Righteous Tales

By Dale Bains

Why were marvelous and enigmatic ancient statues that did no one any harm desecrated?
Is there a danger in dwelling too much on the past?
Is a powerful sense of grievance always justified?
Can humans indefinitely rely on being able to access the Earth’s resources?


These stories are a collection of personal reflections on a few selected events and issues. Nothing more. I offer no judgments, answers or solutions. My purpose is simply to offer up new and alternate perspectives without condemning the beliefs and viewpoints of anyone. Sanctimony and righteousness divide and split asunder but a spirit of respectful tolerance and understanding allows all to flourish.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Oct 27, 2021
• ISBN: 9781665594318

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© 2021 Dale Bains. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse  10/23/2021

ISBN: 978-1-6655-9430-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6655-9431-8 (e)

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

CONTENTS

The Wrath of the Llammasu

The Mad Prime Minister

The Lamentfull Spirit

The Oil Monsters

The Jewish Ultra Nationalist Party

THE WRATH OF THE LLAMMASU

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U pon a desert plain in a war ravaged Middle Eastern country stood a collection of twenty statues. Twenty enigmatic and mysterious statues possessed of an undeniable aura of untold antiquity. An indefinable antiquity dating back to when no one knew for sure. They looked as if they had stood there since time immemorial: Certainly long before any known human habitation in the area. Many who now resided in the area liked to claim them as the handiwork of their distant and illustrious ancestors. Claimed them as the handiwork of long departed venerable forebears who once dwelt there with the stone monuments left behind as a constant reminder of their former greatness. For many they were a source of mystery and wonder, a real testament to the glory of the people who once lived there and from whom they liked to proudly claim they themselves were also descended. As works of art they were both stupendous and dazzling in their majesty.

Indeed, were admired and venerated all around the world. Many so called experts and putative authorities from all over the world liked to visit and gaze upon the structures. Study them in minute detail as well as simply gaze and wonder. Endlessly speculate on why they were built, who built them and for what purpose. Indeed, as such they were now a subject for much academic and historical study, speculation, scrutiny and wonder. So called experts enjoyed talking about them and they all put forth many and varied theories and ideas about their possible origins and reasons for being built. Many of the explanations sounded grand and convincing and possessed an air of authority. Others were outlandish and even seemed fanciful. However, whether authoritative or fanciful they all still nevertheless had an air of uncertainty about them. Ultimately no amount of speculating and theorising could deliver a final verdict of any kind. In truth no one really knew for sure and all the theories amounted to nothing more than mere speculation. Just idle speculation that ultimately delivered no convincing final answers. The archaic stone forms succeeded in retaining their aura of mystery.

In appearance the statues were definitely and overwhelmingly bovine in nature. Undeniably bull like in appearance and demeanour with the bull providing the bulk of the form. Upon seeing them for the first time there was no denying that what was being observed was some kind of hybrid creature. Some kind of multifaceted creature that skillfully combined the features of three very different animals. Definitely a bovine entity of some kind. The massive hindquarters were those of a giant bull but what was depicted was definitely not just a bull. It was more than that. Indeed, a gigantic bull but one with a very striking and dramatic difference. A difference so pronounced that the end result was a creature that was in a class of its own. For one thing mighty wings on its back entirely changed the entire nature of the beast. It looked like a bull that could fly! Fly with great ease and alacrity. What bull could do that?

Furthermore, those wings and bovine hindquarters were blended with a very dramatic frontage. The head and torso were clearly human! The dramatic wings on its back when fused with the powerful human torso and a clearly human head it possessed made it look like no bull that had ever existed. The obviously bovine nature and character had been totally transformed by the addition of features from other very different lifeforms: Lifeforms that were very different indeed in terms of nature, structure and function: Human and bird characteristics had been somehow very artfully and skilfully blended with the essence of the bull.

The features from three very different lifeforms had been so skilfully incorporated into the statues that they somehow blended seamlessly to create an entirely unique and separate lifeform. One that defied easy classification was it a bull with wings and a human torso? Or was it a man with the hindquarters of a bull and the wings of a giant bird? Or was it a giant bird with the appendages of a bull and a man? No easy answers were forthcoming. This marvellously artful endeavour all came together to deliver a striking impression upon all who came to gaze upon them. That simply could not be denied. Awe and wonder were the overwhelming impressions to strike most who beheld them for the first time. Perhaps that was the sole aim of those who built them.

