 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
God named UL that his people might find a God to worship and a
place in the world.
Twenty years sought he the God named UL in the wilderness and
found him not. And things monstrous and gross assailed him in the
wilderness, but he prevailed and was not slain.
And yet he wearied in his wanderings, and his hair grew grey as
the years dropped like leaves upon his head. And upon a certain day
Gorim despaired and went up unto a high mountain and spake unto
the sky in a great voice, saying, 'No more! I will search no longer.
The Gods are a mockery and a deception; the world is a barren void;
there is no UL; and I am sick of my life which is a curse and an
affliction unto me.'
And behold, the Spirit of UL spake unto him, saying, 'Wherefore
art thou wroth with me, Gorim? Thy making and thy casting out
were not of my doing.'
And Gorim was sore afraid and fell down upon his face before the
Spirit of UL.
And UL spake unto him, saying, 'Rise, Gorim, for I am not thy
God.'
But Gorim rose not. 'Oh, my God,' quoth he, 'hide not thy face
from thy people who are sorely afflicted by reason that they are
outcast and have no God to protect them.'
And again UL spake unto him, saying, 'Rise, Gorim. Seek thou a
God elsewhere, for I am God unto no people. I made thee not, and
am incurious as to thy fate.'
But still Gorim rose not. 'Oh, my God,' quoth he again, 'thy
people are outcast and they perish as leaves before the cold winds of
winter. The children die and the old men also, and there is no place
in the broad world where they might find rest.'
And the Spirit of UL was troubled by the words of Gorim, the just
and righteous man, and he rose up in wrath saying, 'Rise, Gorim,
and quit this place. Cease thy drasty complaining, and leave me in
peace. Seek thou elsewhere a God, and trouble me no more, for I am
not thy God.'
And still Gorim rose not. 'Oh, my God,'quoth he,'yet will I abide.
'thy people hunger and they thirst also. They seek only thy blessing
and a place wherein they might dwell.'
And UL spake, saying, 'Then will I depart from here, for thy
speech wearies me.'
And yet did Gorim abide in that place and went not away. And,
behold, the beasts of the fields brought him to eat, and the fowls of
THE RIVAN CODEX
the air brought him to drink by reason of his holiness. And did he
abide there a year and more.
And the Spirit of UL was sore troubled.
And came unto that place the things monstrous and unseemly
that the Gods had made and that the Spirit of UL forbade them to
destroy, and sat they at the feet of Gorim. Chimeras and Unicorns
were there and Basilisks and Winged Serpents also, and they abode
there watching Gorim.
And UL came unto Gorim and he spake, saying, 'Abidest thou
still?'
And Gorim fell upon his face, saying, 'Oh, my God, thy people
cry unto thee in their affliction.'