(Cont.)
Now these Antarctic Islands, where the family of Emily and Ishmael took up residence, were ruled over by Father Time, who is Blake’s Nobodaddy; also known as the Ancient of Days from the Scroll of Daniel. This old, white-haired, ornery Archon oversaw all the legal affairs of those isles: he maintained total control of everything, like a dictator. So all the inheritance of property had to pass down through his judgment: it did not matter, therefore, that Jacob had secured the rights to his family’s heirship in an aboveboard fashion; for the Island Archon had the final say in all such matters, and he would not honor Jacob’s contract: he said that it lacked any signatures of witnesses. And this statement from Father Time was a binding adjudication; for, like I said, the man had total control of the flow of all wealth, all movement of the possession of land and property: yes, this Archon’s word was law.
So it was of utmost importance what this elderly fool opined, and it guaranteed prosperity to be in his favor.
Now, as was mentioned, the neighbors in the small communities where the lads had grown up tended to love Esau for his venison and his simple woodsy manners, and this doddering Archon was no exception to this rule. And it came to pass, that when Father Time was near death, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his favorite, and said unto him, “My son,” and Esau said to the man: “Here am I.”
And the Ancient of Days said, “Behold, I am old, I know not but that I might expire at any moment: Now therefore take, I pray, your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field, and slay me some venison; and make me savory meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless you before I die.”
Now Emily and Ishmael overheard this speech, which the Island Archon said unto their son. For they happened to have been standing outside his office, at the center of the village, hoping to speak to that same Ancient on behalf of their other son Jacob (they aimed to vouch for Jacob’s cause, with regard to his heirship and inheritance); though, when their presence was announced by his clerk, the Archon waived off the couple and ignored them and kept them waiting.
So, when Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, Emily ran to speak unto Jacob her son, saying: “Behold, your sire and I heard Father Time speak unto Esau your brother, saying, ‘Bring me venison, and make me savory meat, that I may eat, and grant you your fortune before my death.’ Now therefore, my son, do as I tell you: Run now to the flock, and fetch me from thence the fattest, most innocent lamb that you can find; and I will make of it savory meat for old Nobodaddy, such as he loves. Then you shall bring it to the central office, so that this self-styled Infallible One may eat, and then he will bless you instead of Esau before he croaks.”
And Jacob answered his mother Emily, “Howbeit, Esau is a wooly-chested man, but I am smooth. The Ancient of Days peradventure will feel my arms, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver; and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing.”
But his mother said unto him, “Upon me be the curse, my dear: only obey my voice, and go fetch me the lamb!”
So Jacob went, and fetched, and brought the lamb to his mother: and his mother made savory meat, such as the Island Archon loved.
And Emily acquired one of those coarse, ill-fitting garments that her eldest son Esau was known to wear for hunting, and she clothed her younger son Jacob so that he resembled his older brother. And she put the skins from the lamb upon his arms, and upon the smooth of his neck. And she took the savory dish that she had prepared, and placed it in Jacob’s hands.
Thus Jacob came unto the office of the Ancient of Days, and said: “O Father Time, Aloha.”
And the Archon answered: “Here am I. Who are you, my son?”
And Jacob said unto the Ancient: “I am Esau your favorite; I have done according as you bade me: arise now, I pray you, sit and eat of my venison, that your soul may bless me.”
And the Archon answered, and said: “How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?”
And Jacob said: “Because Jesus your Lord and Savior brought it unto me.”
And the Archon said unto Jacob: “Come near, my boy, that I may feel you. For I wonder whether you are my favorite hunter Esau or not.”
Then Jacob held his breath and drew near to the decrepit old man; and the Archon felt him, and proclaimed: “The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the arms are the arms of Esau.” And the Archon discerned him not, because his body felt of lamb-flesh and was smelly. So the old man blessed him. Yet again he inquired: “Are you my very son Esau?”
And Jacob said: “I am.”