The powerful bovine hindquarters the statues possessed most definitely provided what was initially the most impressive visual impression upon seeing them for the first time. They encapsulated the bulk and power of the bull, the sheer magnificence of a male bull in its prime. Their bull like nature was undeniable. There was no doubting that it was some kind of bull that had been depicted in the massive stone structure. In all of the stome statues. They all depicted the same artful blending. It was as if the bull had provided the base upon which to build the other features. A platform upon which to add avian and human characteristics. Yet the crafting of the human and avian features into the bovine form totally changed the nature of the beast. Made it no longer just a bull. Changed it into something very different from just a bull:

Thus, it was no longer a bull but was instead some kind of hybrid. A hybrid that was in no way inferior to any of its constituent parts but rather a superior being. Indeed, a higher lifeform which had successfully fused within itself three very different physiologies. As a consequence of this masterful grafting it looked like a superior being. One that represented a kind of exalted and mythical state of being far removed from the humdrum of daily human life. One that although was physically in this world was not really off it. In effect the marvellous stone structures represented the wondrous handiwork of long forgotten artisans. Artisans from long ago who had somehow blended the features and qualities from three very different lifeforms and by so doing had magically combined and fused them to create powerful and awe inspiring stone artifacts. Stone artifacts that produced a moving effect upon the senses of all who beheld them. One could not help but marvel in a sense of awe that was mingled with a certain baffled wonder at their strange yet magnificent form. The marvellously strange hybrid being depicted in each statue had been ascribed the name of Llammasu.

Furthermore, they presented a sight that was both wondrous and yet at the same time, it must be said, even somewhat foreboding. Looking at them one felt that if they did not wish to trample you to death they could just as easily take you into the air and then drop you from a very great height. Or perhaps reach down with their strong human arms and whisk you away. Even more startlingly the powerful human torsos they possessed very clearly depicted fearsome warriors not to be trifled with. One got the clear impression that they were not beings to be messed around with. Indeed, were creature’s worthy of great respect and, if, someone did ever come face to face with a real living Llammasu the impression they would create would be one of a terror so great as to defy description.

They stood silently in their desert home as silent sentinels who had maintained a keen vigil since a time long forgotten. Had done so since countless centuries. They cut a striking pose against the harsh desert environment in which they stood. The stark desert environment in which they stood only served to accentuate the starkly powerful nature of the stone forms, indeed even magnified it. Mysterious and hybrid creatures that incorporated the features of bird, human and bull. The very varied and different qualities of man, bull and bird had all been taken and magically blended. Effortlessly fused into one seamless, harmonious and awe inspiring totality. The end result was a visually striking whole that stunned the senses.

Their effect upon the senses was unique. They were indeed visually stunning representations of strange and mysterious supposedly mythical creatures that once, perhaps, used to reside in the region. They stood in sharp and dramatic contrast against the bare desert environment in which they were situated and brought it to life by their mere presence. In appearance they were both awe inspiringly captivating and at the same time unsettling. Perhaps that was one reason for their construction. To remind future generations of the glory that once was. For some they really did represent creatures that once graced the area. Real life beings who once graced the world with their magical presence in some now unfortunately long gone and long forgotten era in the distant past.

The very thought that such marvellous creatures possessed of such a unique and perplexing hybrid nature could actually have once lived on Earth made the mind boggle: A being with the qualities of three very different lifeforms merged into one seamless, harmonious whole and all to incredible and mysterious effect. Moreover, their very presence upon the desert sands served to enhance the ambience of the region no end. Without them the ground upon which they stood would be yet another stretch of featureless sand. They seemed to generate an invisible effervescence that served to enhance the ambience around them. Just to gaze upon them was a joy in itself. To merely behold them in one’s sight brought a sense of ineffable wonder. It made the mind of any normal minded person fall into a state of perplexed wonder, a sense of wonder which made the mind boggle with countless scenarios. Made the mind endlessly ponder as to their possible purpose and function.

Even more intriguingly, their very presence made the imagination of any onlooker ponder upon who could possibly have built them and, even more intriguingly, for what possible reason and purpose. After all: Why take on the enormous task and responsibility of building them? They clearly took much toil, sweat and sacrifice to create and erect. Indeed, their presence posed more questions than provided answers. It was as if the past had placed an impenetrable curtain around their origin and one that could not be drawn aside in order to get a better view.

