wt.theyearofthequietsun-第13章
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He glanced at Moresby and discovered he had the man's close attention。 〃But there were other clues to work with。 This scribe was familiar with the writings of Daniel； and of Micah。 The text is not pure Hebrew； several Aramaic touches have slipped in…a word or a phrase having more impact than a Hebrew equivalent。 The old Greek word eschatos doesn't appear； but it should have。 I was surprised to find it missing； for the scribe had a knowledge of Greek drama； or melodrama。〃 Chaney made a gesture。 〃The earliest date was about 100 B。C。 It was not written before that。
〃Setting a closing date isn't nearly as difficult； because the scribe betrays the limit of his knowledge。 He was not alive and writing in 70 A。D。 The text contains three direct references to a Temple； a great white Temple which appears to be the center of all important activity。 There were many temples in Palestine and in the surrounding lands； but onIy one Temple： the holiest of holy places； the Temple of Jerusalem。 In this story the Temple is still standing； still in existence； and is the center of all activity。 But in history that Temple stopped。 The Roman armies invaded Judaea and destroyed it utterly in 70 A。D。 In the course of putting down a Hebrew revolt they tore it apart to the last stone； and the Temple was no more。〃
Major Moresby said： 〃That was foretold。〃
Chaney ignored him。 〃So the date of position was pinned down： not earlier than 100 B。C。 and not later than 70 A。D。 A satisfactory agreement with the radiocarbon tests。 I'm satisfied the scroll is authentic； but the tale it tells is not…the story is pure fiction； built on symbols and myths known to the ancient Hebrews。〃
Arthur Saltus eyed the copies and then the woman。 〃Do we have to read all this； Katrina？〃
〃Yes； sir。 Mr。 Seabrooke has requested it。〃
Chaney said： 〃A waste of time； mander。〃
Saltus grinned at him。 〃The Great White Chief has spoken； mister。 I don't want to go back to that bucket in the South China Sea。〃
〃Indic won't have me back…they sold me to the Great White Chief。〃 Brian Chaney pushed the photo…copied papers aside and reached for the hefty Indic report。 He opened a page at random and found himself reading figures pertaining to a West German election three years earlier。
He remembered that election； people in his section had followed it with interest and had tried to place bets on it； without takers。 Just before the report was closed and submitted to the Bureau； the National Democratic party had captured four point three percent of the popular vote…only seven…tenths of one percent short of the minimum needed to gain entrance to the Bundestag。 The party had been accused of Neo…Nazism； and Chaney wondered if it had managed to overe the Hitler image and win the necessary five percent in the last few years。 In peacetime； Israeli papers would have carried the news； he would have noticed it。 Perhaps they had published subsequent election news； despite their paper shortages and their domestic troubles…perhaps he had missed it。 His nose had been buried in the translations for a long time。 As the noses of Saltus and Moresby were buried in Eschatos now。 。 。 。
Chaney had often wondered about the anonymous scribe who had concocted that story。 The long work on the scroll had imparted the feeling of almost knowing the man； of almost reading his mind。 He sometimes thought the man had been a novice practicing his art…a probationer not yet tamped into the mold； or perhaps he was a def rocked priest who had lost his office because of his nonconformity。 The man had never hesitated to employ Aramaic vernacular； where Aramaic was more colorful than his native Hebrew； and he told his story with zest； with poetic freedom。
Eschatos：
The sky was blue； new； and clear of dragons （winged serpents） when the man who was two men （twins？） lived on （under？） the earth。 The man who was two men was at peace with the sun and his children multiplied （the tribes or families about him grew in size with the passage of time）。 He was known and… weled in the white Temple； and may have dwelt there。 His work took him frequently to distant Har…Magedon； where he was equally well known to those who lived on the mountain and those who tilled the plain below； he mingled with these peoples and instructed （counseled； guided） them in their daily lives； he was a wise man。 He had a guest room （or house） with （alongside？） a mountain family and needed only to touch the tent rope （make sign） for food and water； it was supplied him without payment。 （Form of repayment for his services？）
The man who was two men labored on the mountain。
His task （performed at unknown intervals） was an onerous one； and consisted of standing on the mountain top and sweeping the skies clean of muck （impurities； debris left over from the Creation） which tended to gather there。 The mountain people were required to assist him in his work； in that they furnished him with ten cor of water （nine hundred gallons） drawn from an inexhaustible well （or cistern） near the base of the mountain； and each time the job was finished in the dark and light of a single day （from one sunset to the next）。 This task had been put to him by the nomadic Egyptian prophet （Moses？） by more than five times the Year of Jubilee （more than two hundred and fifty years earlier）； and it was a sign and a promise the prophet gave to his children； the tribes： for so long as the skies were clean the sun would remain quiet； dragons would not hover； and the bitter cold that immobilized old men would be kept in its proper place at a distance。
The new prophet who came after the Egyptian （Aaron？） approved the pact； and it was continued； after him； Elijah approved the pact； and it was continued； and after him； Zephaniah approved the pact； and it was continued； after him； Micah approved the pact （chronological error） and it was continued。 It is now。 The skies were swept and the peoples prospered。
The man who was two men was a wondrous figure。 He was a son （lineal descendant） of David。
His head was of the finest gold and his eyes were brilliant （word missing； probably gems）； his breast and arms were of purest silver； his body was bronze； his legs were of iron； and his feet were of iron mixed with clay （entire description borrowed from Daniel）。 The man who was two men did not grow old； his age never changed； but on a day when he was working at his appointed task he was struck down by a sign。 A stone was dislodged from the mountain and rolled down on him； crushing his feet and grinding the clay to dust； which blew away in the wind and he fell to earth grievously hurt。 （Again； a whole incident borrowed from Daniel。） Work stopped。 The mountain people carried him down to the plains people and the plains people carried him to the white Temple； where the priests and the physicians put him down in his injury （buried him？）。
The first Year of Jubilee passed； and the second （a century）； but he did not appear at his place on the mountain。 His room （house） was not made ready for him； for the new children had forgotten； the people did not fetch water and the well （cistern） ran low； the skies were not cleansed。 Debris gathered above HarMagedon。 The first dragon was seen there； and another； and they spawned in the muck until the skies were dark with their wings and loud with their thunder。 A chilling cold crept over the land and there was ice on the streams。 The tribes were thin （depopulated） and were hungry； they fought one another for food； and it came to pass that touching the tent rope was no more honored in the land； and kinsman and traveler alike were turned away or driven into the desert for the jackals。 The messengers （9） stopped and there was no more traffic between tribes and the towns of the tribes； and the roads were covered with weed and grass。
The elders lost the faith of their fathers and built a wall around the tribe； and then another and another； until the walls were a hundred and a hundred in number and every house was set apart from its neighbor； and families were set apart from one another。 The elders caused great walls to be built and they did not traffic； the cities fell poor and made war on one another； and the sun
