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Back The Occurrence Save as PDF
Chapters (117)
  1. Cover
  2. Title
  3. Copyright
  4. Contents
  5. PART ONE: Up From Buried Light
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. PART TWO: Re-Entry
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. PART THREE: Convergence
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. 25
  33. 26
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. 29
  37. 30
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. 33
  41. 34
  42. 35
  43. 36
  44. 37
  45. 38
  46. 39
  47. 40
  48. 41
  49. PART FOUR: Surrender
  50. 42
  51. 43
  52. 44
  53. 45
  54. 46
  55. 47
  56. 48
  57. 49
  58. 50
  59. 51
  60. 52
  61. 53
  62. 54
  63. 55
  64. 56
  65. 57
  66. PART FIVE: The Tablets
  67. 58
  68. 59
  69. 60
  70. 61
  71. 62
  72. 63
  73. 64
  74. 65
  75. PART SIX: The Trial
  76. 66
  77. 67
  78. 68
  79. PART SEVEN: The Cave of Memory
  80. 69
  81. 70
  82. 71
  83. 72
  84. 73
  85. 74
  86. 75
  87. 76
  88. 77
  89. 78
  90. 79
  91. 80
  92. 81
  93. 82
  94. 83
  95. PART EIGHT: Guardians
  96. 84
  97. 85
  98. 86
  99. 87
  100. 88
  101. 89
  102. 90
  103. 91
  104. 92
  105. 93
  106. 94
  107. PART NINE: Into Buried Light
  108. 95
  109. 96
  110. 97
  111. 98
  112. 99
  113. 100
  114. 101
  115. 102
  116. 103
  117. Acknowledgments

The imam’s face was expressionless. He rubbed his thumb over the crease in the paper napkin on the table.

Nazir watched as the imam took a breath deeper than before.

“It was brave, your coming here.”

In the silence that followed, Nazir held his own against the authority that had come to hear him.

“We need you to do something for us, Nazir.”

Nazir opened his arms in a gesture of accepting whatever that might be.

“There are many young people in America whose hearts are attached to ours. Their loyalty must be cultivated. We believe you are the one to help do that. We believe Allah has brought you to us for that purpose.”

The imam raised his hand as if summoning. And from the kitchen Mariam brought in a tray of tea and sweets and served the two men.

The imam took Nazir’s hand, then Mariam’s, brought them together and said, “She will be your conduit to the young ones whom you will teach to serve.”

Was the bringing of their hands together a marriage to the cause, or something else? There were multiple levels at play. Was the imam aware of Nazir’s new allegiance? Was this a trap to discern his loyalty?

Nazir remained in the questions, as the scent of roses swirled. A scent no one else seemed to notice.

“What about Hashim?” Nazir asked, sensing the imam still had questions.

For the first time in the meeting, the imam smiled.

“Yes. We will meet. But first, we need you to begin teaching Mariam’s young ones. And we know you will do it with much discretion.”

Nazir felt another purpose within the imam’s order, and knew this was another level to gain his trust. He would need to stay in the skin of his former self to survive.

It was another test. Allah gives to those who ask and are ready.

Yet, as he watched the imam breathe in the air around him, he believed he smelled the roses, too. And maybe, his charge to teach the young ones had a purpose closer to his own.

87

87

Monday, October 19

Nazir stood in front of Mariam’s class in the Islamic Mosque and Cultural Center. The boys who had been distracted by him standing in the hallway a few days before sat in rapt attention as he spoke of the Qur’an. But as the words came out his memory was in another place and time, for he saw himself in the young boys leaning into his authority.

He’d thought much about the meeting with the imam, and made the choice to go with what he believed—that the imam had smelled the roses, too. He was gambling with his life.