Free Abraham Allegiant (Chronicles of the Nephilim Book 4) by Brian Godawa

the social scale, including prisoners and debt slaves; the muskenu , or “commoners,” who were economically tied to either temple or palace; and awilum , or “free citizens,” who were not legally attached or dependent on either religion or royalty. By rallying the dependent classes against the independent upper class of free citizens as an enemy, he diverted attention from his own deeds, and justified the breakdown of society into total dependency on the city-state and their king.
    He was never one to let a crisis go to waste.
    He pronounced with an amplified voice of authority, “My people, fear not! My children! You are safe! No more harm will come!”
    It was amazing. His delivery carried across the hundreds of acres of land as if it were the amplified voice of deity.
    “I regret what I had to do to the rich and powerful, but it was necessary for your good! This privileged upper class, these fat cat aristocrats who exploit you for their own benefit will do so no longer!”
    The crowd began to rumble agreeably.
    Nimrod continued, “These were the one percent of wealthy pigs who ruled over the ninety nine percent with their greed and their selfishness! But I swear to you by my very head and by the head of my queen Semiramis, that as our subjects you will never go hungry!”
    The crowd burst out in applause.
    He milked it, “You will never be without shelter in the great city of Babylon!”
    More applause resounded.
    “You will never be without health and welfare!”
    The applause turned to jubilation.
    Nimrod then reeled them in like a fish on a line.
    “You will be taken care of from cradle to grave under the mighty rule of Nimrod, emperor of the earth!”
    Now the masses swarmed with worship and screams of orgasmic release.
    Nimrod had become their lord and savior.

Chapter 12
    Six hundred miles away from Babylon, in the Great Cedar Forest of Bashan, deep in the bowels of Mount Hermon, the goddess Ishtar sought a clandestine audience with the creature she most sought to emulate in her quest. In the divine council of heaven, he was called the satan , Elohim’s legal adversary. In the Garden he was Nachash , the Serpent of Eden. In this postdiluvian world, he was known by other names as well, but Prince Mastema was his personal preference. It had a certain ring of royalty and power that appealed to his pride.
    Mastema was the only Watcher who refused to take on the name of a localized deity as the others did. His status as the primal Tempter of mankind was political leverage, and he gloried in his elite status among the Watchers.
    Ishtar had engaged in a covert operation of traveling to Hermon with her human consort, Canaan, son of Ham. And now, they were alone in the vast cavernous belly of the assembly of gods awaiting the arrival of her mighty role model.
    The cavern was empty. The gods had vacated their headquarters at the request of Mastema. Behind Ishtar and Canaan, the black waters of the Abyss were perpetually alight with flame. The sparkling gem-laden stalactites and stalagmites gave an eerie glow to everything in Canaan’s vision.
    A deep bass tonal voice pierced the quiet. “Ishtar, this had better be important. It was no easy task to garner this empty assembly hall.”
    Mastema stepped out from the shadows.
    He was unusually tall for a Watcher, eleven feet high. He was a Seraph, one of the original reptilian beings that guarded the very throne chariot of Elohim. He had six wings and eyes that could entrance any unwitting soul with hypnotic power. He was gangly, without the muscle mass of someone like Marduk. But he remained influential on the assembly nonetheless because he had borne the title distinction of being the “Accuser” or prosecutor in Elohim’s heavenly court. The other Watcher gods feared him, not as they feared Marduk for his brawn, but because of Mastema’s legal cunning that could wreak as much devastation as ten marauding Marduks. Mastema had figured out the advantages of