*******
Rebecca reeled after reading the question. She asked herself: Could it be coincidence? Full-well knowing that there could be no such thing. Not only had Morlan Haggins once asked her that very same question, but according to the chronicle, he was in the room when it was asked again—or originally, she reminded herself. She then continued to read. William confided that he didn't know how to answer the question.
*******
"Neither did I," Mr. Vermil laughed faintly. "We tend to take whatever the text books say as fact without ever giving it a second thought. But what if the facts are incorrect? What if they are only partially correct? These were the questions Charles was asking everyone and trying to solve. He believed everything needed to be rethought, reexamined and renewed. He wanted to start with the beginning and work his way to the present, examining everything." Mr. Vermil briefly coughed. "Anyway, having worked in the news business my entire life, I've seen how misinformation can shape a community—a city—a state—a country—and even the world. I thought what he was saying was well worth the investment and Project Renew Our History was born. That was almost ten years ago now."
It made sense. Questioning our past seemed like a healthy thing to do. But why was Dr. Charles Theoman murdered? Mr. Vermil offered up an answer.
"I'm certain it had something to do with his most recent venture. Charles had been researching the fabled ring of King Solomon."
*******
Rebecca, of course, had never heard of King Solomon and according to the chronicle, William had never heard of his ring. To Rebecca's surprise, it was Simon who answered the question:
*******
"It was first mentioned in an ancient Gnostic text known as the Testament of Solomon, which was supposedly written by King Solomon. It states that during the construction years of the First Temple, which is now known as King Solomon's Temple, his workers were plagued with demons. King Solomon wished to get rid of them and so he went into the unfinished temple and prayed to God for the power to do so. In answering Solomon's prayer, God sent his archangel Michael to deliver a ring that carried his seal. This ring, which is now known as King Solomon's ring, gave him power over all of the demons, including the devil. Solomon used it to not only free his workers of their plight, but to complete the great temple."
*******
Rebecca speculated who God was. Is God like the Minister? She wondered if praying to God was similar to the Duties. She then continued reading. William asked the group if they believed that the ring of Solomon was real. It was Iah who answered his question:
*******
"None of us believe that the text should be taken literally. I think that much is clear. Stories like the Testament of Solomon were written as metaphors, or myths. They portray real things or real events in a grandiose manner."
"Yeah, I understand how myths work," I said. "So what do you think the Testament of Solomon is really saying?"
Simon spoke sharply in response to my tone. He said: "It's implying that God gave King Solomon the key to controlling the universe."
Being of the mentality that I had back then, it was tough to contain my laughter. Fortunately Mr. Vermil seemed to understand where I was coming from and simply smiled before saying: "Maybe if you hear the rest you'll understand it more clearly."
"It's rather simple," Iah said in continuation, "King Solomon gained the power to control man's demons."
My lack of reaction made it clear to Iah that he wasn't getting through to me.
"Think about what I just said. The power Solomon gained from the ring allowed him to control man's demons."
It took some work on my part but I was able to dissect his words. "You mean addiction or bad habits? Things people refer to as their demons?"
"Exactly, but more in-depth than that, I'm also talking about health, knowledge, wisdom—anything lacking."
"So you're saying that the demons weren't literal but figurative?"
"Yes, whatever they may have been: alcohol, drugs, sex, gambling, or all of the above."
"But how does King Solomon use the ring to help his workers with their demons?"
Iah locked his fingers together and said: "It's pretty simple. King Solomon taught his workers how to control their demons."
"So then," I asked, "you think the ring would be something one could use to learn from?"
"Precisely."
I considered it for a second but failed to see how. "How can you learn from a symbol? I would think it would need to be a book or something like that."
Iah smiled and looked at his companions. "Precisely again."
"You're saying that the ring is actually a book?"
"No," Iah clarified, "I'm saying that anyone who learns from the book becomes a ring bearer. The ring symbolizes a level of knowledge, a level of power. In legend, the ring takes on this power and becomes magical, but in reality the magic lies inside the person who wields the wisdom. When this wisdom is taught to another, the ring is then passed on, as it happened in the Testament of Solomon. He taught his worker from the book and the worker bore the ring."
I asked: "So what is this book and where did it come from?"
"The search for this book is how I became a member of this organization," Iah declared and then walked over to the head of the room to explain. "I'm also an active member of an organization known as the Magical Circle, which is a fraternal brotherhood of magicians. And in that brotherhood I'm a member of a senior level known as the Order of Jambres." He then held up his right hand and revealed a large silver ring with a single symbol in the center that I didn't recognize. "Every order bears a ring that represents its level. We are the highest-ranking magicians in the world. There is only one level higher than us and it is called the Order of Thoth, named after the Egyptian God known as the developer of the sciences, writing and of magic. He's referred to as the 'Mind' and is the Judger of the Dead.
*******
Rebecca honed in on the word "Mind" and wondered if the story in the opening letter was referring to the same "Mind".
