BooksBarbecue
Back The Occurrence
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

Julian watched as she seemed almost to become one with the wall, which throbbed. And the air smelled like honey.

“What the fuck is going on?” Julian said.

Ja’far raised his hand in a gesture to Julian that said, listen.

Julian stilled himself and took in the sound. His breathing calmed, and his body quieted.

“What’s happening?” Julian asked.

“We’re constructing a portal from the darkest side of our soul to the light,” Ja’far answered.

71

71

Catherine listened to Nazir as he spoke of having traded angels for devils. They were in the garage of her cottage. He was helping her clean the furnace, for a cold front was moving in, and she needed to be certain there’d be heat for what might be a long stay. Julian had asked her to be with Nazir until he and Dominique came back from where they were going and could figure out what to do with him. They didn’t tell Catherine they were in the desert. But she knew.

The furnace kicked on. Nazir jumped at the sudden sound.

“It’s the heater. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”

He moved toward its warmth.

She could see he had something on his mind.

“What is it?” she asked.

He moved away. Disquieted.

“You can trust me, Nazir.”

He sat on one of the wooden boxes. On top of a stack of books, next to the box, he saw a photograph of a handsome young man. He didn’t take his eyes off the photo.

“He’s my son. His name is Scott.”

“Where is he?”

“He died years ago.”

Except for Hashim, she hadn’t been back to the cottage since Scott’s death here. She’d never wanted to come back. She’d tried to sell it, but something always interfered.

“How did he die?”

She was reluctant to reveal the truth, because she knew Nazir’s world looked upon homosexuality with rabid fury. But she was compelled to speak.

“Complications caused by the AIDS virus. Do you know what that is?”

“Yes.”

She could see this was a scary level of intimacy for him. But Nazir was a young man, far from home, and she was still a mother.

She sat next to him on another wooden box. He didn’t move away.

“When did you first meet Hashim?” she asked.

“I’ve known him ever since I can remember. He was my teacher and my friend.”

“What was it like when they asked you to track him down here?”

“I’d been betrayed before. Suspicion and doubt are part of our lives.”

“But you trusted him for so long.”

“Yes. But trust can be dangerous.”

That he could doubt his mentor, to the extent of thinking he might be a traitor, surprised Catherine.