And there was in the late time of King Clinton a choice of ruler by the people.

And there were heard in the land clanging gongs, sounding drums and brass cymbals.

And from the west came the Son of George, with promise of compassion.

And he had at his right hand Lord Cheney, of cruel heart and little mind.

And the Supreme priests broke their covenant and anointed him as king.

And in the years to come, Four Fearsome Horsemen rode onto the flat screens of Fox TV.

And the people saw the first horseman was War. Evil agents came up to the towers of New York and struck them asunder, bringing pain and death. The legions of the Son of George, aided by mercenaries from the house of Cheney, made war upon Mesopotamia, which had harmed him not.

The inhabitants of the desert were subdued, but the Son of George governed poorly and for many seasons there was great quarrel and murder among the tribes. This war required exceeding gold to pay for swords, chariots and Humvees.

And the second of the four horsemen was Fear. Quaking, the king built walls around the borders of the kingdom and hired slaves to violate the robes and sacks of travelers.

There were spies to listen to conversation and confidences between husband and wife, merchant and buyer, sage and scholar. These confidences were taken without knowledge and were given to the centurions.

There was hiring of mercenaries to maintain places of torture in distant places which were beyond the eyes of the king’s people. In the sea of Cuba came about a prison where enemies were kept and tortured for many years, but yielded not their knowledge.

And the third horseman was Desolation. The king’s people gave immense tribute to an enemy who possessed oil made from plants and trees in endless time. SUVs rolled upon the roads. The rich waxed richer – nor was tax laid upon them or their children – for the king believed that progeny of the rich should benefit until the end of time.

Corn came to be the father of combustion while the poor of the earth ate clay. The land grew hot and prophets such as Ali Gore warned that the orchards of green would turn to desert and stones.

And the last horseman was Greed. Avarice, appetite and false promise ate the souls of the people. The free markets sang not of profit and honor, but of greed and false gods. The money lenders gambled with gold drawn from the tents of the people and were to lose, causing the people to cry out for help.

The land was overrun with foreclosures. Many were cast down in their 401ks. It was the time of reckoning for hedge funds. Sub-prime mortgages floated upon the sea where storms raged. The makers of carts and chariots wept and tore their robes because merchants from the land of Nippon sold wagons at cheaper price.

And there was darkness on the waters.

But it was to come that wise men went into the land beyond Egypt and brought forth a youth whose grace and speech moved them and who sang songs of hope. And he was cool and not given to the fires of wrath and vengeance. And, although he was a son of Ham, they gave to him the keys of the kingdom.

And he brought with him men and women of wisdom and comprehension. Emanuel, of the blood of Moses, was chosen to guard the throne and to select those to come before him. Hillary the Vassarite and believers in Biden were called to the palace. The new king listened to sages who shared the ancient wisdom of Roosevelt that had saved their fathers in an earlier time.

And it was the first day of the rebirth of the nation.

Rodney Quinn, who lives in Gorham, is a former Maine secretary of state. He can be reached at rquinn@maine.rr.com.

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