19

There was a few generations later a piac that moved to a cave far away from the other one  named I Will Be Like a King or Iwblak and his wife named The Wife of a King or  Twoak though the Fourth didn’t like it because they planned to always have a leader of their sons which cut into his authority and he couldn’t understand why they were doing that. They just seemed to like the idea of being a monarch which is what it would mean though of course they really had no idea of what a king was, especially one without the blessing of God.

So when they got there they found a huge cave with my help. They were a piac and had sinned but they were intent on doing it and the Fourth though he thought to bring them back had a choice to curse them as false prophets and send them to the abyss or back their proposed kingdom as far as it went and then do it if it failed. He dreaded the very idea of having to deal with Piac through a ruler. At least they hadn’t said it had to be the oldest son whatever he may be like.

They asked the Fourth for a baby next and he was glad they had not stipulated that it be a son. As it turned out they had eight daughters before the Fourth gave them a boy. Iwblak said, “I have a son to be a leader.” They named him A Son to Be a Leader or Astbal. Then to cover my bet for they left off asking me for children Ihe had Twoak conceive and she had another son and Iwblak said, “This one is Insurance for what happens if one dies?” and they named him Insurance Against What Happens If One Dies or Iawhiod. They presumed he would make husbands for all their daughters and wives for their sons so they would not die.

The Fourth said to Twoak because Iwblak wouldn’t listen to him or talk to him since the time he had told him that what he was doing was not right. Perhaps he was wrong for a king that listened to him was nearly as good as using his authority in person and had they gone about it with him in mind he might have gone along with it. But it would be four or five generations before he died. There might be time to have him amend their prophecy with something like, “If the Fourth permits it,” added to the end of it. The Fourth might get angry but for now it was his idea to put up with a prophecy by God that the next sin to be covered was something bad enough happening between siblings and his mind went all the way back to ancient history to the story of Cain and Abel except it would be that story all over again but with the name changes, Astbal and Iawhiod.

Now the boys being the youngest and knowing the prophecy well from a young age were spoiled and never did get along. But then they were about eighteen and seventeen when Iwblak was taken aback when Iawhiod told his father, “If you make Astbal the ruler I will go back to the rest and hope the Fourth will not have children and if that happens you will be a false prophet,” something that was bound to happen eventually anyway. Iwblak had never thought of that and the Fourth was delighted.

Then at last he spoke to him, breaking his eighteen years of silence between them. “Did you hear what Iawhiod said to me about him being made leader? It only makes sense to have the elder be the ruler not the younger ruling over the oldest. What am I to do?”

“I don’t care,” the Fourth said.

“Look! You were right. Me wanting to be a ruler who has a male descendent rule after him for all time is wrong.” Iwblak said.

“Have you come to your senses and decided against your prophecy?” the Fourth asked.

“Will you give husbands to my daughter and wives to my sons?” Iwblak asked as if about to make a deal.

“I never said that I would,” the Fourth replied.

“If you will make their piac I will find someway out of the prophecy,” he said.

“It seems to me you are willing to play games with me but not listen to me when I tell you that you are wrong,” the Fourth said. “I will not do it. You will have to go back to the Piac and beg for mates.”

“I-I’m sorry I put it that way,” Iwblak said, “I promise to listen to you from now on.”

“You are willing to die?” the Fourth said.

“Well, I-?” Iwblak said. “Will you take my life?”

“I will kill you for what you have done,” the Fourth said. “Even if I relent and take your deal, you will die.”

“How long do I have?” Iwblak asked.

“I am ready to do it now,” the Fourth replied.

Iwblak mumbled, “What you are about to do, please do it quickly.”

“I don’t need to,” the Fourth said.

“Why?” Iwblak asked, “Will you show me no mercy?”

“I did,” the Fourth said, “You have died. You are not the same man and never will be again. That means another man has taken Iwblak’s place and Iwblak is dead. You shall be called He is One Who Listens or Hiowl.”

“Does this mean you will make the mates I requested?” he asked.

“I never intended to,” the Fourth said.

“What?” Hiowl shouted.

“I was not talking about mates but your promise to listen to me,” the Fourth said. “Is your word any better than your understanding?” Or do you need to die again to make it good now you have a clearer understanding. I cannot stand up for your prophecy forever unless I do something I do not want to do. Amend your prophecy or you will go down to the place of the cursed to dream like that forever.”

“As you can see,” Hiowl shouted, “I am not very clever, am I? Tell me how to amend my prophecy, please Lord.”

“Prophecy like this, ‘I will be like a king if it pleases God.’”

Hiowl mumbled, “I will be like a king if it pleases God,” exactly.

“You will live,” the Fourth said. “But your boys are expecting one of them to rule over the other. Call them all together and I will decide what to do.”

Howl called the entire family together and they came to the cave where he had been alone with the Fourth and they came one or two at first but finally all of them including Twoak.

“Your father has died but he now lives completely changed. His name now is He Is One Who LIstens or Hiowl from now on. You are to call him that. Astbal and Iawhiod will neither one lord it over any of you,” the Fourth said.

He could see both young men were disappointed.

“But you will all have mates!” he continued and they all cheered including Twoak. “You will all go back to the colony.”

So they loaded the stuff they had gained by living there and went back to the colony that welcomed them with open arms.

Now Astbal and Iawhiod were still enemies and began arguing as to whether the Fourth loved them and how much. 

“The Fourth loves me for I told our father that if he made you the ruler I would come back here and pray that you would have no children to make him a false prophet,” Iawhiod said.

“You killed my chances!” Astbal yelled and he hit Iawhiod and he went down.

When he got up Astbal got him in a bear hug and threw him to the ground and they wrestled and fought for quite some time before neither had the energy to fight anymore. They were both on their knees slugging it out when Astbal began to laugh and Iawhiod did not know what was going on but he found it funny and from that day on the brothers were friends.