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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

“Bet you these walls never heard talk like this before,” Dean said. “From the level of the sacred within you. And, yes, even you, Charles, have that light. From the degree to which you’ve opened to it, the vibration imbued within the tablet will respond. Will match the degree of truth within the one who beholds it.”

Bruton looked at him, puzzled.

“I’m no more ‘crazy’ now, Charles, than you believed I was. But you asked me here.”

“Go ahead,” Bruton said.

“We all understand the world from the level we’re at. A child is more capable of accessing the worlds between; they just don’t have the tools to express it. The message in the tablets is protected. A spiritual ‘fail safe,’ if you will. For if there’s no light, no love in the beholder, the words will be mysterious and incomplete.”

“You say this so easy, Jack.”

“I’ve no more tolerance for bullshit, Charles. We know from the minute we’re born why we’re here. Do you think there’s a person alive who believes this is everything? But to look at us one would think that’s all we believe. We’ve convinced ourselves of a lie. You’re not the first or the last to know about this. That’s what I tried to say before you banished me. There are leaders from the West and East who know what’s going on. But they’re too scared to come forward. You can help them. You’re in a position to. You’ve been in that position a long time.”

Dean’s words slammed Bruton against the fear he’d have to walk through one day, and in so doing, leave his comfort.

“Jack. I’m sorry for what I did to you.”

“You can undo it by believing me now.”

“And, what would that look like?”

“You’re going to be asked to arrange passage back to Mosul. I’d find a way to make that happen.”

“For whom and why?”

“For Julian and Dominique. Because they can translate the tablet there.”

Bruton knew it would be dangerous and duplicitous to send Julian and Dominique back into harm’s way. He also knew it needed to be done. Because the president needed to have that information before anyone else.

PART SIX: The Trial

PART SIX

The Trial

66

66

Thursday, October 1

After all the considerations and concerns, and knowing there was no way to keep any of this secret, the location of Hashim’s trial would be in D.C. The court was set up blocks away from the Capital building. The National Guard and police presence made it look like a war zone. The network trucks and equipment that crowded the perimeter—creating a moat between the courthouse and the swarms of people—turned it into a circus.