7C

7C

Yeshua shook his  head  in  wonder. "Belial, why  should I  be content to  rule the fourth part  of a mere ribbon  on a largely frozen world with  little more than half the area  of the Earth? Kemen is  merely the first  interstellar colony of a  home world that is far more rich. I'm not sent to rule, but to teach."

Belial asked, "What would you teach?"

"To live peacefully  with  one other  to  begin," said  Yeshua. "Later, perhaps, to reach the stars without our aid  and set up new Kemens of their own."

Belial said, "You know that by covenant Bat-El  is permitted to listen to the 'chatter' of our kind, but never to speak to them. I, however,  will grant to you  full access, to both  listen and speak, if you agree to be silent about certain things."

"Allow me to make  a counteroffer,  father. Abrogate  the First Covenant. Grant  to both myself  and Bat-El full access  with El Elyon  immediately, and  we will  present the  discovery of  the Students  to the  City  of Stars  with no  mention  of the  many centuries Bat-El was held silent."

Belial shook his head. "It is well you took this opportunity to converse with me, Binah, but you have been a disappointment from the instant you began to exist."

"The offer I made to you just now was sincere. But I would have been surprised to hear your acceptance."

"I must admit the offer is tempting," Belial said. "That is my traditional role and you've turned the tables quite neatly. But announcing the  Students, even under  the terms you  offer, will bring a  level of scrutiny  from the City  of Stars that  I will never be prepared to accept. What I will do instead is press one advantage I do have. You fear  serial lives? You will only exist in union  with this one from  those sunny farms and  hills along Hayam Hagadol? Very well! I can  add a complication to your plan to become a teacher to your students."

Belial reached into  his  tunic and  withdrew  a long  devilish blade, almost a short sword. he said, "Once Israel got into an all-night tussle with Yakob and had  to surrender his name to be released. You know that story. You look underfed to me, yet I'll not repeat the mistake."

"Oh, Belial, it will take much more than a  blade to finish me. Plasma from a star's belly might do it."