The Beast

And in those times there was upon the earth a great Beast, unseen by the people, and the Beast had an thousand heads. As a head was severed another grew in its place, each more aggressive in its turn. And the Beast spewed forth corruption upon the water and upon the land and upon the air and upon the food, and gathered the wealth of the people unto its self.

But the Beast was not fulfilled.

And the Beast put into the world ten thousands and more tentacles to do its bidding. The tentacles were the shrewd and cunning among the people and they did the bidding of the Beast or were in turn replaced with others yet more shrewd and cunning.

And the tentacles, clothed in rich raiment, spoke with persuasive voices, infiltrating everything that was good in all the lands of the earth. They brought gifts from the Beast to turn the hearts and heads of the rulers of the world, and directed the powerful that the bidding of the Beast be done.

But, still the Beast was not content.

The tentacles infiltrated the groups who opposed the despoiling of the earth. They replaced them with their own, bribed them to do their bidding, dispossessed them of their goods, and weakened their will. Thus, they gained control of those that would oppose the progress of the Beast. Gifts of silver and of gold and of precious things were given to the rulers who would cast aside the law and dismantle the unions who sought a voice and would grant to the Beast control of the people and the riches of the land.

The Beast demanded cheap labour and control of education and of the peoples' health, and that all disputes be removed from the judges of the people and given to judges of the Beast's making. These judges corrupted and dismantled the laws of those who would stop the destruction of the earth. They ruled the armies and the palaces of rulers seeking freedom from misery and war, they bought and controlled the news that was given to the peoples of the world, they infiltrated the images that were projected into the peoples home and filled them with nationalistic pride and love of the Beast's deeds, they enslaved the minds of the people and encouraged them to covet possessions and to have greed in their hearts.

Still the Beast was not content.

It sent forth more tentacles to transform the laws and constitutions of the people. It promised prosperity and democracy but these were lies to hide the true desires of the Beast. The truth of the Beast was hidden from the people, and it sought to replace the laws of sovereign nations with the its own laws, so that the nations of the earth would be weak and vulnerable to its will.

It sustained and enriched all those who would choose to represent the peoples in the offices of the government. It cared not the families or parties or religions of its own, as it supported all who would do its bidding. And the rich cared not about the actions of the Beast, but grew content living in its shadow, battening on corruption and untouched by the misery of the poor and the plight of the earth.

And in those times there were those who strove to expose the Beast and to make it visible to all, but the Beast covered the eyes and hardened the hearts of the rulers and the people, and spewed forth lies and toxic and lethal force, that they would be silenced.

They could not be silenced and their numbers multiplied, to eventually expose the Beast for what it was and -- ?

It is up to the reader to write the end to this story.

Have a nice day.