The Ten of Wands
Duty carried beyond
wisdom
Power retained
beyond justification
Order preserved
after purpose has vanished
Chapter XXXII
Oppression
The Fires have done their job so well
that nothing but ashes are left.
Intermission During an Alien Epic Story and Human Progress?
Following Qblh's departure from Santorini, a new chapter of vigilance unfolded. Isis, profoundly affected by the revelation of the Ayesha incident, escalated her pervasive surveillance of our planet. Meanwhile, Pegasus maintained an invisible watch, cloaked within a hyperspace envelope that granted it temporal autonomy, an existence unbound by Earth's chronological flow. Qblh, possessing a unique displacement technology, could effortlessly phase in and out of terrestrial time, a maneuver that eluded Isis's keen detection. He, however, was acutely aware of her diligent efforts to pinpoint his presence.
The cataclysmic eruption of Santorini undoubtedly commanded her undivided attention. This monumental event served as the catalyst for establishing a new stronghold, later recognized as Ephesus. A neighboring island was designated as a secure Amazonian outpost, intended for overseeing Earth-based Amazonian surveillance operations.
In Nubia, she dispatched a priestess to guide the indigenous population and revitalize the Nile Valley, aiming to restore its former prosperity. Following the Santorini catastrophe, Egypt's old order crumbled; famine, pestilence, and opportunistic warlords rendered the lower Nile barren of hope. Where the economy faltered, conflict surged. Anatolian forces vanquished Avaris and Memphis, reaching the outskirts of Thebes. It was then that Isis herself materialized in Thebes, intending to rekindle faith among the beleaguered remnants of Egypt. Disguising her divine presence within a retinue of her Amazon priestess guard, she allowed Nepthys to articulate her authority and demonstrate her formidable power. With some crucial assistance, the Theban princes repelled the Anatolian invaders, while Isis personally apprehended Anat, thereby concluding her earthly mission with profound acclaim.
Her paramount concern was ensuring this crucial period would not be relegated to oblivion. Concurrently, she harbored a fervent desire to conduct a more exhaustive exploration of Earth, driven by the pursuit of her brother. He had, unbeknownst to her, made a clandestine landing in Mexico and had subsequently vanished into another temporal realm.
Isis staunchly opposed the abhorrent practice of human sacrifice to idols. The only exception to this principle, deemed essential and therefore acceptable to her, was when men were sacrificed for the sake of Amazonian procreation. The Hyksos of the North, however, engaged in the grim ritual of sacrificing to Baal. The accounts of a divine being appearing at Santorini to perform miracles and rescue the populace certainly captured her notice. This figure, however, was no Baal. It was her brother, a fact she recognized with certainty. Yet, he had vanished in the aftermath of the volcanic eruption, leaving no trace. The survivors from Crete and the Santorini aristocracy coalesced to form a new Phoenician confederation. Isis, employing her priestesses, infiltrated their dominion, gradually reasserting a degree of dominion. She remained convinced of her brother's continued existence, far from deceased. The notion that he had traversed into hyperspace had not escaped her contemplation; she surmised this was his sanctuary as she maintained an unwavering vigil. She was now keenly aware that he possessed the capacity to reappear on Earth at will, operating with abilities not dissimilar to those she could wield through the power of Pegasus. Having comprehended his intricate game of evasion, she resolved to play along, orchestrating Earth's affairs from strategically chosen vantage points while simultaneously tracking his movements.
Under Isis's dominion, Earth existed as a realm subject to her overarching authority. She shared existence with Earth and Artemis, traversing time and space through the advanced stargates of Artemis and the Pegasus. From her stronghold in Ephesus, she orchestrated the construction of a new Phoenician fleet, a vital instrument for her search for her brother and for reinstating prosperity among those who heeded the directives of her local representatives. It remained a customary practice for these agents to appoint a male "king" to serve as their regional commander. For a considerable duration, Isis and her priestesses guided the affairs of numerous city-states. The male rulers of Earth often governed with a harshness that would shock modern sensibilities, yet for Isis, this was a familiar aspect of humanity. Having spent eons shaping their development, guiding them away from their primitive origins, she viewed humans as merely emerging from their animalistic past. Her own existence spanned centuries, untouched by aging, while these evolved beings lived but a few decades. From her vantage point, Earth had become just another planet within her vast empire, and she exerted her will over it at her discretion.
Periodic human sacrifice persisted, but only for causes Isis deemed justifiable. Those she chose not to execute were instead subjected to a controlled form of enslavement, existing under a protective system where absolute obedience to their masters was mandated. This allowed her authority to be effectively dispersed and rigorously enforced. Her field agents determined the architectural orientation of palaces in relation to their communities, and rather than wielding direct central power, they cultivated the necessary cooperation to manage intercommunity relations. Individuals who demonstrated unwavering loyalty to her high priestesses were granted exemption from enslavement. Furthermore, those who complied with her wishes were bestowed with servants to alleviate the burdens of otherwise arduous professional duties.