In addition to all the perplexed and agitated sense of curiosity they gave rise to they also possessed another ineffable quality. It was an indescribable yet at the same time a very real and moving effect upon the senses, one that forced one to ponder endlessly upon the reason for their construction. One that was very startling in its intensity and the manner in which it moved the beholder to think and reflect. Any who looked upon the enigmatic and imposing stone forms was immediately struck by a probing thought that simply wafted in out of the ether. An ethereal thought that broke through the barriers of the mind in a startling manner. A thought that gave rise to a specific question and one imbued with a lasting impression: What if these seemingly lifeless and static stone structures could, somehow, in some unknown magical way, come to life. Could at any moment turn from stone statues into living beings and then suddenly soar off into the air at will.

The statues most definitely depicted a unique hybrid creature. One that possessed the features of three strikingly different types of life form and which had, through some now lost knowledge, all been all skilfully and expertly fused together into a remarkably well formed and visually inspiring whole. The end result was the creation in stone of a creature unknown to humankind, at least not in living memory. If all that were not enough then the simple act of gazing upon the wonderful sculptures could not help but cause wonder to arise. A sense of wonder which gave rise to speculations that perhaps, just maybe, in some now long forgotten magical era, these enigmatic beings... these wonderfully mythical entities. might have actually existed upon the Earth. That in some remote past now long gone these wonderful mythical creatures actually graced the Earth with their presence. Trampled the earth and trod the desert sands beneath their hooves as they charged about on assorted missions and also graced the air as they left the ground upon gigantic wings that sprouted from their mighty backs. Took effortlessly into the air on huge flapping wings that soared upon the currents of air. What was more was the exciting idea that at the same time they mingled with other equally fantastic beings and creatures.

Wonderfully exotic creatures that like the Llammasus themselves have unfortunately long since departed the Earth too. That such beings might possibly have lived amongst human beings thrilled the mind no end. A bull, a human being and even a gigantic bird all merged into one seamless whole without any apparent incongruities. What a wonderful sight they must have made and one that also must have rendered any onlooker speechless in terrified awe. Their captivating appearance did not fail to make a powerful impression upon all onlookers: Whoever beheld them could not but help to be stirred in some way. In most they inspired feelings of awe and mystery. In others simple and bewildered curiosity. In some a disinterested apathy due to closed vistas of thought. In a few simple disinterested hostility. A hostility arising from the consideration that the stone structures represented a devotion to some now long forgotten religion. That the stone forms emanated from the hands of those who practiced a different faith was enough for them to be held in contempt. Indeed a few such people had actually campaigned for the removal of statues as they were incompatible with the current religion that prevailed in the region. The fact that they generated tourist income for the government was one consideration that saved them. But most were content for them to remain for, from time to time, their very sight did cause thoughts and speculations to stir that were more wholesome in nature. All the musings the sight of the statues gave rise to did seem to possess one overriding theme: These were things that were out of the ordinary and as such lifted people above the mundane.

If nothing else, they were good for that and for that alone deserved to stay where they stood. Looking at them there was always one constantly recurring thought that kept coming to mind: Who really built them, why were they built and to what possible purpose? Much speculation abounded and numerous theories circulated but no one really knew for sure. In the end to most people it really did not matter that much who made them or why they were built. They simply enjoyed them for what they represented: A marvellous and uplifting art form from the distant past that still graced the planet. At the very least their presence in the region provided their host country with the opportunity to show them off to the world and by so doing make much needed money for their citizens through the huge amount of tourism they generated. That was enough for the majority of the locals.

The ancients called the hybrid creature they created a Llammasu. The gigantic stone forms that depicted them numbered twenty in number. They stood silently upon a desert plain at the base of a mountain. The juxtaposition of giant stone statues in close proximity to hills made for a dramatic scene. The hills were large enough to provide them some shelter against the harsh desert elements of wind and heat that constantly scoured them and the area in which they had been erected. No doubt their ancient builders had chosen this hilly site for this very reason. The hills afforded a degree of protection that served to preserve their precious works of art. No doubt they also provided much of the stone that went into their construction.

