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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

And, the more details he related of men in suicide vests, the more she shuddered at the savage reality of those actions. He’d heard her father speak of the glory of sacrifice, and had seen its effect on her, for he knew how much she admired him.

Nazir spoke of sacrifice, too. But he spoke of the blood in a way he knew she hadn’t been exposed.

He told her of one martyr who never made it to heaven, never got the virgins, even though the blast from his bomb was strong enough to kill twenty infidels.

“He wasn’t a hero because he didn’t die. Neither charred eyes, nor a face like bubbled tar pleased Allah.”

It was a gamble speaking this graphic, but he wanted the gruesome details of jihad to burrow inside her. Because he believed horror this raw could move her. He needed it to move her at a place inside, a place in which he hoped an ember of The Greater Jihad burned.

88

88

Rain beat heavily against the windows of Bruton’s office.

Dominique saw turmoil in the man she’d come to respect, for she knew how much he had at stake, too.

“It’s important to look to the future of what’s been presented,” Bruton said. “But present dangers are not to be taken lightly. Is the relationship with the young Sarif woman going to be an asset or liability?”

“You mean, is there a romance that could thwart or support Nazir’s purpose?”

“Do you have a sense of which it might be?”

“No, I don’t. And I’m not putting him in any more danger, pushing him one way or the other with her.”

“His life was in danger the minute he landed here. Do you think he can change their hearts without anyone noticing?”

Maybe the world couldn’t change. Maybe darkness would always rage against the light. Could Nazir change hearts without anyone noticing? It was a good question, and one she’d suppressed because she didn’t want to believe it might be true. But Dominique also believed what Jhana-Merise had said about the reawakening of their souls, and saw how that could ignite a quiet fire of love from inside. It was a worthy pursuit. A narrative that told her she’d been asleep all these years, even running through the clusterfuck of firefights.

“I know you’re frightened, Charles. I am, too. But we have a chance to do something that can change us—maybe even change the world.”

“And you plan to let Nazir go deeper into the lion’s den to find that out? Who’s putting him in more danger now?”

“He’s not going to do it alone from here on.”

“What do you mean?”

“He’s going to introduce me to Mariam. She’s our conduit to Pashtar, and to the imam.”