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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

“Yes. I’m the girl you told Dominique to ask the lawyer about. The same girl you heard the voice in the desert speak to you of.”

Nazir had no idea how this all was being played out, or where it would end. He did know the energy that entered the warehouse after the drone hit, had infused him with a knowledge he had no way to possess on his own. He knew he was an integral part of what was unfolding. That he was drawn to a church, this church, was another way he was being led.

As Mass continued, he listened to Jhana-Merise talk of the stones and the tablet and the history of what they shared.

She told him that many have written about tablets, from Plato to Isaac Newton. That much had been written about cuneiforms and tablets and sacred texts. But none have written about the tablet in the desert, because that tablet is a void, a portal, and only those who’d planted it can activate it, for the tablet may only be initiated through the love of those responsible for its existence.

“We did not create it,” she said, “but we are the consciousness through which it will arrive. And what that consciousness will reveal will neither be easy to understand and accept, nor safe. It will confront the reality we’ve been anesthetized to believe.”

The Mass continued, all eyes on the altar. But they were in their own world.

Nazir spoke of a story his mother told him when he was a boy, about a secret red door. A secret door he would find one day and be offered the chance to go through. If he went through, he would remember who he was and wouldn’t be alone, for there were others who would remember, too, and be offered the same choice. He always believed that door was the red door Hashim had led him through in the safe house in Mosul when he was twelve, to learn the ways of his mentor.

“Did your mother tell you who you would remember you were?” Jhana-Merise asked.

The bells from the altar rang for communion.

“No. I always asked her, and she always told me I would know when the time came.”

Jhana-Merise took his hand and said, “The time has come.”

73

73

Isabel was startled when she entered her apartment. Not only were her sister, Jhana-Merise, and Vincente here, but Nazir was also standing in her living room. She recognized him from the photos she’d compiled for the DOJ’s case against Hashim.