Green: The Beginning and the End Read Online Free Page A

Green: The Beginning and the End
Book: Green: The Beginning and the End Read Online Free
Author: Ted Dekker
Tags: Fiction, General, Suspense, Fantasy fiction, Fantasy, Dreams, Large Type Books, American Science Fiction And Fantasy, Christian fiction, Christian, Fiction - Religious, Christian - Suspense, Imaginary wars and battles, christian fantasy, Reality, Hunter; Thomas (Fictitious character)
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Creator?”
    He let that settle.
    “No. Elyon knows that it is better to love, that everything rests on the fulfillment of the Great Romance, like the union of bride and groom after a night of dizzying celebration. But sometimes love can be expressed by defending the truth. Vadal has that prerogative. No, Mikil?”
    The famed fighter shifted her eyes to Thomas, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with Samuel, but by this very deflection she had endorsed him. Didn’t she realize what she was doing? Supporting this ludicrous assertion before the entire Gathering could only bring ruin!
    But the fear cascading down Thomas’s spine rendered him mute as well. A dozen years ago he would have cut this challenge to the ground with a few well-placed words. Those days were gone, replaced by a wisdom that now seemed to fail him entirely. Smothered by dread.
    “Does this Gathering cower from the truth?” Samuel called out. “Let me fight as the Eramites fight!”
    Thomas had risked his life on a hundred occasions to love the Horde, to win Chelise, to follow the ways of Elyon, no matter how dangerous or brutal the path. Now that path had doubled back and was running straight down the middle of the Circle itself. The greatest danger was from inside, he always told the others. Tonight it had finally bared its teeth for all to see.
    And there was no outcry from the Circle against Samuel’s demand.
    Thomas looked up at the thousands regarding him. “Who says so?”
    No one shouted agreement, as was their right. But after several beats a younger man from another clan—Andres, if Thomas was right—lifted his drink.
    “So says I.” They looked at him, and he stepped forward into the orange firelight. “There is a time for peace and there is a time for war. Maybe the time for war has come. Didn’t Elyon once wage war?”
    A hundred aye s rumbled through the night.
    So then, Samuel was tapping the unspoken sentiment of many. This attitude was practically epidemic, a cancer that would eat them alive from the inside.
    And this from his own son . . .
    Thomas tried to swallow, but the fear now swelling through his head prevented the simple action. He’d faced that devil Teeleh himself and bested him in the blackest forest; he’d hacked his way out of thirty encroaching Scabs with a single broad blade; he’d marched into the city to the cheers of a hundred thousand throats shouting the praises of Thomas of Hunter, the greatest warrior who’d ever lived.
    But at the moment, he was only a terrified husk. Useless against this enemy called Samuel, son of Hunter.
    It occurred to him that Samuel was speaking again, demanding more from the crowd. “Who else?” he was shouting. And hundreds were agreeing.
    “Don’t be so thin headed!” William cried over them all. “We’ve always agreed that we were shown a new way by Elyon, apart from the sword. Now our impatience changes that? Our way is to love our enemies, not wage war on them.”
    A thousand aye s and shrill cries of agreement shook the canyon.
    Finally! Finally some sense!
    “But I am within my rights to make this challenge, am I not?” Samuel demanded. “And Vadal is in his rights to accept.”
    “Aye.” The agreements peppered the gathering, but all eyes were now back on Ronin and Thomas.
    Ronin must have noted the concern that had locked up Thomas, because he addressed the crowd.
    “Yes, I suppose it is right what Samuel says. Nothing I know of has outlawed his prerogative to challenge my son. And Vadal has the right to accept that challenge or reject it, which would be the wiser by far. Frankly, I’m appalled that there isn’t a protest among you all. Have you decided to feed your bloodlust?”
    “He’s right,” Chelise said. “This is the kind of thing we might do as Horde.”
    “Or under the old Thomas,” a lone voice called.
    “All things may be permissible, but not all are beneficial,” Ronin said, cutting off any further dialogue that might mire them in their
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