The Sinner King: Book of Fire

by D. R. Crislip

  "Right," I said, "the first plague."

  "Now I don't believe the water turned into blood but I do believe it turned red."

  "How?"

  "A limnic eruption caused it."

  I had no idea what he was talking about.

  "It has happened twice during your lifetime."

  "It has?"

  "Once in 1984, at Lake Monoun, and again in 1986, at Lake Nyos—both in Cameroon. A limnic eruption occurred in both cases, resulting in a rare type of natural disaster in which carbon dioxide was suddenly expelled upward into the lake, causing the bottom waters which contained very high concentrations of iron and dissolved iron, to be mixed up with the gas that was released, essentially creating rust. It was that rust water that gave the river a deep reddish tint, emulating blood."

  "But I thought you said the volcano happened in Santorini? How would it affect Egypt?"

  "It was such a huge blast that the eruption affected everything within a very large radius, causing an immeasurable amount of earthquakes in the region as well as a limnic eruption."

  "How big was it?"

  "On a scale of one to eight—it was a seven."

  "Well then what about the rest of the plagues?"

  "All caused by this single limnic eruption. The river became void of oxygen, causing all of the fish in the area to die. The only living things in the river that could survive were frogs."

  "Why?" I asked.

  "Because they could hop out: hence the plague of frogs." He winked and continued: "Then the decomposing fish and dirty water led to the infestation of lice, flies, disease and skin infections. The same things occurred at Lake Monoun and Lake Nyos; thousands of people developed bizarre skin lesions and diseases."

  "Well what about the mixed hail and fire?"

  "Accretionary Lapilli," Professor Haggins stated, "Volcanic hail. They are formed in a cloud of moisture caused by an eruption. The volcanic ash makes up the center while ice builds on its outside before falling to the Earth—ultimately forming ash rock hail."

  "And the locus?" I asked in bewilderment. "How do they come into play?"

  "After the hail storm settled, the temperature in the area rose dramatically and attracted huge swarms of locus. It's actually quite common in that part of the world."

  I thought of the ninth plague: "Darkness?"

  "The gigantic ash cloud that made its way over the Mediterranean. Scientists speculate that the cloud was two hundred kilometers wide and forty kilometers tall. This cloud would have engulfed the entire area in darkness."

  This left us with the final and most mysterious plague of them all: "How are you going to explain the tenth plague? The death of every firstborn Egyptian?"

  A grave look covered Professor Haggins' face. "This takes us back to Lake Monoun and Lake Nyos. After the carbon dioxide gasses rose in the lakes, they emitted into the air, forming a misty fog that ran low to the ground. Anyone or thing standing or laying on the ground that night was suffocated to death. Over 1,800 people died as well as hundreds of animals and cattle. There was one report where several men were riding in a pickup truck and came upon the fog. Two of the men riding in the cabin hopped out to see what it was all about while the others remained standing on the bed of the truck. The two men that went onto the ground and into the fog suddenly dropped to their knees and died while the men in the bed of the truck survived."

  I asked: "They survived because they were higher than the gas?"

  "That's right. As for the Egyptians, first born sons slept in rooms on the first floor of their homes while the other siblings slept on higher ground, often roof tops in an attempt to escape the heat. This allowed them to survive while the eldest perished."

  I sat completely still—physically numb. He just explained all ten miraculous plagues from the book of Exodus. But not only that, he explained modern day examples of these plagues happening at two different times. "Okay, let's say everything you explained is true, wouldn't there be some other source of this happening other than the Bible? Why isn't there an Egyptian account of these events?"

  "There is."

  I couldn't believe it. "How come I had never heard of it?"

  "That's because in the Egyptian version the Hebrews are known by another name: they were called the Hyksos. I believe it was the ancient Roman historian Flavius Josephus whom suggested in his work, Contra Apion, that the Hyksos were in fact the ancient Hebrews. It is theorized that they migrated to Egypt from the Canaan and eventually became rulers of the land, only to be later enslaved and driven out."

  "So you're saying that according to the Egyptians, the Hebrews were driven out of the land by the Pharaoh, not led out by Moses?"

  "That's right. Pharaoh Ahmose I is attributed to this and is well known as the ruler who expelled the Hyksos."

  I had recalled that Ahmose I was mentioned as the Pharaoh who ruled during the time when the Book of Thoth disappeared.

  "That's right," Iah confirmed.

  "Well that would mean that his first born was killed during the plagues. Is there any record of that?"

  Professor Haggins looked down through his glasses at me. "His first born died at the age of twelve from an unknown cause."

  "As you can see William," Iah said, "magic is only magic when you don't have an explanation for it. But all magic is explainable."

  Professor Haggins nodded. "And as for history, it can be interpreted in many ways. Which way is the correct way we'll never know, all we can do is try to get as close as possible. It requires us to be a little more liberal thinking in what we believe. We're constantly rewriting the history books."

  It was a lot to wrap my brain around. Their argument seemed very plausible and I was in no condition to contend against it. "So you guys think that Moses took the Book of Thoth?"

  Iah nodded. "If you look at what the book stood for then you will see that the plagues caused by Moses fell inline with the power of Thoth."

