A conclusion and a turning

(Cont.)

After an interval, Balaam faced King Balak and said: “Before I return to my home, let me advertise for you what the fate of all workers shall be in the latter days – for it might console you . . .”

Then Balaam drew forth from his prophet’s mantle a copy of the following dark saying:

Balaam, the son of Peor 

Who hears the words of God, 

Who knows the knowledge of the Most High, 

Now perceives the vision of the Almighty, 

Falling into a trance, but having his eyes open – 

What I see is not immediate and near 

But far later and distant:

The workforce that left the Empire shall bring forth a Star that holds a Scepter. Not one nation alone but all nations together shall benefit: for the result will be peace and harmony.

The workers of the world shall be at peace with Eurasia, and Russia shall be a friend to all nations.

I now look toward Africa. I pound my gut and shout: ‘Africa!’ You are the first of the nations, and in the end shall be the heart of the earth. Peacetime forever, and the workers’ best friend.

The workers in Asia will do valiantly. They shall be friends with all the world. Their cities shall flourish.

North America: strong is your dwellingplace. Wisely and firmly, you have established your nest in a rock. All the nations within you: Saint Kitts and Nevis; Trinidad and Tobago; Antigua and Barbuda; Belize, the Bahamas, and Barbados – these shall be workers’ paradises.

O how lucky for those people who are alive when the LORD accomplishes this future!

And ships shall come from the coast of Antarctica bearing warmth and love to all. It shall be a time of peace, and there shall be friendship forever:

Peacetime and friendship for South America. The same for Europe. Also for Oceania, peacetime and friendship.

Thus sang the uncouth swain. Then Balaam rose up, twitched his mantle, and returned to his hut with the dream-angels that Balak had gifted him. King Balak also went his way.

§

Now, as Balak and Balaam departed from Mount Peor, the armies of Moses continued their slaughter below.

And this rogue band of raiders that Moses was attempting to chaperone spilled over into the sticks, east of the river where Balaam’s hut was located, and into the plains and the woodsy areas of the wild where King Balak’s people lived. (As was mentioned earlier, the Midianites abode there too.)

So the ex-workforce, which had escaped the Empire, was now a butchering army in the wilderness. And this multitude of murderers showed up on the doorstep of the daughters of the mountain-folk.

It was tense at first. Fear was in the air, when the ex-workers appeared in the area; because the locals assumed, with good cause, that the armies of Moses would break forth upon them. They imagined that these thugs would go berserk, and that there would be a great clash, with much bloodshed and mass death.

But then, graciously, all the dwellers in the sticks came out and welcomed these hardened killers. For they believed in treating every stranger as an incognito god.

Now, since these hill dwellers dared to make themselves vulnerable; and they offered the intruders hospitality, instead of resisting with force – they opened their arms and embraced them as siblings – the potential disaster turned into an orgy of delights. And it lasted a long time.

The wandering workforce was invited to attend picnics with the rustics. Just as the Volcano had originally instructed them to do, the multitudes of Moses mixed and mingled with these foresters. And some of the Midianites joined in as well, and they brought the warriors into contact with more of the deities from their pantheon; for they saw that these people only knew about Yahweh, whereas Peor had other children. And the labor force finally, in an official and civilized setting, got to meet Baal-Peor, the giant jinn whom the Volcano had summoned to solve his scientific dispute against the Church in that earlier episode.

Thus, they introduced their guests to their gods, with whom they made merry.

Then the LORD appeared in his vortex atop Mount Peor. And Moses saw the fire and the smoke, so he turned to his companions and said: “I will be right back.”

And when Moses ascended the mountain, he saw that the wild man with the goat eyes was standing just within the portal of the gyre. Before approaching, Moses removed his bloody boots (all his garments were bloodstained from the recent conquests); then he said: “It has been a long time, O friend. Pardon the state of my attire; we have run into some trouble – I’m not sure if you know . . .”

And the LORD said to Moses: “I am aware. I have been keeping an eye on matters, from a distance. Your group had me worried for a spell, I will not lie. But I am heartened by the recent developments. This is very refreshing, what you are accomplishing here. Good job.”

Moses bowed and said: “I thank you.” Then, after an awkward silence, he added: “Is that all?”

And the wild man replied: “That is all, yes. I only wanted to pay a quick visit; to give you a little reassurance, so that you could in turn reassure your people. Also, if you see your son Balak, whom, as you probably know, these folks who live in my homeland have elected as their leader, give him a friendly ribbing, and rub it in a bit that he should have trusted me instead of doubting me. For he called my brother Balaam and got him involved in trying to filibuster your filibuster – I mean, your lad tried to halt by supernatural means what he anticipated would be your string of deadly conquests. But I wagered all along that your division would soften, if only they could be given a favorable reception. So, tease Balak about this, for me.”

Moses bowed and answered: “I will do so.”

Then, as he was preparing to descend the mount, Moses turned and added: “How are things going with your part of the workforce, by the way?”

And, while the portal of the vortex was closing upon its interior’s brazen distances, the Volcano replied: “Ah, the rest of the multitudes are doing very well, continuing to mix and mingle throughout East Asia.” Then the aperture snapped shut, and the gyre flamed off into the troposphere.