*******
The Greeks also knew him as the inventor of astronomy, astrology, mathematics, land surveying, medicine, botany, theology and civilized government. There were none higher than Thoth when it came to these things; therefore the Order of Thoth is the highest achievement any magician can possibly strive to become. The Order of Thoth also had a ring but it has long since been lost to the world. No person has achieved that status for over 2,000 years. It's my belief that the Order of Thoth's ring is the one described in the Testament of Solomon."
*******
Rebecca understood what Iah meant. In using the ring, one was teaching another; passing on knowledge that only the ring bearer would have. It wasn't too dissimilar to how the Ministry trained its young graduates from the Academy. Every member had to be an apprentice before becoming a mentor. Morlan had been Rebecca's mentor and he passed his knowledge, thus passing on his title as Director of Historical Events – Sector 27. In the chronicle, however, the knowledge being taught by the Order of Thoth supposedly came from a mystical book. It was unusual but Rebecca accepted it. She then continued to read. William had trouble understanding why no one had reached the Order of Thoth. Iah answered him by saying:
*******
"That's because the knowledge needed to obtain such a degree has been lost for all that time. It's believed that this ancient Godly wisdom was written down in a single book known simply as the Book of Thoth. Man has been searching for this wisdom ever since it disappeared. My Order is dedicated to finding the lost wisdom so that our members can transcend to the next degree once more."
*******
Again, Rebecca connected the previous written statement with one written in the opening letter. According to Iah, the Book of Thoth allowed man to transcend into God, where as in the letter, William wrote that God was splintered into millions of pieces. Is this Book of Thoth an essential part of God reforming? And there was the question of what role Reb
ecca was to play.
*******
"How do you know there was a book?"
"Because it was documented in a legend," Iah answered. "Every member of the Order of Jambres knows it. The story goes that a very powerful Egyptian wizard known as Nefrekeptah was visited by an old priest who told him: ‘All that is written here is worthless, for it is the work of mortals. I can tell you where to find the knowledge of the gods themselves, the knowledge of Thoth. It is written in his book and hidden away. By reading it you will learn the language of the beasts, how to see the wind and how to hear the sun, the secrets of the gods and the songs of the stars.' Nefrekeptah was very curious about this book and asked the priest where he could find it. The old priest bargained with him and Nefrekeptah agreed to his terms. The priest told him that the book laid in an iron box, which held a bronze box, which held a wooden box, which held an ivory and ebony box, which held a silver box, and which held a golden box that contained the book. These boxes resided on an island in the middle of the Nile and were guarded by a snake that couldn't be killed.
"Nefrekeptah told his wife about it, who in return told him: ‘things of the gods are not for us to touch.' Nefrekeptah didn't take heed to the warning and had set sail for the island at once. When he arrived he found the box being guarded by the great serpent and attempted to cut off its head. But as the old priest had warned him, the serpent did not die and the head reattached itself. Nefrekeptah then had an idea. He had cut off the serpent's head again but this time he had it put into a jar and tossed into the Nile, leaving its body harmlessly thrashing around. He was now free to open the boxes, which he did, and Nefrekeptah found the Book of Thoth.
"During his voyage home, Nefrekeptah studied the book and found that he could read its mysterious language and he learned from its teachings. Nefrekeptah then discovered that he could now speak the language of the beasts, see the wind, hear the sun, know the secrets of the gods and know the songs of the stars. He taught his wife so she too could know, see and hear such things. But then something happened to them. Their minds were not their own anymore and they quickly became lost. At some point during the voyage, Nefrekeptah's wife simply walked off the ship and fell overboard. She had drowned before Nefrekeptah could save her. Then soon after that, Nefrekeptah had a brain aneurysm and was found dead still holding the book.
"The legend then says that the Pharaoh's priests returned the book to its golden box and locked it away in Nefrekeptah's tomb along with his and his wife's sarcophaguses. There it stayed until one day it simply vanished during the reign of Pharaoh Ahmose I."
*******
Rebecca found the warning in the story to be unnervingly similar to the warning given at the beginning of the chronicle. Are they the same? she wondered. She continued on and read that William asked Iah where the Book of Thoth went. Iah told him that his Order had been trying to answer that question.
*******
I then asked: "And you believe this book is real?"
"Very much so," Iah said. "Every major culture since antiquity has declared that their ancestors contained secret mystifying knowledge that made them superior over all living things. It's the stuff religions are made from."
"But how do you plan on finding it when all you have to work from is some ancient Egyptian legend?"
Iah gave a sly grin. "I have more than that. I have science working on my side."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
Iah looked to his companions before speaking again. "I decided to take a different approach than my contemporaries. While they were all perusing countless, obscure religions I began studying cold hard history. I started researching Pharaoh Ahmose I and the events that surrounded his reign in the 1500s BC. And I must admit, what I discovered was rather earth shattering."
"How so?"
Iah began pacing the floor. "Let's just say that I discovered not only where the Book of Thoth went but who took it."
"You know who took the Book of Thoth?"
Iah nodded.
"Who then?"
Iah turned and faced me before saying: "Only the greatest wizard to ever live."
"Merlin?" I said jokingly.
