Chapter II
And so the gods dissappeared from Eos. At first the people were afraid. They knew not where their gods had gone, or why they had left. Life was good, but they felt dissastisfied and unsure -- how could they know Jemahl's will? The people prayed to thier god but he did not answer. Finally a man stood forward, and said he would go into the mountains and find their wayward god. Everyone called him foolish, but he left anyway. Many months passed with no word from the man. Most of the other men had proclaimed him dead, saying "he was foolish to pursue Jemahl. He has surely been killed." But it was not so; the man strode back into the village one day, strong and healthy, and said, "People! Listen to me, for I have spoken to the god!"
At this everyone was amazed. They gathered around him quickly, but not to closely for he was now standing taller than anyone else in the village. He continued, "I have been to Jemahl. He will not come back to us! But listen people, I have been given a name; I am Kuk!" And so Kuk was the first person to have a name.
And at this the people all started talking loudly, for they wanted names of their own. But Kuk was not finished, and yelled "Wait! Jemahl told me something else as well!" And the people were quiet once again. "I am your chief! I will decide where we live, and when to plant, and who my wives will be. I do this because Jemahl speaks through my lips and acts with my hands!"* And Kuk glared at the gathered crowd, daring any to challenge him. No one did, for they knew that god's strength was great.
And so the first chief of Jemahl's people was Kuk. He had four sons, and his third son . . .
Translator's note:
At this point the scrolls begin to map an exhaustive genealogical history of Jemahl's people. Although important at the time to maintain tribal cohesion, this history is largely irrelevant to the larger meaning of the text. For those who are interested, a complete list is included in Appendix B. This translation continues at the formation of the five tribes. At this point Jemahl's people have become quite prosperous -- note the change in language from "chieftain" to "king," as well as "village" to "city."
The third son of Racker was Abae . He had five sons: Jos, Ebel, Abdun, Artma, and Ende. Of his five, the eldest, Jos, was favored to become the next king. But on Artma's eighteenth birthday, something strange happened. Artma could not be found anywhere. Abae sent all of his best servants to look for him, but he was nowhere to be found. And so a great wailing went up from Abae and his whole house, for the King's son was feared dead.
Several weeks later, everyone had given up on Artma except for Abae. His grief for his lost son was so great he could not eat, drink, or rest. Walking in the garden alone at midnight, he heard a strange sound, and before he could move his son Artma came out of the bushes. "Father!" said he, and they embraced weeping. After some time, Abae asked him "Where have you been all this time, my son?"
At this Artma's face lit up. "Father! I have seen the most wonderous things. A winged spirit came to me in the night and led me up the river. At first I was afraid and would not follow, but he turned and I recognized him. He took me by the hand and we flew through the night, farther than I have ever gone. Finally, in the morning, we stood on a mountain and looked over a great waterfall that feeds the river."
At this his father was amazed, for as often as Jemahl's people sailed up the river they had never found a place like the one that Artma desribed. Artma continued,
"He said that he would give me and my children this land forever, and that great fortune would come to me when I return to it. My children and livestock will multiply, the land will be fertile, and the children of Jemahl will prosper. I came back here to gather my house and depart. Father, I must go!"
But at this Abae frowned. "Son, do you wish to divide the people of Jemahl? Surely, he will not be pleased at this. And what of your family? You would be lost to us again."
"Father, the face the spirit showed me was Jemahl's. It is god's will. I must go."
"But how will you get there?"
"Do you not remember? The spirit showed me the way; I remember every turn of the river."
Abae looked into his son's eyes and realized that it was true; he had to go, and Abae could not stop him. He embraced him again.
"Very well, Artma. Take your house and go with my blessing, and with Jemahl's blessing, and with the blessing of Rahm himself!"
There was great amazement at Artma's reappearance the next day. Even more amazing was his decision to take his whole house upriver. His younger brother, Ende, was a skilled boatsman, and decided to go with Artma as his inheritance would be small otherwise. Their wives and families began to make preparations, along with some of the people of Jemahl who would go with them.
But Jos was dissatisfied. Artma's departure meant a diminshing in the people he was to lead. He called his other two brothers together and said:
"What is this? Our younger brother thinks he can steal from us so easily? We are the leaders of these people, not him!"
They replied. "You are not the king yet, Jos, for as long as our father Abae lives. He is letting Artma go -- it is the will of Jemahl and we must not interfere."
But still Jos was angry. And so, in the dead of night, he snuck in and slew his father as he slept. Then he ordered his men to go and sieze Artma and Ende before they could leave.
But Artma was forewarned. Ende had seen his brother Jos's anger, and so had gotten their boats ready in secret. Quickly Artma and Ende escaped with their houses up the river before Jos's men could arrive. Before they left, Ende's sailors chopped up all the other boats in the city, and Jace could not follow them.
When Ebel and Abdun found out what Jos had done the next morning, they were scared. "He is king now, and has gone against Jemahl's will. We will not stay here any longer, for surely god's wrath will come quickly to this place!"
And so Ebel and Abdun left the next day with their houses. As older siblings, they had strong houses, and so Jace could not stand against them both. They set out across the plains, journeying for some weeks until they found another river. Following it, they eventually came to the edge of a great desert where the river emptied into a great ocean. At the end of the river, they said to one another:
"Come brother, the land is great and empty. Let the house of Abdun take the left, and the house of Ebel take the right, and let us build a great city where they come together so we can be ever joined against Jos." And so built their homes at the mouth of the river and called it Merrech.
Meanwhile Artma and Ende reached the head of the river, just as the spirit had said. The people built their homes there, and called it Ammat. The land was fertile and the people were happy. Ende's house soon grew restless, however, and returned to the river, spreading along it's length with fast boats and great skill.
After all this Jos was very angry. The greater part of the people of Jemahl were with him, but he had lost many. The city of Jemahl was empty. His brothers were too far away to easily attack. Every time he sent his soldiers to attack Artma, Ende's cunning boatmen stopped his boats. Every time he sent his soldiers to attack Ebel, Abdun's swift warriors would attack out of the desert and burn his wagons until the host starved and was defeated. Jos could not reunite the people of Jemahl.
Thus, even as the brothers died, the five tribes of Jemahl were created from their five houses. The Josites, the Ebelites, the Abdun, the Artmar, and the Endites. The people of Jemahl were scattered, until the coming of Ahmed the Conqueror, a great King of the Josites.
End Chapter II
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