man on the earth. And man shall put away all selfishness and deceit, and lust, and lying; and the races of man shall be taught how to beget offspring in purity and wisdom.
18. And in that day I will take back the drujas of heaven and engraft them on mortals and re-raise them up with understanding. Wherefore, O Ahura, though I fortify myself in all this, am I not laboring in the right way?
19. Ahura said: It seemeth to me a dangerous proceeding. I would compare thy plan to that of a teacher who took his pupil into a place of vice to teach him virtue. How can a heavenly kingdom exist amongst mortals, save with celibates? And they cannot people the world. Is there any other way but by the delight of the lowest passion that man can be born into life? What belongeth to the flesh is of the flesh; the spirit repudiateth the earth.
20. Osiris said: It hath been so said; but I will cast the higher love down into the lower.
21. Ahura said: Why, so thou canst; but, alas, will it remain down, and forever grovel on the earth? I have seen a sweet maiden wed to a vicious husband, and she lifted him not up, but he pulled her down. Will not it be so with the higher love, when thou weddest it to the passions? Behold the manner of the oracles! We appoint high-raised angels to answer the questions of mortals, to lead them to virtue and wisdom; but, alas, mortals come not to the oracles to learn these things, but to learn wickedness, and war, and earthly gain. Will it not be so with thy kingdom founded on earth? Instead of helping mortals up, mortals will pull down the angels to answer them in their most sinful desires and curiosity.
22. Osiris said: Thou hast great reason on thy side, and facts withal to sustain thee. Yet forget not, O Ahura, I shall have a temple built of stone on the earth, and a chamber where I can come and command the kingdom through the mortal king.
23. Ahura said: Behold, my mission is fruitless. I have now visited my three loves, Te-in, and Sudga, and thee. And I cannot turn one, even a jot or tittle. In this I have great sorrow; for I fear the time may come when great darkness will be upon you all.
24. Osiris said: I will consider thy wise words, O Ahura. And though thou now goest from me, my love will follow thee.
25. Hereupon Osiris signaled the chief marshal and the vice-Gods, and they came. Then Osiris and Ahura embraced each other and parted, both saluting in the Sign, Love Forever. Ahura retired even as he came, but backward, the vice-Gods on either side and the marshal leading the way. After they crossed the arena, Ahura was delivered to Egupt, and the chief marshal and the vice-Gods returned to Osiris.
26. Egupt passed Ahura on to his own attendants, who conducted him to his fire-ship wherein they embarked and set sail for his own heavenly place, Vara-pishanaha.