Free People of the Ark (Ark Chronicles 1) by Vaughn Heppner Page A

father saw with his prophetic sight.”
    Methuselah picked up his goblet, swirling the wine . With a flick of his wrist, he gulped the contents. “Sons of Jehovah are a name for those the Creator made directly. You and I, Ham, are born. The angels are sons of Jehovah, good and bad they are bene elohim , because Jehovah made each. Satan the deceiver pointed out to some of his brethren the beauty of mortal women. Oh, their fine, long hair, their pleasing shapes and to intimately know them… Certain apostate bene elohim , from the realm above, watched these women and burned with lust for them. As the generations of men become more wicked, they, too, sought for hidden things. Then a sinful, evil act took place, communication between—the bene elohim are now demons, Ham, evil, unclean spirits. They are demons doomed for hell. And certain of them, led by a fiendish prince named Azel, left their realm and possessed the bodies of men. They lay with any woman they chose, beautiful, wicked women hardened to evil and given over to a reprobate mind. The children, dreadful children, the giants, are fell warriors who excel in butchery and mastery over others. They are able to commune with demons easily and naturally. This is what the giants are.”
    Methuselah paused . “Yet what was Satan’s goal in this perversion of the angelic and mortal realms? Can you guess?”
    Ham shook his head.
    “Satan is cunning and crafty. He would nullify the curse if he could, but preferably without directly risking himself. What if he could pervert the entire human race? What if he could produce a race of monsters? Could a holy one, the Redeemer, come from such a people? No! Never! So the evil one’s goal is to corrupt the entire world. That is why the bene elohim mate with women and why giants, the Nephilim, stalk the Earth. That is why you must beware this beautiful woman.”
    “ Why?”
    “ If she consorts with giants, is a giant’s woman, then she must be wicked, have been hardened into a reprobate.”
    “ No!” cried Ham. “She… she’s beautiful!”
    Methuselah drummed his fingers on the table . “A hen found some serpent’s eggs, which she hatched by sitting on and keeping them warm. A swallow that watched her said: ‘You fool, why do you rear creatures that, once they grow up, will make you the first victim of their evil doing?’“
    “ The woman I found is at least as old as me,” Ham said. “I have no intention of rearing her.”
    Methuselah shook his head . “The point is that the kindest treatment cannot change a savage nature. If you’re not careful, this woman will lead you to your death.”
    Ham sat transfixed . “But… what about Noah and the Ark?”
    “ Jehovah will protect it.”
    Ham slapped the table . “That’s easy for you to say. What about us who have to face the giant?”
    Methuselah looked troubled.
    “Let me talk to the others outside,” Ham said. “Let me convince them to come to our aid. After all, even though they’re angry we’re still related.”
    “ They’re enraged with you, now that they know you refused to check the rope. Some are saying you should be hanged because of it.”
    Ham rubbed his throat . He felt awful for causing Jubal’s death, but he didn’t think he deserved to hang. Or at least he did not want to. “What should I do?”
    “ I’ll help you slip outside unseen,” Methuselah said. “Then you must run to Noah and warn him.”
    “ We’ll still need help against Ymir.”
    “ I’ll see what I can do. But I can promise nothing.”
    “ But you’re the patriarch. The others have to listen to you.”
    “ If you haven’t noticed by now, Ham, most people only do what they want to. Disobedience to parents and authority has become rampant.”
    “ Then Noah and the Ark are doomed,” Ham said.
    “ If you think that, you don’t know your father.”
    That was just it . Ham wasn’t thinking about Noah. He wanted Naamah for a wife. And he had no idea how he could slay the