A Covenant with Death: The Peacock Trilogy - Book 3 Read Online Free

grabbed Akbari’s sleeve. “Allah forbids calling up a spirit.”
    “This is the place Jannah meets earth.” Akbari pulled away. “I interpret the Quran differently. We will see. If nothing happens, nothing happens.”
    There was no guile in Akbari’s voice. Who was Ammad to question his friend and his father’s closest adviser, even if the man was only six years his senior? Ammad remained silent. The chant continued—hypnotic and melodic. Gradually, the wind quieted and morphed into a clear whispering of voices. One voice spoke to Akbari. One voice spoke to him. The others echoed eerie murmurs of approval.
    At first, images and concepts filled Ammad. Images of power and authority spun in his mind. He was to wait, bide his time, and use deception against the Enemy.
    You are my herald. When you have been prepared for the defeat of the followers of Christ, I will reveal myself and reward you.
    He saw the flags of Israel and the crossed keys of Saint Peter in flames, as the figure of the Egyptian God, Set, carrying an Ankh, loomed overhead.
    I will give you the power to bring Jannah to Earth for a time. Convert the infidels, using the pleasures of the houri. Fulfill the desires of their hearts. This is your gift.
    As quickly as the voices came, they vanished. Ammad wiped the sweat from his brow. Akbari knelt beside him trembling. He opened his eyes and bowed low to Ammad. “The Savior of Humanity Al-Imam al Mahdi. You are the Twelfth Imam.”
    The words The Canon is my word, the order is my deed, and the truth is my interior state, rang in his head. Mohammad, the Prophet, must have spoken in the wind. Ammad knew one thing for sure. He was meant to do something great. The pride of being chosen mingled with the sorrow of losing his father.
    “We must go back and bury my father, not run and hide.”
    “Of course.” Akbari’s head tilted left and his eyes took on a questioning look. “You know what to say?”
    “I do.” Ammad smiled with gratitude. “You shall be my spiritual advisor. But do not say the words Twelfth Imam again. The concept is misunderstood. I have been reborn, not hidden. And I only realized this now.”
    “Then, lead on.”
    #
    Ammad gulped three deep breaths before Boardroom Global Admin A came into focus. He centered his gaze on the redheaded bitch, the She-Devil, who murdered his father. When the On-Air light flashed, he nodded to Pendleton, gaining pleasure in seeing the First Citizen’s wife scarred and dying a slow death. Only the inner circle knew of her cancer, and he prayed Allah would allow him the pleasure of murdering her when the time came.
    “Good morning, First Citizen,” he said, feigning allegiance. “I bring some good news from the Island of Sumatra. Four hundred outsiders, mostly Muslims, have decided conditions are no longer suitable for them to survive without our help. They request citizenship.”
    “Have they gone to the rebuilt Complex of Medan to register?”
    “No, First Citizen.” Ammad said. “They fear the sight of the walls and the massive area of the Medan Complex. Several have had encounters with your security forces in the past and have been shot with stun guns.”
    Pendleton’s hand moved to his chin. “They must base within a complex, be tested, and secured into work details before being allowed to work or travel outside a complex of the Realm. Can we acclimate these people in stages?”
    The First Citizen blabbed nonsense unworthy of Ammad’s time. But not for long. His wait was nearly over. Victory over this madman was only a matter of weeks away.
    “We could bring them to a holding area outside the complex,” Ammad answered. “Test them, put them to work in the fields near Medan, and after a month, bring them inside the gates.”
    “Agreed.”
    Ammad had cultivated over a thousand such groups, indoctrinating them into Al-jihad fi sabilillah, readying them to strike for the cause of Allah. That time was now.
    As the meeting progressed, the