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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

He remembered the story of Prometheus ascending to heaven to steal fire from the gods, and bring it down to man. He remembered the story of Jason setting sail to capture the Golden Fleece. He remembered the story of Gilgamesh, the Sumerian king, and his quest to gain immortality. Vincente knew those quests came to bad ends. Was this why he thought of those stories now? Because he feared a bad end?

“I’m sorry,” he said to Arama. “My anger is not with you.”

“Daddy,” a voice called from inside the room.

Vincente turned. He saw his daughter, awake. He rushed to her. Arama followed.

Vincente watched as two doctors finished examining his daughter. The IVs and wires that had been connected to her body had been removed.

The head doctor brought Vincente aside and informed him that he thought she would be all right, but would need to be put through a series of MRIs, and have an electroencephalograph to determine what subtle damage, if any, had been done to her brain during the coma.

Arama escorted the doctors out and closed the door to the room, leaving father and daughter alone.

Jhana-Merise sat up in bed and smiled. She was the picture of health and more beautiful than Vincente had ever seen her. He wanted to ask her about the boy. He wanted to tell her the relatives of the young burn victim were stoking the notion of divine intervention because the boy told them Jhana-Merise had healed him. He wanted to tell her that he and Arama were doing their best to protect her and dispel rumors of a miracle, because he feared the radicalism of belief that grew from such events. Vincente wanted to talk to her about all this, but was afraid. Instead, he reached into the worn denim jacket he wore and took out a pocket-sized, well-used diary.

“You’ve wanted to talk about your mother with me since she died. What I feel about her, and you, is in there.”

Jhana-Merise hugged her father and asked, “You’ve kept this with you all these years?”

“And read it every night.”

“May I have it for a while, father?”

“It’s yours.”

He handed it to her.

Jhana-Merise held the diary to her heart.

Later that night, Vincente became more frightened for his daughter’s safety, when he heard that the rumor of the “Miracle of Cuzco” had spread beyond the town.

He asked Arama where he might find sanctuary for her. Arama told him she had already spoken with the Mother Superior of her parish. She would be happy to offer Jhana-Merise refuge at her convent on the edge of town.

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