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Back The Desert of Glass Save as PDF
Chapters (84)
  1. BY MICHAEL C. GRUMLEY
  2. Prologue
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. 21
  24. 22
  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. 29
  32. 30
  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. 35
  38. 36
  39. 37
  40. 38
  41. 39
  42. 40
  43. 41
  44. 42
  45. 43
  46. 44
  47. 45
  48. 46
  49. 47
  50. 48
  51. 49
  52. 50
  53. 51
  54. 52
  55. 53
  56. 54
  57. 55
  58. 56
  59. 57
  60. 58
  61. 59
  62. 60
  63. 61
  64. 62
  65. 63
  66. 64
  67. 65
  68. 66
  69. 67
  70. 68
  71. 69
  72. 70
  73. 71
  74. 72
  75. 73
  76. 74
  77. 75
  78. 76
  79. 77
  80. 78
  81. EPILOGUE
  82. II
  83. III
  84. IV

“This is not something for you to follow.  I know, and that is enough.”

“Know what?”

“That this place is special—more special than anyone knows, not just in the energy release but in its purpose.  In its fate for all mankind.”

The man blinked at Saad through a set of dark, emotionless eyes.  And a sinking sensation in his gut.

“I have arranged to make you wealthy, more than you can imagine,” he said, and paused to cough.  “As long as you continue to serve me beyond.”

“Beyond what?”

“Beyond this.  A world of cages and nepotism and into a life that transcends.”

Khoury stared at the old man, the sinking feeling with him slowly morphing into panic.

Dr. Abo was right.  They should not have waited.  Saad was going mad.

“What are you planning?”

Saad looked out at the empty building called madbaha—Arabic for altar.  The epicenter of the field of glass and the trigger from which the energy was summoned.  Where the children were tied down, calling the power that arose and traveled like a wave and increasing in intensity as it approached, kilometer by kilometer, then meter by meter, before reaching the stone house and the soul waiting inside.  Then the intense and brilliant flash of light.

“The children’s minds were damaged,” said Saad.  “Because they were alone.  Their minds opened to catch that which never came.”

“Catch what?” asked Khoury.

“This time,” said Saad, lowering his voice.  “Two will go in, but only one will come out.”

Khoury couldn’t believe what he was hearing.  The old man was going to offer himself in some deranged act of aintihar.

Suicide.

Only the girl will survive,” said Saad.  “And you must protect her.”

“Protect her from what?”

“From everyone,” he replied.  “And everything.  Doing so will make you rich beyond your wildest dreams.”

“Why will that make me rich?”

Weakly, Saad raised his hand and clapped it on Khoury’s shoulder.  “Because the girl… will be me.”

72

72

The newer building was, in fact, their protection.  Painted light gray as a camouflage against the desert sand and glass, the structure was a very different substance than any masonry.  This was made of lead.

Solid lead.

It was located far enough away from the stone house, or madhbah, to avoid acting as a trigger itself, and dense enough to survive the intense burst of energy when it reached them, and had initially been designed to allow Saad, then later his men, to safely wait for the event to pass without destroying their own minds.   They then retrieved each child and had them quickly draw what they’d seen before their young minds began to permanently degrade.

It was essential that Saad’s men remained well inside the heavily protected lead fortress until it was over, and they could safely reprocure the child.