  The legend Iah told me did state that Nefrekeptah could 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. "But then what did Moses do with it?"

  Iah looked over to Professor Haggins who had taken his glasses off and was cleaning the lenses with his shirt. "When the Pharaoh released Moses and the Hebrews from Egypt, Moses was allowed to take whatever spoils his God desired. It isn't mentioned what exactly was taken by Moses but when word had reached the Pharaoh he summoned his army to hunt them down and get it back."

  "And you think that Moses took the Book of Thoth and that was why the Pharaoh had changed his mind about them leaving?"

  Professor Haggins replaced his glasses on his nose and looked at me. "Is that not a viable reason? His most feared enemy had just taken their most powerful book of magic."

  I shook my head and said: "If Moses had taken the book then why hasn't there been mention of it somewhere? I mean; the last anyone knew of the Book of Thoth was that it was locked away in a golden box."

  Everyone in the room shared glances with each other over my mentioning of the golden box.

  "What?"

  Professor Haggins closed his hands together and placed them on his lap. "William, I think you just answered your own question."

  "I did? How so?" But as soon as the question left my mouth I suddenly realized how obvious the answer was. Moses was renowned for having a golden box. I just didn't put it together. "You're talking about The Ark of the Covenant."

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  The railway slowed to a stop and Rebecca looked up from the translation in order to see she had arrived in District 29. She exited the train along with a few others and passed through the large underground platform lined with storefronts and people. District 29 was a larger settlement along the coast and just south of the Ministry Commons. It had a dense population and a wide variety of statures. The Eagle's Nest, where she was to meet Simon for dinner, was located at the center of the city, where most of the local sophisticates hung around.<
br />
  Rebecca noticed a few MSF agents standing beside the stairwells leading to the surface. It was very common for MSF agents to keep watch over those areas. With such a heavy population, scuffles among lower tiered members of The Collective would sometimes break out. The agents were placed by the exits so that no one could slip out without their knowing. Rebecca approached the escalator leading to the surface and tried to act as inconspicuous as possible. She kept from looking directly at the agent closest to her, but never allowed him to go out of her peripheral view. The agent's eyes scanned the population of people flowing up the escalators, but they never focused onto her. Rebecca passed him with no issues and she heaved a heavy sigh as the surface of District 29 came into view.

  The surface level was abundantly busy with people and shortcars running from location to location. She checked her digital notepad and saw that it was 1451h. The Eagle's Nest was about ten minutes away on foot. If Rebecca wanted to make it there on time then she would need to hail one of the shortcars to take her. The problem was that shortcars were almost never without a passenger.

  Rebecca left the walkway and went up to the street where she saw several of them—two moving away and one coming toward. She waved her hand in hope that the stubby yellow vehicle would stop, but it went right past her. Rebecca continued walking in the direction toward the center of the city. Ahead of her were several MSF agents standing together, talking. Rebecca sighed and contemplated changing direction. The problem, however, was that it would make her late to the meeting with Simon. The last thing she wanted to do was make him miffed by being late. She needed him on her side. Rebecca decided to suck it up and walk right past the conversing agents. She felt it best to keep her head down so that they couldn't get a solid look at her face—if they were in fact looking for her.

  One of the agents seemed to notice her approaching and broke off from the conversation. Rebecca did her best not to look at him but she could tell he was staring directly at her. Just keep walking, she told herself. The man tapped the guy next to him and said something inaudible. The entire group stopped talking and took notice of her. What do I do? she wondered while slipping into a panic. They're watching me. Why are they watching me?

  "Hey!" shouted one of the agents.

  Rebecca veered to her left in order to form a wide arc around them.

  "Hey!" he shouted again. "Lady, stop!"

  Rebecca's heartbeat went into overdrive as her body began to tremble with fear. This is it, she told herself.

  "Lady, behind you!" he shouted again. "Get out of the way!"

  Rebecca looked up suddenly and didn't see anything in front of her. She looked over to her right, where the agents were standing. One of them was pointing behind her. Rebecca turned around and saw a pale blue shortcar motoring right at her. Rebecca squealed and jumped to the side as the shortcar rolled to a stop.

  "What are you doing?!" she called out at the driver.

  The vehicle's window went down revealing the plain-faced robot driver. "My deepest apologies Madam," the robot said. "I did not pick you up on my radar."

  Breathing heavily, Rebecca's attention went from the robot to the agents walking over.

  "Are you alright?" asked one of them.

  "I'm fine," Rebecca shouted back. "Everything's fine."

  But they kept coming.

  "Would you like a ride Madam?" asked the robot. "It will be free of charge for my negligent driving."

  Rebecca looked down at him and couldn't believe her luck. "Yes, actually, I would love a ride."

  The back passenger door slid open and Rebecca hurried over to it. She looked out to the agents and shouted: "Thank you," before getting inside. As the door slid shut, Rebecca saw the men stop and turn back. One of them gave a friendly wave.

  The robot driver's head rotated a hundred and eighty degrees to look at her and said: "Welcome to Siar's Shortcars. You have been credited one full ride. Where would you like to go? Shall I list some highly rated recommendations?"

