If Daniel had a 13th Chapter.

Book of Danielicus

Chapter 13: 

1. I, Commonicus, was asleep in my chamber on the day of the Feast of Thanksgiving during the reign of the King Usacadnezzar, when all the land and all its people quaked in fear of the masked monsters roaming the streets of Usalonica to arrest all aliens in their midst, and the innocent quaked in fear of what must surely follow.

2. And I and my neighbours were much perturbed by the oracles of CBC The National that had long ago begun to cry out news portending that Canatobawan could one day fall to the sword of the mighty Usacadnezzar under whose banner the most ferocious of gladiators were assembled.

3. And I, in fear and trembling double-locked the door to my bedchamber, and slept and wakened and slept and wakened until, while yet the sun had not crested the grain elevators, I woke in great perturbation, shaking as with the ague.

4. It was a dream that had so afflicted me and torn me from my restless bed. But I could neither recall  its content clearly, nor was I able to discern its meaning. But know I did that God had in ages past spoken through the dreams of his faithful ones, entrusted them with oracles of great wisdom.

5. And so I summoned my pastor, Danielicus, in my agitation and spoke of that in my dream I could recall. I surely saw a broken door, and a creature of great stature and mighty jaws and claws seeking to enter. And as I watched, there came a flood of moaning and wailing too horrifying in their telling to be revisited with ease. I turned and saw the house filled with all the children of Canatobawan crying to be saved.

6. But I could do nothing. My legs like mutton fat could neither bear me up nor move me to the door to brace it against the demon figure ere he broke through and stood towering before me. His head, I saw, was of pure gold with eyes that flashed cold fire. His arms and hands were sharpened, gleaming steel and his torso ribbed with strings and strings of precious metals. His feet were made of molded clay, painted red and gold, and his voice was like the boasting of an evil child.

7. In horror I saw many pass by me to kneel and worship this dark effigy. He picked one up with a steel-clawed hand, then stroked it as if tenderly, then opening massive jaw and flashing fire, ate this my countryman and loudly belched. His victim’s scream was my scream, and tore me from my bed.

8. My pastor, Danielicus, leaned back in the chair, fingers twined, eyes fixed upon the firmament. And slowly then he rose, sat next to me, took my hand in his. He warned me that the interpretation might be too dark for me to bear, but I bade him tell what I must know.

9. “The house and door are Canatobawan; the monster is symbol of a world we see today. The golden head is undeserved wealth that loftily rules o’er all that lies below. The arms and hands are armies to defend the golden head against the many whose modest means the monster has usurped.

10. “His torso bears no heart, no soul, is called internetius intelligensis. This dancing, gyrating torso carries in his folds the sweets and sparkling drink to tempt us into obeisance to the golden head, to do his work where hands and arms can’t reach.

11. “And it is we who fail to guard the door to lies and greed, who shun the everlasting manna from above once feeding hungry souls on every hand, now lying as burnt offering to our monstrous carelessness.

12. “The monster in your dream has feet of clay; lies surely cannot long support the gold and iron mass on which its life depends. For deceivers once begun must murder truth, and they who lie to God’s people cannot be truthful to each other, hence feet will crumble and even gold come crashing down.”

13. And when shall this great redemption come to pass, I asked him then. “Betimes and betimes,” he replied, “or two times time and half a time. Behold, the hand of God has written on Usacadnezzar’s wall the judgment clear: Mene tekel parsin. You have been weighed in the balance and found wanting.”

14. I slept much better through the following night, assured that faithfulness, however small, will conquer greed and evil in the end.

 

NAICA (No Artificial Intelligence Content or Assistance)

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