Constantly vigilant for the potential reappearance of Qblh, she would periodically recall her Venetian officials, relieving them of their duties. These individuals would then return to the Pegasus, making way for newly appointed agents. The ancient Egyptian dynasties were brought to an end, yet Isis ingeniously utilized Amazonian DNA to establish new royal lineages for Egypt. Following the catastrophic Santorini explosion and for several subsequent generations, all empires subjugated the less fortunate. Wars of conquest were waged not only to acquire material wealth but also to secure a readily available pool of cheap labor.
The Phoenicians relied on their skilled oarsmen. The Egyptians depended on their builders of monumental structures. The Hyksos held sway over the vital trade arteries connecting Babylon and the maritime powers of the Mediterranean.
In astronomical matters, the Babylonians possessed a more profound understanding than their Egyptian counterparts. Their meticulous astronomical records detailed stellar movements in a structured fashion, significantly enhancing navigational prowess. This advanced knowledge proved indispensable for the Phoenicians, empowering them to dominate Mediterranean commerce and control coastal settlements. Such an intellectual advantage positioned the literate Phoenician captains generations ahead of their rivals.
According to ancient narratives, the Hyksos were believed to be descendants of Esau, with Esau himself supposedly the inaugural Hyksos monarch. However, historical records have largely erased any definitive trace of this assertion. While avoiding excessive conjecture regarding the relationship between Joseph and Esau, both legend and historical accounts suggest that Esau's lineage, utilizing the chariot, ascended to kingship in Egypt until forces aligned with Thebes and Isis ultimately expelled them. It's plausible that the children of Esau may have embraced the Canaanite deity Baal, forging alliances in their bid to subjugate Egypt. Alternatively, some scholars identify the Hyksos as Amorite rulers seeking new territories after their expulsion from Babylon. These ambitious Hyksos rulers showed no reverence for Joseph's legacy or the symbols of the conquered Egyptian kingdom. With evident glee, they desecrated Egypt's grand monuments and plundered the treasures of its ancient tombs. However, they failed to capitalize on certain agricultural innovations, instead focusing their efforts on warfare to cripple Egypt's food supply. A period of widespread famine and disease ensued, plunging the Nile Valley into profound instability following Salitis's reign. Ultimately, the Israelites emerged victorious, but not before enduring servitude under the Hyksos, both during Salitis's rule and thereafter, and subsequently under their Egyptian liberators.
Qblh chose to remain apart from the political entanglements of that era, only reappearing around 1200 BC, well after the time of Moses within this particular temporal continuum he was navigating. Nevertheless, recalling certain pivotal events from that period offers valuable insight.
While the yoke of servitude would persist, the arbitrary decrees of pharaohs and kings appeared poised for significant challenges. Legend suggests that Qblh's eventual return heralded the arrival of Theseus, instrumental in introducing the foundational concepts of democracy.
The very air crackled with an untamed power as Moses, a beacon in the cosmic night, unveiled a faith so incandescent it burned away the shadows. He spoke of the One whom Qblh, in the hushed reverence of his most profound recollections, named Yaohushua. But this was no mere appellation; it was a whispered truth, a resurrected memory from Lazarus, a soul who finally remembered the blinding brilliance of his true self. The awe-inspiring dread, the sheer, soul-shattering terror of G-D, was a visceral imprint on Qblh’s very being, a phantom limb of fear that pulsed through every searing step of his cosmic peregrinations.
Qblh, driven by an unyielding imperative etched into his core, was a force of nature unleashed against the suffocating grip of arbitrary, flesh-and-blood dominion. He waged a relentless war against the capricious decrees of misguided human authority, his spirit recoiling from the stench of their self-aggrandizement. With equal ferocity, he confronted the labyrinthine, tyrannical reign of Isis, her pronouncements as cold and unforgiving as glacial ice. This unyielding opposition was not a choice, but the very marrow of his being, a testament to his unflinching, logical essence. The titanic clash, the primal dance between the searing light of Qblh and the all-consuming darkness of Isis, was a cosmic opera played out across the eons of the Venetian Galactic Imperium. Through the unfathomable tapestry of these epochs, neither Isis nor Qblh bowed to the ravages of time. They remained untouched, ageless specters in a universe that aged and crumbled. Though Earth's nascent souls, blinded by their limited perception, may have trembled before them, deeming them gods, these beings were far from divine.
They were exiles, wanderers from a stellar cradle light-years beyond humanity's most fevered dreams. Possessing the ultimate freedom, they commanded the currents of time itself, traversing the vast, silent expanse of the galaxy not across arduous millennia, but through infinitesimal, fleeting heartbeats, their passage a mere whisper against the cosmic wind.
