5W

5W

The survivors in the force from Suhar, seeing how they had been led by Abidan to fight against their own God, withdrew again to the coast. Raphaela said to the chieftain of the Benjaminites, Lemuel, that she had fulfilled the errand set for her by the LORD God, and was now to return to the other world as che, like Ariel before times, longed to do.

Lemuel said to hem, "Thus also did Ariel say when she was sent among us. The other world must be wonderful."

"It is where humans had their origin," said Raphael. "Elyonim had human beginnings long ago, and the nephilim sprang from their union. The other world is forty times again greater in extent than the part of Kemen that is free of ice."

It came to pass in the wake of the death of Abidan that Bat-El accepted his brother Cheran, the second son of Omar, as high priest. Then Captain Jaalan of the city of Caph in the Saiph League arrived on the coast nigh to Suhar with many ships arrayed for war, and soon a full cohort of men under arms stood across all the ways to the city.

Sending a herald under guard, Jalaan demanded the Roshites make a choice: either the Ark of God must be surrendered to hem, or the high priest. And Jalaan thought were the Roshites dared to withhold the Ark and send the high priest in its stead che would shackle him to the prow of hez ship and put the man to such slow and prolonged torment his people would surrender the Ark just to silence his screams.

That evening a stranger, a man, appeared in the city, though none could say how he passed the walls. When he was brought before before Cheran, he said, "I am called David, a servant of God like others of the B'nei Elohim who have brought aid to the Remnant before. I avow in the name of your God and mine that you must never hand over to your enemies the holy Ark."

"Then what shall we do in the face of these many ships and the warriors who crew them?" asked Cheran. "If we do nothing, the city will be assailed and we shall surely be put to the sword. The Ark will be taken in any event."

David replied, "This Jaalan has demanded that either the ark or yourself must be rendered up to him, yet he has no idea what you look like. God, therefore, has sent me to be offered up in your stead. Have no fear! It is given to me that no blade or bludgeon or fire or water should harm me." When he finished speaking David fell to the ground as though dead.