The two men were silent as they watched the creature writhe and listened to him rant, as if he were some weird carnival animal. The creature filled his lungs and let loose an ear-splitting shriek. Both men winced at the assault. Bubba was the first to recover.
“Say, that’s a good set of lungs you got there, boy. You keep practicing, you might grow up and be a hog farmer like me.” Then Bubba filled his lungs, bent at the waist toward the creature, and produced a hog call that stretched the skin on the creature’s face. Even Oliver’s face tensed, though he was standing behind Bubba. The creature covered his ears and fell to his knees whimpering.
“Huh. He can dish it, for a little critter, but he sure can’t take it, can he? You gonna try and break him?” asked Bubba.
“I don’t know if that’s possible.”
“Huh. One thing’s for sure...if you can break him, horses’ll be a snap.”
Oliver chuckled and sighed. “I expect that’s true enough.”
“You need me for anything else?”
Oliver sucked on the finger bitten by the creature. ”No, Bubba. I think I can handle it from here. Thank you for your help,” he said, extending his unbitten hand.
Bubba shook Oliver’s hand, and handed him the creature’s pants and socks. He spoke loudly as he headed for his truck. “You call me if you need anything. That hellcat’s bound to be too much for the likes of you.”
Oliver watched Bubba drive off in a cloud of dust as he rubbed the back of his neck, contemplating his next move. He went into the house to survey the damage as the creature, recovered from Bubba’s sonic assault, raged.
Oliver glimpsed the damage before dragging the creature out of his house, but the sight of his kitchen still took him with gaping amazement. There were dishes, broken and whole, everywhere. Open doors revealed empty cabinets. The refrigerator door hung open. It appeared that the creature hurled virtually everything not fastened down. Dishes, glasses, silverware, food, drink, pots, pans, napkins...everything cluttered the floor and counters in a horrible mess. He spied a serrated steak knife plunged into the floor and walked over to it. Above the knife were carved the words “I WANT”. He pulled the knife from the floor, and as he stood agog, a glass rolled off a counter and shattered on the floor.
He spent much of the early morning cleaning up the mess and salvaging what he could. Finally, except for the floor carving and the loss of many dishes and glasses, and some food and drink, he had the kitchen in order again. He walked into the living room, picked up the lamp, and replaced the light bulb. He pushed the dent out of the lampshade and placed the lamp back onto the table, then turned it on and off to test it. Then he picked up the picture of the pregnant woman and young boy, noted the cracked glass cutting across the woman’s face, and allowed himself to fall back into the leather recliner with a sigh.
“I need help,” he murmured. He placed the picture in its place on the table beside the chair, then reached into the shelf beneath the table and withdrew the Bible.
“I need big help.” As he opened the book, he looked at the clock on his mantle, which read nine o’clock. He read, meditated, and prayed until nearly noon, searching for an answer, any answer to his predicament.
Finally, in frustration, he closed the Bible and prayed aloud, “Father, why don’t You help me? Can’t You see I’m ready and willing to do anything You advise? I haven’t the faintest idea what to do…not even the faintest. Please help me. Tell me what to do.” With a deep sigh, he opened the Bible again randomly, and his eyes fell upon these words:
King Nebuchadnezzar, to the peoples, nations and men of every language, who live in all the world:
May you prosper greatly!
It is my pleasure to tell you about the miraculous signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me. How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation.
I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at home in my palace, contented and prosperous. I had a dream that made me afraid. As I was lying in my bed, the images and visions that passed through my mind terrified me. So I commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be brought before me to interpret the dream for me. When the magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners came, I told them the dream, but they could not interpret it for me. Finally, Daniel came into my presence and I told him the dream. (He is called Belteshazzar, after the name of my god, and the spirit of the holy gods is in him.)
I said, "Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and no mystery is too difficult for you. Here is my dream; interpret it for me. These are the visions I saw while lying in my bed: I looked, and there before me stood a tree in the middle of the land. Its height was enormous. The tree grew large and strong and its top touched the sky; it was visible to the ends of the earth. Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit abundant, and on it was food for all. Under it the beasts of the field found shelter, and the birds of the air lived in its branches; from it every creature was fed.
"In the visions I saw while lying in my bed, I looked, and there before me was a messenger, a holy one, coming down from heaven.
“He called in a loud voice: 'Cut down the tree and trim off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the animals flee from under it and the birds from its branches. But let the stump and its roots, bound with iron and bronze, remain in the ground, in the grass of the field.
“ 'Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him live with the animals among the plants of the earth. Let his mind be changed from that of a man and let him be given the mind of an animal, till seven times pass by for him.
“ 'The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of men.'
"This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had. Now, Belteshazzar, tell me what it means, for none of the wise men in my kingdom can interpret it for me. But you can, because the spirit of the holy gods is in you."
Then Daniel (also called Belteshazzar) was greatly perplexed for a time, and his thoughts terrified him. So the king said, "Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its meaning alarm you."
Belteshazzar answered, "My lord, if only the dream applied to your enemies and its meaning to your adversaries! The tree you saw, which grew large and strong, with its top touching the sky, visible to the whole earth, with beautiful leaves and abundant fruit, providing food for all, giving shelter to the beasts of the field, and having nesting places in its branches for the birds of the air - you, O king, are that tree! You have become great and strong; your greatness has grown until it reaches the sky, and your dominion extends to distant parts of the earth.
"You, O king, saw a messenger, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, 'Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump, bound with iron and bronze, in the grass of the field, while its roots remain in the ground. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven; let him live like the wild animals, until seven times pass by for him.'
"This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree the Most High has issued against my lord the king: You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes. The command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots means that your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules. Therefore, O king, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue."
All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, he said, "Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?"
The words were still on his lips when a voice came from heaven, "This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you. You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes."
Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like cattle. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird.
At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation.
All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: "What have you done?"
At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.
The clock rang noon, and Oliver stared in slack-jawed wonderment at the words on the page.
He closed the Bible and prayed aloud, “Father, I thank You for this advice, and I will follow it to the best of my ability. I hope You don’t mind if I add my own personal spin to fit my circumstances. Please walk with me, and guide me in the best way to follow You. Help me to administer Your discipline in firmness and love for the benefit of my nephew.”