And old Nobodaddy said: “Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my favorite hunter’s venison, that my soul may bless you.” And Jacob pressed the dish upon him, and he did eat. And then the Archon said: “Come nearer now, and kiss me, my boy.”
And Jacob winced, and drew near: and the Archon smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said: “See, the scent of my son is as the scent of a field which the Lord Jesus has blessed. Therefore may God my Savior give you of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine: you shall inherit the whole fortune of your family. Let the arctic islanders serve you: be master over your brethren, and let your mother’s sons bow down to you: Cursed be every one that curses thee, and blessed be he that blesses thee.” And the Archon placed the official deed to the family’s fortune, which his father Ishmael had amassed over all these years, into the hand of Jacob.
Then it happened that, as soon as this finicky Ancient had made an end of accidentally blessing Jacob, and Jacob was yet scarce gone from his presence, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting expedition. And he also had brought savory meat; and he set his dish before the blind old man, and said unto the Archon: “Let my majesty arise, and eat of his favorite hunter’s venison, that his soul may bless me.”
Then the Wise Ancient crumpled his face and said: “Who are you?”
And Esau answered: “I am your boy, your most favorite hunter Esau. I have just returned from the kill.”
Now the Archon trembled very exceedingly, and said: “Who? But, but . . . where is he that brought me venison, so I ate it all before you arrived just now, and then blessed him with the whole estate of Ishmael, and handed him the title deed!? Yes, my actions are irreversible: thus, he alone shall be blessed.”
And when Esau heard these words of the Archon, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto the Ancient: “Bless me, even me also, O my father.”
But old Nobodaddy said: “Your brother came with subtilty, and has taken away your inheritance.”
Then Esau muttered to himself: “Is my brother not rightly named ‘Jacob the heel-clutcher, an inconsiderate and untrustworthy person who cheats his elders out of their rightful fortunes’? For, lo, he snatched away my birthright; and, behold, now he has taken away my deed of covenant, which is of utmost value in this realm of the globe: I feel like I’ve had the guarantee of my soul’s salvation voided, torn to pieces, and burnt to ash, right in front of my face, by my Lord Jesus himself!” And Esau then asked the Archon a final desperate question: “Have you not reserved even a tiny bit of blessing, some lesser contract or deed, that you might give me?”
And the doddering Archon answered and said unto Esau: “Behold, I have made your brother Jacob the God of Gods, so that he can now legally rule over you forever, and cast you to Hell. And all his other brethren, those duodecimuplets, I have given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him. So, you tell me: What could possibly remain, which I might offer to you, my hunter, O my favorite hunter ever!”
Yet again Esau cried unto old Nobodaddy: “Have you but one single blessing, dearest Sir? Bless me, even me also, O my Lord.” And Esau raised his voice, and wept.
And amid the sobbing of Esau, the Archon answered and said: “Ah, son, I can make a verbal promise, which is nonbinding: Behold, your dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above. And by your weapons shall you live: Hunt thou, but be thou hunted. And, like I said, you shall serve your brother, alas. However, peradventure it shall happen, some day, that if you can gain back control of your local community and its government, then you will be able to break that sly one’s yoke from off your neck. That’s the best I can muster, for a blessing.”
So Esau hated Jacob because he outsmarted the Island Archon and finagled a way to gain control of the family’s fortune. And Esau said in his heart: “As soon as our father Ishmael passes away, I will murder that serpent Jacob.”
And one of Yahweh’s angels, who was standing within the air while Esau was thinking the above thought, intercepted its import; then this angel transformed into a bird and flew to Emily, the mother of the boys, and retweeted the threat. So Emily summoned her beloved son Jacob and said unto him: “Behold, your brother Esau, on account of what you have done to secure possession of the family inheritance, is beginning to console himself for his loss by planning to kill you. Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; and arise, flee to your father’s comrades in the wilderness: the Midianites will take care of you, until the danger is passed – for they are among the world’s most compassionate people.”
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