5G

5G

Elam's impulse was to reject the aid of the B'nei Elohim and rely on his own strength, but again he saw how his followers would take it to be a great impiety, so he was constrained. "Let it be as you have said," he allowed, "and God grant that it is for a short time indeed."

Gabriel was sufficiently pleased with that answer that che broke out into a smile and reached into hez pack for a leather pouch. Che said, "In the other world, they call me The Magician." Che inverted the pouch to show there was nothing inside, then restored it again. Then Gabriel reached inside hez little leather pouch and withdrew a small loaf of warm bread. Che split it open and offered it to Remiel, who had seated himzelf on the ground. Remiel applied butter to the bread with a knife, and gave it to the first willing hand.

The Laelites were delighted by the miracle. Gabriel and Remiel repeated the sign until everyone had eaten their fill. They were all tired of the fare of salted cuts of lamb they had eaten as they had skirted for many leagues north under the precipice.

Then, after all the people had eaten, Remiel put away the butter and his knife. he stood up, and catching the eye of Elam, asked, "Where is the Ark of the Covenant?" his eye followed the line formed by Elam's outstretched arm to the most elaborate tent of the Remnant. Remiel and Gabriel saw it was twice as large as any of the other tents of the people, with curtains of fine linen overlaid with multicolored animal pelts, walls of fine wood with many gold and brass accoutrements, and even a jewel-adorned wooden table set up at the entrance.

Gabriel said, "God did not command you to make such a tent for the Ark, nor did such even enter his thoughts."

"Do we in truth serve the same God?" Elam asked hem. "The God of our fathers is a holy God."

"Yes, our God is holy," replied Gabriel. "Holy means entirely other. Our God is a living God, yet his life is wholly different than our life. Do you think God has forgotten this, and you must remind him with a tent for what is little more than a document commemorating a covenant?"

Elam grew visibly angry. "What you call little more than a document is how God converses with our high priest, and it seemed good to our forefathers to carry the Tablet of the Covenant in an Ark covered in gold rather than a saddle-bag, and they also built a Tent of Meeting."