Indeed, it made the task of quarrying and transporting stone that much easier and more than likely determined the location of the statues. The Llammasus stood in their desert home in quiet dignity and had done so for countless centuries and they never, ever, in all their long history, bothered anyone or anything in all the untold period of history during which they had stood in the desert. They were old indeed: No one really knew how old they were or how long they had stood there or even who had actually built them. The so called experts stated it was the Sumerians. Some said it was the Assyrians or the Babylonians. Still others put forth even more bizarre theories, that the stone structures were the work of extra-terrestrials and the like. However, no one knew for sure. This sense of mystery as to their purpose and possible origins only served to enhance the aura of enigmatic mystery that surrounded them. For most these considerations mattered little.

The Llammasus had stood upon the barren and deserted plain since time immemorial. They emanated from a time so distant in the past that all one could do was simply speculate about their origins, just endlessly ponder on who created them. For sure... Some mysterious race from the past had constructed them and put them in place for some unknown purpose. Several historians and so called authorities endlessly put forward their theories about which ancient race built them and why. Perhaps it was indeed the Sumerians or perhaps the Babylonians. It could even have been the Assyrians who built them. Perhaps maybe it was the Egyptians who built them.

Or maybe they might even be the handiwork of some totally unknown race of people, an unknown race of people who preceded all those to whom their construction was ascribed. A race which now had been totally forgotten and overlooked. Even more bizarrely some even said they were built by the mysterious Atlanteans of legend who, it was claimed, worshipped the bull. Perhaps true but how to prove it? In reality the actual truth was by now totally obscured by the sands of time. Ultimately the real truth was that nobody really knew for sure.

Most did not really care for the concerns of daily life left no time for such lofty considerations. For the locals all the more bizarre and outlandish speculations about the stone forms mattered little. For them they were a welcome sight and little more. A sight to enjoy for a few moments and then move on. Mysterious and enigmatic for sure but one they had got used to. It did not thrill them the way it might others. They were just massive stone statues and it was enough to simply gaze upon them from time to time. For the most part they were simply looked upon as the relics of a now dead religion that once used to thrive in the area. A religion that was based on idol worship and other, to their way of thinking, false beliefs which had now been superseded and replaced by a new and better faith which now dominated the whole region.

Most of the locals simply speculated that they had been built as guardian spirits for some temple or holy shrine that once stood there. They were now grateful for the new religion which prevailed in the area and which served their spiritual needs much better than any which worshipped stone idols regardless of how imposing or grand they are. They were not interested in all the bizarre speculations that surrounded them. Perhaps the statues were created for some other purpose than simply to serve as mere idols and perhap they served some higher mystical function but it was all beyond them: A mysterious purpose now lost in the mists of time that no one could now recall or remember, and one that none really cared to know about as their lives were now focussed on other more pressing and mundane issues such as the need to survive.

Nevertheless, irrespective of who built them or why they none the less graced the vast plains with their silent yet powerful presence: They possessed an awesome quality that helped to impart an aura of mystery and magic to the location in which they silently stood. Endowed with an invisible aura that could not fail to stir whoever gazed upon them, the sand covered stone creations stood in silent repose and radiated a potent dignity. Indeed, even an air of quiet menace: It was almost as if some ancient race of people had charged them with the responsibility of keeping a sharp vigil over the region. Charged with a secret mission to act as eagle eyed guardians and woe betide anyone or anything that dared to disrupt the harmony of the place in which they stood and had their existence. Although they stood in silence and never uttered a word for, after all they were simply stone structures devoid of the power of speech or any other kind of expression, anyone who beheld them did, nevertheless, gain the definite impression that these silent stone beings had in their long history and presence on the ground that they stood upon been witness to many untold events and occurrences.

Far too many and wondrous for any human to do any true justice to in their supposedly authoritative histories. The parade of human endeavour, both good and bad, they had been witness to in their long, silent vigil was beyond description. No doubt a lot of that tumultuous human drama they had been witness to had been bloody and furious and yet here they still stood, seemingly unscathed and untouched: Still stood as the silent sentinels they are and one’s that had been untouched by all the human turmoil and strife they had been witness to. They had thus far escaped the scars that are inflicted by the ravages of humans battling each other over their petty wars over land and beliefs. But that was just about to change. In recent years the area in which they stood had gone through much strife and turmoil but it had not directly impacted them. The stone forms in their quiet and serene majesty did not react to all the turmoil around them. How could they? After all they were just statues carved out of stone. Simply stone monoliths chipped, carved, moulded and erected in some now long forgotten distant past that nobody cared to remember.