Iah shook his head and smiled. "Not Merlin. The man I'm referring to was Moses."
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Moses, Merlin, wizards, and BC? Rebecca sighed as she noticed the time until her dinner date with Simon was fast approaching. She closed the translation and walked swiftly down the walkway. In order to get to District 29, she would have to use the underground train. Rebecca found the escalator that led into the ground and carefully watched the people surrounding her, paranoid that there might be MSF agents around. She couldn't believe the time was already past 1400h.
At the bottom, there was one train waiting for passengers. Rebecca began to jog in order to catch it. The car was nearly full with a single empty seat in the corner. Rebecca sat down before anyone else had the opportunity to claim it. Unfortunately, she was sandwiched between a wall and another passenger. The railway car was full of multi-tiered passengers either on their way home or to an after-work destination. The seats were covered with Fifth Tier members while several Sixth Tier members stood grouped together alongside two Fourth Tier members talking to each other. Being a Fifth Tier, Rebecca knew it was proper etiquette to offer her seat to the two Fourth Tier members. It was an outdated practice that few still followed but considering her situation, Rebecca didn't want to draw any negative attention.
Rebecca stood up and grabbed a hold of the support bar hanging above and gestured to the two higher tiered members. "Would either of you like this seat?"
The two members, whom were significantly older than her, looked rather surprised by the proper gesture. "Well thank you Madam," the taller one said, "but you can keep—"
"Hang on there," interrupted the other more frail looking man, "I will gladly take the seat." He sounded almost agitated. "It is proper custom for a higher tiered member of the Ministry to be seated over a lower member. I'm afraid this rule has been ignored for far too long. Therefore I will gladly accept this revival of what was mandated."
Rebecca moved aside as the frail man slipped carefully down into the seat.
"Very good of you Madam," he said. "And I hope the rest of you lower members acknowledge what this respectful young woman has done. It's a lesson for all."
Rebecca blushed as the group of Sixth Tier members looked toward her. She gave up her seat in order to avoid attention, not gain it. The two higher tiered men continued their conversation while she did her best to melt back into the crowd of passengers who seemed to be sufficiently occupied with their digital notebooks. She removed hers from the workbag and followed along. Rebecca glanced up at the schedule board above the exit and saw that the rail wouldn't arrive in District 29 until ten minutes before 1500h. Time is running out, she reminded herself, but the reminder had nothing to do with the dinner date. It was possible that Quality Control had already found the translation and someone was reading it, meanwhile she had only scratched the surface of what was inside. Rebecca tried to nonchalantly reopen the translation to continue reading.
"Moses, Merlin, wizards, and BC," she muttered with exhaustion. Apparently they meant something. Rebecca picked up where she left off and found William reacting to the revelation that a man named Moses, who according to Iah was supposedly a wizard, took the Book of Thoth.
*******
It was a pretty bold statement. All of it was. Iah had just declared that Moses from the Bible, from Exodus, had not only taken the Book of Thoth but was also a powerful wizard.
"You doubt me?" Iah asked.
I told him it was hard not to. Moses was probably the most powerful and well-known religious figure in history. I looked to Professor Haggins for help.
"It's a hard pill to swallow, I know," Professor Haggins empathized, "but I think if you hear the facts you might have a different opinion as well."
I really couldn't believe how. "Are you serious?"
&nbs
p; "Of course," Professor Haggins said, "take Exodus, for instance, and the plagues Moses conjured onto the Egyptian Pharaoh."
What he was referring to were the ten plagues Moses unleashed in order to free his people. There was the water turning to blood, an infestation of frogs, lice, flies, disease, boils, and then there was hail mixed with fire, locusts, blackness, and then death of the first born in all Egyptian families. "But that's all myth," I argued. "There's no proof that Moses ever did those things." I never claimed to be a history buff but I knew enough about the Middle Eastern faiths to know that many biblical scholars had researched this subject and none found any evidence that the events had occurred. "Professor, you of all people should know that. The Exodus is the defining moment in Jewish lore that lays their claim to Israel. If there were any proof I would imagine it would have come out by now."
Professor Haggins adjusted his glasses and said, "What if I told you that there is insurmountable evidence proving that Exodus did occur?"
"You can prove Exodus?" I said with disbelief.
Professor Haggins didn't flinch, "Absolutely: ten miracles and I plan on explaining how each one of them actually happened."
I waited for a grin or a laugh, something to signify he was joking but Colonel Sanders kept a straight face. "You can explain how he turned the water into blood and killed every first born in the land?"
"Not only can I explain it, but I can also prove that it happened as well as the scientific explanations behind them."
I was certain he was full of shit.
"Have you ever heard of the Santorini Eruption? It occurred roughly around 1500 BC. This volcanic eruption was the key factor in the plagues Moses conjured onto the Egyptians. Now whether or not he ordered the actual plagues one at a time, like in the story, or if he simply attributed each to the timing of his request, we'll never know. But according to Exodus, Moses ordered Aaron to raise his staff over the Nile and all of its water turned into blood."
The Sinner King: Book of Fire Page 11
