Mammon sat in the shadow of a great mountain. He liked creation, the smells of fresh earth and growing things, the mix of warm sunlight and cool breezes. But a world is more than the material and his mind was exploring one of his own creations, mathematics.
The One had removed the power of creation from them, but the gods were still powerful. Though the laws of Erebus were set, they could easily bend them. But in time they would return to their natural state. Mammon wished he could remake some of the laws he had applied, and even now played with changing them and watched the impact of his changes on the clouds that drifted overhead. The way the clouds split, funneled, dispersed and moved were minutely changed by the slightest of his adjustments.
As the god of foresight Mammon watched the world play out due to his tiny changes. The clouds shadow that uncovered a mother mouse a second sooner. The hawk that spotted the now uncovered mouse. The mouse that would die in the hawks claws. The mouse babies that would starve without their mother. The seeds that would not be eaten by the mice. The plants that would now grow from those seeds.
The clouds rolled towards the west, they were bone white and hung low in the sky. All except a single cloud that traveled east, seemingly ignoring all natural laws. Mammon considered the futures changed by the defiant cloud. Weather patterns changed, storms that would and wouldn't occur now. The changed world that existed because of that cloud.
“Would you be so quick to change everything if you knew the implications of your actions?” Mammon asked the sky.
Tali, god of the air, smiled down at the serious god, “I suspect that everything turns out the same no matter what we do.”
Mammon frowned, “That is not true.”
But secretly Mammon wondered if Tali was right.
A distant ceremony beckoned to both the gods. All the gods gathered around a shallow pool and with a thought Mammon and Tali joined them.
Within the pool a woman floated, perfect of form with smooth, pale skin and long, black hair. She was to be Gabella, formed by Aeron into the first woman and she was receiving a blessing from each of the gods.
Bhall, goddess of fire, floated in the pool with Gabella and fire danced across the pools surface and shimmered in its depths. Bhall held the sleeping Gabella and whispered into her ear, “I give you the capacity for passion and love, that you can give these gifts to others and can receive them to yourself.”
At that she kissed Gabella gently on the forehead. Gabella continued to float as Bhall let go and stepped out of the pool. Cerdiwen came next, floating above the pool she allowed the long tendrils of her gown to reach down and lift Gabella gently to her.
Oghma was watching Mammon closely. The two were as close as their precepts, Oghma was knowledge of everything that was and Mammon was the god of knowledge of everything that will be. The thin line of the present separated their dominions and because of that the gods had a close affinity for each other.
Deciding that something had changed Oghma whispered to Mammon, “You seem bothered.”
Nemed spoke to all the gathered gods before Mammon could respond.
“I mean to give her eternal life. That mankind can share our immortality and live without death.”
The gods considered, all life in creation was meant to be temporary. They were not making gods, but a world with seasons and cycles. Arawn was the first to respond.
“They have not known heaven, but they will yearn for it. Are you sure that our creation is so perfect that it should be unending?”
At that the gods all began speaking at once. Only Agares, who watched without comment, and Mammon stayed out of the conversation. Mammon already knew the outcome. It was the same as any major decision they had to make, they would ask him. It was Nemed who asked.
“Mammon, what do you foresee for Gabella and her children? Should she live eternal, or live only for a time within creation?”
For the first time Mammon was afraid to answer. Something was wrong, and for one who always knew the future being blind to it terrified him. Mammon could see the creation of Gabella, could see her rebellion and refusal to submit to the plan of the gods. Beyond that he saw the rebellion of Agares, and his attempt to challenge the One. He saw the One standing in creation, judging the world. But he couldn’t see anything beyond that moment. If there was any future beyond that he was blind to it. Mammon suspected that the One unmade them and creation. He suspected that he was seeing his own death.
In regards to Gabella’s immortality, for the time that Mammon could see there was no difference. With or without eternal life Gabella would refuse to become the mother of humanity. With either option she would live until Mammon’s vision failed him. She would live as long as Mammon would.
Rather than admit that his vision was gone, rather than tell the gods that Agares would betray them, that they would all die, Mammon pretended to know and for the first time gave advice without knowing if it was correct.
“Allow them to be immortal, they should not fear death.” Mammon was beginning to know that fear to well himself.
Arawn seemed bothered by the response but said nothing. Nemed entered the pool, embraced Gabella and whispered into her ear. From that moment she was as immortal as a single god could make her.
Mammon was next. He walked across the surface of the pool and sat down at Gabella’s side.
“Wake child.” He said softly.
Gabella sat up and her eyes fluttered open. She was still in the daze of birth and likely wouldn’t see or remember him, but he wanted to see her eyes. Aeron had fashioned her body perfectly, she was beautiful, strong and unique in feature.
“I give you…” Mammon leaned close, so that no one could overhear, “I give you nothing, so that you might always wonder and won’t know the pleasures and the pains of the future.”
Gabella lay back down in the pool and returned to her sleep. Agares was the last to give his blessing and he stepped into the pool. At his touch the water changed to a blend of black and gold, a beautiful labyrinth or bright gold veins appearing and disappearing into emptiness. The gold strands caressed Gabella’s body and again her eyes fluttered open to meet Agares’s gaze.
“I give you hope, a belief in what can be, that you will not know despair.”
Oghma was watching Mammon closely, he would be the only one who knew that Mammon didn’t give a gift to Gabella. Similarly Mammon watched Agares, searching unsuccessfully for some hint of his future betrayal.
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