But on one fateful day the play of human drama, with all its uncertainties, conflicts and tumult once again, as it had periodically done before down through the ages, entered their place of existence once more. People who were not benighly inclined or even harmlessly indifferent cast their shadow upon the place where the statues stood. Due to a civil war taking place in the region hordes of angry men entered the zone where the statues stood. Numerous angry and embittered men with an axe to grind poured into their vicinity. Over the long course of time they had stood the statues had witnessed the coming and going of many angry and raging men. The stone sentinels had been witness to countless clashes between feuding humans.

However, they had all for the most part been content to simply fight between themselves. Were indifferent to the statues in their midst and thus pretty much left the Llammasus alone. They had no quarrel with mere statues made out of stone that harmed no one or slighted the beliefs of others. That could not be said for the latest angry arrivals. Brimming with rage they took an instant dislike to the stone forms in front of them. An intense loathing stemming from the simple fact that the statues represented a devotion to a different deity than theirs. Moreover, they were determined to make their arrival felt in a lasting manner. Immediately and suddenly their abrupt arrival cast a dark shadow upon the locale in which the stone forms had stood unmolested for countless centuries. For now, due to the political chaos in the region the enigmatic stone structures once again stood in a land inflicted by conflict: A land that, once again in the long and troubled history of the region, had again come to be ravaged by war and conflict. Indeed, in their silent presence and long vigil upon the desert sands they radiated tranquillity. Simply by being present they imparted to the area in which they stood a feeling of much needed calm, mystery and serenity: The beautiful and imposing stone forms did not antagonise anyone, did not bother anyone, did not insult anyone.

In their own unique way, they merely gazed out upon their surroundings in a calm and serene manner and thus provided a veritable oasis of peace and tranquillity amongst the turmoil that raged around them. In their quiet repose they did not bother anyone. They never insulted any person or creed and they did not threaten anyone. Neither did they disparage those with differing beliefs from those that were possessed by their creators and sculptors, the belief systems that ultimately gave rise to their creation and being because they represented just one specific manner of creatively expressing devotion to a higher ideal. Rather they simply stood in reverential silence and dignified repose as they had done for so many countless centuries. Their presence was a comforting and uplifting presence in a land that was now once again ravaged by strife and bloodshed caused by feuding humans. Feuding humans who fought because they believed their version of the supreme truth was superior to that of others and was, consequently, worth dying and killing for.

The statues numbered twenty. When come upon they immediately struck any onlooker with a quiet force that left an undeniable impression: An impression of power and strength but one without any malice for anyone or anything. In spite of their intimidating appearance one got the impression they meant no one any harm at all. The aura they possessed was more akin to that of a protector. A guardian rather than something more dark in nature. Each stone statue stood at thirty feet in height and measured fifty feet in length. Their large dimensions a tribute to the sheer concerted effort and hard work that went into their construction. Made out of a stone so solid and strong it had withstood erosion since countless centuries and it still glistened under the harsh desert sun. No one really knew how long these marvellous stone creations had stood upon the desert sands and, by so doing, graced it beyond measure.

Their presence upon the desert sands transformed the place from a barren stretch to desert into something more. From just one harsher desert landscape to a magical landscape. One imbued with a sense of uplifting magical ambience that tingled the senses: They acted as both a visible and invisible link to some long lost hoary past that somehow came back to life through them. They were the last visible outcropping of the creativity flowing out from the mind of some noble ancient intellect that designed them with loving care. For that alone they were priceless.

Their true origin and purpose had been smothered by the mists of time. Perhaps they had indeed been built as guardian spirits for a temple that once stood amongst their midst, a temple now lost to the world that at one time payed homage to an unknown ancient entity. Or perhaps they were even erected to act as fearsome guardians to ward off evil spirits and other malign forces. Some speculated upon a possibility that was even more beguiling in it’s possible significance: That they were made in the image of actual beings which once existed in the region. That the statues were depictions of real life living Llammasus that actually lived in some long ago forgotten era of the Earth’s past. A lot of the locals, and many other people from around the world, even went so far as to believe that these beings once, a very long time ago in some now forgotten period of world history, actually lived in the region and that, Furthermore, these statues had been left behind to remind humans of their one time presence upon the Earth: Why they left or where they went no one knew.

