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Back Truth of the Divine Save as PDF
Chapters (70)
  1. Also By Lindsay Ellis and Available From Titan Books
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Dedication
  5. Contents
  6. Author’s Note
  7. Part 1: It’s A Fool Who Plays It Cool
  8. 1
  9. 2
  10. 3
  11. 4
  12. 5
  13. 6
  14. Part 2: Love Has A Nasty Habit Of Disappearing Overnight
  15. 7
  16. 8
  17. 9
  18. 10
  19. 11
  20. 12
  21. 13
  22. 14
  23. 15
  24. 16
  25. 17
  26. 18
  27. 19
  28. 20
  29. 21
  30. 22
  31. 23
  32. 24
  33. 25
  34. Part 3: A Crowd Of People Stood And Stared
  35. 26
  36. 27
  37. 28
  38. 29
  39. 30
  40. 31
  41. 32
  42. 33
  43. 34
  44. 35
  45. 36
  46. 37
  47. 38
  48. 39
  49. 40
  50. 41
  51. 42
  52. 43
  53. 44
  54. 45
  55. 46
  56. Part 4: Happiness Is A Warm Gun
  57. 47
  58. 48
  59. 49
  60. 50
  61. 51
  62. 52
  63. 53
  64. 54
  65. 55
  66. 56
  67. 57
  68. A Fiction Agreed Upon
  69. Acknowledgments
  70. About the Author

Though you and I differ in some regards, in this one we are aligned—we both agree that there is a rot in Washington, and that rot is corruption, and this cover-up is but one of many, many symptoms. I have faith that you will use your position of power to uncover deeper truths, and eventually, to debride the rot that has taken hold in Washington, and save our democracy. When you are president, I expect that any potential legal retribution against me, any charges of espionage etc., will be dropped. I’m at service to the Julian administration if they are at service to me.

Your obedient servant,

Nils Ortega

• • • • •

Fri, April 4, 2008 at 7:36 AM

From: T Julian <[email protected]>

To: Nils Ortega <[email protected]>

Subject: Re: Bedford incident

Dr. Ortega,

I have never abided by your detractors’ narrative, and your work has been nothing if not the work of a true patriot. When I am president, if you choose to return to the United States, you will be met with a hero’s welcome.

Sen. Todd Julian, Esq.

45

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45

Jendehhhhh, Ramin got the promotion,
bezan bereem nightclub, come out!!!!

Kaveh stared at the text from his cousin Nasser for a while, knowing that the interest was compounding on the world of hurt he was in for for ignoring his family. His mother generally forgave these long spells where they didn’t see him on the promise that next time he would win that Pulitzer, but given that he was here in SoCal, not off in New York or Oxford or Israel or Iran or somewhere, they were far less understanding. Nasser even sent him a follow-up text before he could respond: I know ur busy dude, we miss you ossdahd.

He snapped his BlackBerry shut, and looked over to the kitchen counter where Cora was poking around on her new laptop. It had been a couple of days since his little field trip to Sequoia National Forest with Nikola, and those couple of days had only made the burden of the choice he had before him, the choice they had before them, even heavier. He had his notebooks and paper spread out all over the place as he was wont to do when he was working, and the muted television turned to CNN to keep his ear to the ground. Cora saw she was being looked at and shot him a shy smile.

I do not want to rebuild human civilization without you in it. You are my condition.

He wondered if Nikola had any clue what a weight he was putting on him—if you do not agree to leave Earth and go build humanity 2.0 with me, then it will not get done at all, and humanity will go extinct. No presh, bro!

“Daaaaaagggh!” he groaned, throwing his head back against the couch and causing Cora to jump in surprise. He shot his head back up, slammed his laptop closed, and shoved his notebook off him.