Let our sleep be free from care; let not the enemy snatch us away, nor flesh conspire with him, and make us guilty in your sight.

Oh, how King David hated the idols of the people. It seemed that every day, more and more of them were showing up. In his deep concern for his subjects, he knew something must be done…but what?

He had a dream and in the dream he received a message from the Archangel Raphael. Raphael was reading from The Book and said to the King, “Your answer can be found in the stars”.

When the King awoke the next morning, he was filled with a strange desire. He knew what must be done but he was unsure how to do it. He called all of his wise men and women and all of his magicians together and told them of his dream. One of the wise men, Despero Sanguinea, an evil man, had a suggestion.

“If the answer lies in the stars, my King, then should we not perform the sacred rite and call down the stars to destroy these idols? This rite was performed years ago when Babylon was in great need. The stars spun in the heavens and fell to earth bringing light and swift justice!”

King David agreed. All of the people were invited to watch. And, from his high tower, King David and his wise men and woman and his magicians performed the sacred rite and called down the stars. The stars came rushing down to earth striking all idols and destroying them until there was nothing left but ashes.

When King David arrived at his castle, he found his staff distraught and crying for the Queen had been killed by one of the falling stars. It would seem that King David worshipped his wife and loved the air she breathed and even the grass underneath her very feet. In his bitter despair, he wasted away and died within two days. He was convinced that he had been abandoned by God.

Despero Sanguinea performed the funeral rites for both the King and the Queen with a smile playing about his lips. But, as the procession moved the bodies into the catacombs, Despero became disoriented and was separated from the rest of the people. He wandered in the darkness until he died of thirst. Only the mummies were there for him at the end.

We must always be careful what we ask for.

Watercolor and gold on paper. Copyright 2006 by Kelley Vandiver