Perhaps the Llammasus’s did indeed once, a long, long time ago, actually exist here as actual living beings. Indeed, their reverential upward facing faces made some even think that they were paying homage to an unknown alien race from beyond the Earth which had placed them here for a specific purpose and thus, according to these people, they were representations of extra-terrestrial beings that visited the Earth in the distant past. However, most cared little for these bizarre and seemingly farfetched and outlandish speculations. Speculations that sounded grand and wonderful but never delivered in any way. For the most part the locals had enough on their hands and cared little for the origins of the stone forms they lived with. For them just to make it through the grinding toil of each day was enough. They had little time for other considerations. Moreover, the statues themselves too seemed to care little for such speculations. They appeared to be simply content to stand quietly upon the desert sands and by so doing radiate their serene dignity in all directions to all and any who cared to appreciate it. Regardless of their faith, race or political opinion.

By now the long passage of time during which they had stood in the desert had deposited a thick layer of desert sand upon them. The sand had encrusted itself upon their gigantic forms and only the occasional downpour of desert rain served to wash a thin veneer of it away. At least for a while as the desert in which they stood always ensured the sand came back again. For many they depicted semi divine beings of a curious and mysterious nature that defied proper description. The hindquarters were definitely those of a powerful bull but with one striking difference: They had two large wings mounted on their backs that indicated that these creatures could also take to the air at will. If this was not enigmatic enough the whole mysterious persona of the Llammasu was further enhanced by the torso they possessed: The torso and head were most definitely those of a very powerful human being with a fierce visage: Most certainly the countenance of a fearsome warrior. When one gazed upon the fierce upturned face of the Llammasu it clearly looked proud and fierce and conveyed the impression that it would undoubtedly be possessed of an unbridled ferocity if it ever aroused.

The human frontages they had depicted proud, dignified and fierce bearded men with strong torsos. Powerful human torsos mounted upon mighty winged bovine hindquarters and all with an upward facing reverential face. Upturned faces that indicated a sense of devotion to a higher power than even themselves: Whoever had constructed them had fused the attributes of a man, a bull and a powerful winged bird all into one visually striking form and no one who beheld them could fail to be stirred with awe and marvel. Both at their skilful construction and the fearsome aspect of their visages. For all who had the eyes to see their appearance clearly indicated the fierce warlike nature that burned beneath their quiet surface demeanour. Again for all who had the eyes to see it was obvious they were imbued with ferocious power and woe betide anyone who disrespected them. One felt they could unleash a terrible retribution upon any who were foolish enough to try and harm them.

These lofty ideals mattered very little to most of the modern day locals who now shared the land with these stone forms. Their concerns and priorities were much more down to earth in nature. They were preoccupied with the struggles of daily life and they definitely did not give much credence to many of the more seemingly fanciful explanations of the purpose of the Llammasu. They did indeed revere them but it was more of an abstract reverence that respected their presence but only as remnants and reminders of a now dead religion of idol worship that once used to exist in the region. An ancient form of nature worship that might interest some but that now no longer held any relevance for them and the modern world in which they now lived. As far as they were concerned they were the left over emblems of an old extinct religion which once held sway over former long gone residents of these lands but which now, due to the rise of another religion more suited to their needs, no longer held any relevance for them or anyone else for they had long since passed the stage of idol worship: For now the new religion that had arisen in more recent times upon these very same desert sands upon which they stood served their spiritual needs much better. They were content with their current religion and did not care much for any old religion from a long distant past that no longer held any relevance for them. Most especially because that old religion centred around the worship of false idols, spurious carved and graven idols that depicted mythical creatures in the form of stone structures and the like and one that could never offer them anything worthwhile. This feeling was further accentuated by the fact that their prophet had himself warned against the practice of idol worship.

This specific admonition from their prophet against the practice of idol worship was the main reason for their indifference. Yet despite this cautionary advice from their spiritual leader they were happy to co-exist with the enigmatic structures amongst them. The statues harmed no one and they also did not cast verbal insults of any kind. Neither did they interfere in any way in how the current inhabitants of the region chose to follow their new faith, one that chose to adore one god as opposed to the ones that worshipped many gods from a long, long time ago. More importantly their simple presence in the vicinity bestowed an air of wondrous mystery and magic to the region which the new faith of the locals could not account for or indeed even replicate. That in itself made them a valuable asset. Furthermore, the statues did also serve as tourist attractions for visitors from all around the world. As such they brought in much needed money from overseas visitors and were thus a valued commodity for that alone if nothing else. In short they harmed no one and did much good in more ways than one. That was good enough for most. They were simply happy to peacefully co-exist with them in a spirit of splendid tolerance and mutual goodwill. The locals accepted them as wonderful artistic additions to their locale as they looked benignly down upon them. The statues were both majestic and, at the same time, somewhat terrifying. Many who beheld them often pondered upon the fearful impression they might strike if one came face to face with a live Llammasu, made actual contact with a real life version of what was depicted by the stone form. The heads and torsos of powerful men placed upon the even more powerful and bulkier hindquarters of mighty bulls and all of it wonderfully graced by two large wings on their muscular backs. These were creatures that could also fly and that only added to the awe they inspired in whoever gazed upon them. Who could not help but admire them! Alas there were those who did not.