  "No thank you," Rebecca said. "Please take me to The Eagle's Nest."

  "The Eagle's Nest, excellent choice. Fine dining for only the highest of the high. The restaurant was recently labeled the Minister's personal favorite. Would you like to hear the menu on the ride over?"

  "Yes please," Rebecca said and then sunk back into the padded seat.

  The shortcar began moving again while the robot driver rattled off all of the items on The Eagle's Nest menu. Rebecca wasn't really listening but enjoyed the mechanical company. She hoped the shortcar would get her there fast enough but didn't hold her breath. Shortcars were better than walking if you could afford to ride in them but they didn't move very fast. They looked like fiberglass teardrops on their side and were designed to hold three people maximum in the back. Their top speed was twenty miles per hour and ran strictly on solar energy. Rebecca had once read that the shortcars had absolutely no moving parts so there was little to no need for annual maintenance. Still though, as economically and environmentally friendly as they were, Rebecca wished hers would move a little faster.

  *******

  The shortcar arrived outside The Eagle's Nest at exactly 1500h. Rebecca scrambled out of the car and looked at her reflection in the window and saw that her hair was a tad disheveled. She ran her fingers through several times—mimicking a brush—until she looked satisfactory and then hurried toward the restaurant, which was heavily lit like a seashore beacon.

  As the doors slid open, revealing a very dark and ambient room with a young male host standing behind a podium, Rebecca examined her attire and readjusted her vest so that it was laying correctly across her bosom. The host asked Rebecca for her reservation and she told him she was meeting Simon Wylde. The host managed to somehow stand up straighter and said: "You must be Miss Badeau. Please allow me to escort you to your table. Mr. Wylde had only just arrived."

  Rebecca thanked him and followed behind as the host led her through a curtain that opened into a large dining room filled with the sector's most prominent officials. In the center of the room was an elevated section that was accessible only by two sets of stairs. The section was almost completely empty aside from a single person: Simon.

  The host led Rebecca up the stairs and to their table before departing. Simon, who seemed to be studying another couple sitting off to the right, stood up with her arrival. "Greetings darling," he said with a warm smile.

  Rebecca had never been so excited to see him. With all the chaos her day had brought, his handsome face was a warm ray of sunshine. "Hello Simon," she said back, and without thinking she reached out with a heartfelt embrace. Simon, in return, pulled away.

  "What on earth are you doing?" he said in an embarrassed tone.

  Rebecca was surprised by his sudden change in demeanor and began to stammer: "I'm sorry, I just—" and then her words faded to nothing.

  Simon straightened his uniform and looked about before returning his gaze to her. "You should not have grabbed me. It is improper for unwed couples to embrace in a public forum."

  It took a second for Rebecca to register what he was saying. She knew he was correct, from a technical standpoint, but very few people ever followed those rules. "I'm sorry, I was just so happy to see you and I . . . it won't happen again."

  Simon adjusted his collar and then gestured stiffly toward the opposite chair. "All is forgiven. Please have a seat."

  Rebecca felt her excitement deflate as she sat down in the chair. She laid her workbag underneath the table and made sure she was sitting in the proper upright dining position. Simon loosened up a bit as the two of them settled. "I'm sorry for how I reacted, but we always have to be careful. We never know who is paying attention and believe me, people are."

  "I understand," Rebecca said while silently trying to forgive him.

  "So, how has your evening been since we last spoke?" Simon asked.

  "It has been uneventful," Rebecca lied. "How did the rest of your meetings go?"

  "Very well and dreadfu
lly boring," he then cracked a smile. "I can't express to you how uninterested I am in following my father's footsteps into being the next Director of the DSA. The daily security briefings alone are enough to make a man beg for mercy. They're so dry."

  "They can't be all that bad," Rebecca commented. "There must be something interesting that occurs during them."

  He shook his head and then changed the subject: "Did you have any issue getting into the district? I swear it took us over fifteen minutes to land. I have no idea what's causing such drama, but if I didn't know any better, I would think that the third coming of Zius was happening."

  "The fourth coming, you mean?"

  "What? Fourth?"

  "Yes. Ziusudra has returned three times. It would be his fourth coming."

  "Ah; I think you're right. For the fourth time . . . if you can believe that sort of thing."

  "What do you mean?"

  "Well . . . it's hard to believe that Zius, the very first Minister, the savior, is still alive, wandering the world . . . you know what I mean?"

  Rebecca did, but it wasn't something typically discussed openly. According to the Ministry, Ziusudra returned every time the Heretique threatened The Collective. He had returned three times throughout history and some expected him to return in the foreseeable future.

  "But not too soon," Simon said.

  "Oh, no?"

  "No," he said, smiling. "It seems that our task force in charge of hunting down the Heretique might have stumbled upon something. Everything is very hush-hush right now, so I can't say more, but progress has definitely been made." He looked at her for a long uncomfortable moment and then said: "Oh, and another thing. Our friend the Security Chief made a visit in my last meeting and updated me on your security interview."

  Rebecca felt her calm quickly evaporate. "Oh, what did he have to say?"

  Simon cleared his throat before speaking: "Well, to be honest with you, he told me we have a problem. A big problem."