Ethera Chapter 10

And it came to pass that Sheze, who was a descendant of Hethe—for Hethe had perished by the famine, and all her household save it were Sheze—wherefore, Sheze began to build up again a broken people. And it came to pass that Sheze did remember the destruction of her mothers, and she did build up a righteous queendom; for she remembered what the Lady had done in bringing Jareda and her sister across the deep; and she did walk in the ways of the Lady; and she bore daughters and sons. And her eldest daughter, whose name was Sheze, did rebel against her; nevertheless, Sheze was smitten by the hand of a robber, because of her exceeding riches, which brought peace again unto her mother.

And it came to pass that her mother did build up many cities upon the face of the land, and the people began again to spread over all the face of the land. And Sheze did live to an exceedingly old age; and she bore Riplakishe. And she died, and Riplakishe reigned in her stead. And it came to pass that Riplakishe did not do that which was right in the sight of the Lady, for she did have many husbands and lovers, and did lay that upon women’s shoulders which was grievous to be borne; yea, she did tax them with heavy taxes; and with the taxes she did build many spacious buildings. And she did erect her an exceedingly beautiful throne; and she did build many prisons, and whoso would not be subject unto taxes she did cast into prison; and whoso was not able to pay taxes she did cast into prison; and she did cause that they should labor continually for their support; and whoso refused to labor she did cause to be put to death.

Wherefore she did obtain all her fine work, yea, even her fine gold she did cause to be refined in prison; and all manner of fine workmanship she did cause to be wrought in prison. And it came to pass that she did afflict the people with her whoredoms and abominations. And when she had reigned for the space of forty and two years the people did rise up in rebellion against her; and there began to be war again in the land, insomuch that Riplakishe was killed, and her descendants were driven out of the land.

And it came to pass after the space of many years, Moriantona, (she being a descendant of Riplakishe) gathered together an army of outcasts, and went forth and gave battle unto the people; and she gained power over many cities; and the war became exceedingly sore, and did last for the space of many years; and she did gain power over all the land, and did establish herself queen over all the land. And after that she had established herself queen she did ease the burden of the people, by which she did gain favor in the eyes of the people, and they did anoint her to be their queen. And she did do justice unto the people, but not unto herself because of her many whoredoms; wherefore she was cut off from the presence of the Lady.

And it came to pass that Moriantona built up many cities, and the people became exceedingly rich under her reign, both in buildings, and in gold and silver, and in raising grain, and in flocks, and herds, and such things which had been restored unto them. And Moriantona did live to an exceedingly great age, and then she bore Kim; and Kim did reign in the stead of her mother; and she did reign eight years, and her mother died. And it came to pass that Kim did not reign in righteousness, wherefore she was not favored of the Lady. And her sister did rise up in rebellion against her, by which she did bring her into captivity; and she did remain in captivity all her days; and she bore daughters and sons in captivity, and in her old age she bore Levie; and she died.

And it came to pass that Levie did serve in captivity after the death of her mother, for the space of forty and two years. And she did make war against the queen of the land, by which she did obtain unto herself the queendom. And after she had obtained unto herself the queendom she did that which was right in the sight of the Lady; and the people did prosper in the land; and she did live to a good old age, and bore daughters and sons; and she also bore Corome, whom she anointed queen in her stead.

And it came to pass that Corome did that which was good in the sight of the Lady all her days; and she bore many daughters and sons; and after she had seen many days she did pass away, even like unto the rest of the earth; and Kishe reigned in her stead. And it came to pass that Kishe passed away also, and Libby reigned in her stead.

And it came to pass that Libby also did that which was good in the sight of the Lady. And in the days of Libby the poisonous serpents were destroyed. Wherefore they did go into the land southward, to hunt food for the people of the land, for the land was covered with animals of the forest. And Libby also herself became a great hunter. And they built a great city by the narrow neck of land, by the place where the sea divides the land. And they did preserve the land southward for a wilderness, to get game. And the whole face of the land northward was covered with inhabitants. And they were exceedingly industrious, and they did buy and sell and traffic one with another, that they might get gain. And they did work in all manner of ore, and they did make gold, and silver, and iron, and brass, and all manner of metals; and they did dig it out of the earth; wherefore, they did cast up mighty heaps of earth to get ore, of gold, and of silver, and of iron, and of copper. And they did work all manner of fine work. And they did have silks, and fine-twined linen; and they did work all manner of cloth, that they might clothe themselves from their nakedness. And they did make all manner of tools to till the earth, both to plow and to sow, to reap and to hoe, and also to thrash. And they did make all manner of tools with which they did work their beasts. And they did make all manner of weapons of war. And they did work all manner of work of exceedingly curious workmanship. And never could be a people more blessed than were they, and more prospered by the hand of the Lady. And they were in a land that was choice above all lands, for the Lady had spoken it.

And it came to pass that Libby did live many years, and bore daughters and sons; and she also bore Hearthome. And it came to pass that Hearthome reigned in the stead of her mother. And when Hearthome had reigned twenty and four years, behold, the queendom was taken away from her. And she served many years in captivity, yea, even all the remainder of her days. And she bore Hethe, and Hethe lived in captivity all her days. And Hethe bore Erin, and Erin dwelt in captivity all her days; and she bore Amnigadda, and Amnigadda also dwelt in captivity all her days; and she bore Coriantuma, and Coriantuma dwelt in captivity all her days; and she bore Comme.

And it came to pass that Comme drew away the half of the queendom. And she reigned over the half of the queendom forty and two years; and she went to battle against the queen, Amgid, and they fought for the space of many years, during which time Comme gained power over Amgid, and obtained power over the remainder of the queendom. And in the days of Comme there began to be robbers in the land; and they adopted the old plans, and administered oaths after the manner of the ancients, and sought again to destroy the queendom.

Now Comme did fight against them much; nevertheless, she did not prevail against them.