The new arrivals did not like them, even did not have the slightest appreciation for the artistry and effort that went into their formation. The benignly tolerant or simply casually indifferent attitudes of the locals were not shared by the newly arrived militants. For them the stone forms were beyond the pale. Definitely not worthy of any respect or admiration. Not in the least. Rather the very opposite. The winds of change were now blowing in the region and indeed all around the statues. The hostile new arrivals made no effort to hide their hostility. Indeed, they openly derided the locals for accepting the presence of what they regarded as heathen idols. The winds of change had shifted the mindsets of many people and, as a result, not all in the region continued to look upon the statues with the same benign and disinterested affection they had enjoyed so far. Indeed, some, urged on by the invaders, even began to resent the kindly disinterest many of their fellow locals showed the statues. Indeed, many jumped on the bandwagon on the new arrivals and even began to despise their fellow locals for putting up with them.

We have been too tolerant! a group now declared. It is time for these false idols from the heathen past to go. We will be the happier for it! Our prophet will thank us. What greater reward than that can we want!

The conflict that had befallen the area caused some governments to fail and topple and, in the ensuing chaos and political vacuum thus created, an army of men possessed of an extreme fervent religious fervour came and mingled with the locals. These were the very men who now tried to foment strife and discord in the desert plain upon which the Llammasus stood. These were men of a different ilk. They most definitely were not kindly disposed to the stone forms venerating other gods from earlier heathen religions. They especially despised those amongst the locals who tolerated their presence. Their fanaticism automatically made the sight of the Llammasus an anathema to them. They viewed them as being an insult to the memory of their prophet. The very prophet who had warned his followers against the dangers of idol worship. As such the very sight of them was an abomination. One that could not be abided and as they were men imbued with an intense religious fervour they saw it as their mission to rectify matters. For their bigotry made them believe that only their version of the truth counted and all else was falsehood and blasphemy. As far as they were concerned they were the true devotees of their prophet and absolutely no one else could match them in that and that Furthermore, as such, they had been directly appointed by their prophet to act as the custodians of his faith. They had anointed themselves as the self-appointed custodians of their faith and saw it as their task to serve as its warriors. They would do anything to serve and protect his holy cause and the integrity of the religion that he had founded centuries ago. Even other religions of the Book counted for nothing and even though the locals also believed in the same religion as they did it mattered little. For by tolerating the presence of the false idols the locals had proved their lack of purity.

No true believer would ever tolerate such things! they proclaimed over the loudspeaker. By having done so you have proven that you have fallen from the true faith. It now falls to us to make amends. We act only on behalf of the prophet.

As far as they were concerned only their narrow interpretation of that very same religion was the one that counted. Anything else was falsehood and worthy of nothing but contempt. Even those who followed those faiths that were considered somewhat kindred, those called the religions of the book, were despised. Dismissed as unworthy predecessors to the coming of their prophet. How much more contempt would they then hold for stone idols emanating from a pagan religion? From a religion that was already ancient by the time the religions of the Jews and Christians, the fellow religions of the book that worshipped the one true god as they did. As such the new invaders represented a real and direct threat to the Lllammasus. Precisely because the stone artifacts stemmed from an extreme antiquity that predated all the religions of the book they could not be tolerated. To them the stone idols before them were nothing but an unacceptable blasphemy emanating from a blasphemous faith that once used to exist on the ground upon which they now stood. As a consequence, they loathed the stone forms with an intensity beyond all measure.

Oh! How these monstrosities hurt my eyes! one of them declared as he looked up into the face of a statue. "Hideous demons that are an affront to the prophet! Did he not come to warn us against such evil things. They are the handiwork of accursed infidels! They hurt my eyes. I cannot abide them for they are the very same evil our prophet warned us against. Oh what a cruel fate that I should now be forced to gaze upon one of these hideous things.