Through a Glass Darkly

By Kay Thomann

Where do you find truth?

Unanswered questions and unsolved mysteries are integral to human experience. The Brotherhood, an otherworldly conspiratorial entity steeped in witchcraft, intrigue, and murder, served by Lazarus Berakus and Damein Rathskin, believe it is up to qualified men to lead the world into harmony. One world, one government, many gods.

The Brotherhoods manipulation of world finances brings devastation to the farm community of ten-year-old Skeeter Beor. When farmers organize to fight back, dissension among them brings violence, social havoc, and finally soul-searching for Skeeter and her family.

Lured by the warm spring wind, the children at Skeeters one-room country school venture off on an unauthorized hike and happen upon a mystery in the making, which leaves her with foreboding. It is the catalyst for Skeeter reluctantly growing into womanhood. The spiritual, emotional, and physical challenges present a variety of reactions: fear, humor, sensitivity, and an aching to express love.

Into the mix Shanna Drake, the famous actress, boldly manipulates her way into the social realm of the Brotherhood in search of her birth mother, who she feels defrauded her of her birthright. Surprise and danger await.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jun 26, 2012
• ISBN: 9781449752088

Kay Thomann

Kay felt a call to write at an early age and has used her gift to inspire through stories, personal interviews, and Bible teaching columns.   Growing up in a farm culture, she has witnessed radical changes not only in technology but also in spiritual, and social values that have altered the way people process ideas and manage their lives. Her link to the past and understanding of spiritual principles provide insight into the future. She still maintains the family farm on which she and her husband, now deceased, raised their three children.   Her greatest earthly joy and sense of accomplishment comes from participating in the lives of her children, their spouses, and her ten grandchildren.

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Copyright © 2012 Kay Thomann

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Unless otherwise noted, All scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

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Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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ISBN: 978-1-4497-5209-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4497-5210-1 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4497-5208-8 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012908538

WestBow Press rev. date: 6/15/2012

Contents

Acknowledgments

Word to the Reader

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Acknowledgments

Thanks to my beloved family and friends who helped me complete this work. The hours of reading, listening, proofreading and prayer are appreciated more than you know. Those who walked me through the valley of computer conundrums have my heartfelt gratitude. Without the encouragement of the University Club Writers of Iowa City, I would not have had the courage to pursue my dream

Word to the Reader

I hope that Through a Glass Darkly will at times put you on the edge of your chair. I hope it will make you laugh, cry and think. My prayer is that the Holy Spirit will use it to cause you to seek for the Truth that is eternal.

Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth … council together against the

Lord

, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands and cast their cords from us.

Psalm 2:1–3

Prologue

The Upper Echelon

The Stephiana sliced a moon-bathed path though the sea, her white form rising and falling on the water like a dove on the breast of a sleeping giant. She was in no hurry; indeed, within her portals she carried men of renown, designers of eternal truth and destiny, men holding no allegiance to any nation. Thus, their high meetings were held in utmost secrecy at sea where no man would be tempted to misplace loyalty to the Brotherhood.

It was time for a meeting of the upper echelon. The high sign of Osiris had been passed among thirteen qualified men steeped in the innermost dark secrets of the Brotherhood. Worship was being offered to Lucifer, the light bearer, the god of light, the god of the underworld.

A black-robed priest stood in the center of the darkened room. The only light was from a flickering candle on the table in front of him. The chanting began; the swelling and ebbing of adoration and cursing filled the secret chamber. It was the infamous Black Mass in which the body and blood of Christ was brought down and desecrated.

Lazarus Berakus stood in the shadows, swaying, his whole body in rhythm with the rituals, his senses satiated by the screams of the human sacrifice being offered. His head lolled and his tongue dripped saliva. This year it was a young black virgin girl, sixteen years old. His eyes rolled back in his head; his body became rigid and twitched, evidence of his state of altered consciousness. Even Damien, Lazarus’s nephew and protégé, whose cruise ship they were using, was not permitted here, for he had not yet passed his final initiation. This will all be his, thought Lazarus, the power of life and death, the secret reign of nations and wealth.

The impartation of rewards and horrible judgments were spoken in behalf of unsuspecting people who would find such a gathering totally beyond imagination.

We are the Illuminati, the architects of the world; we are the keepers of the holy secrets of the Brotherhood.

On and on, the meeting pulsed with pronouncements until the dark spirits in control were satisfied.

The thirteen men, dressed in black robes and red fezzes, promenaded the room and left without addressing one another. There would be time for that tomorrow.

Morning found the Stephiana moored quietly in the harbor, still shrouded with her illusion of white innocence. Who would believe the sinister plots that were shaped inside her magnificent chambers? The sky was brilliant; the air, sharp. Lesser orders of the Brotherhood began to drift in at various times. Each had been given his assignment before today’s drafting. Though world food management was a definite priority and rumors of a minor farm insurrection in the Midwestern US had reached their intelligence, these were of no great concern. The system was already in place and had proven itself over the years. The Brotherhood had men in every aspect of civil affairs. Its subtle influence permeated every facet of human concern. The earth was a ripe plum, waiting to be picked.

From the plush confines of the Stephiana’s conference room, the business of the Brotherhood progressed.

The chair recognizes the distinguished gentleman from the Eastern Province.

Thank you, most distinguished colleagues. It is indeed a high calling that we are assigned as Brothers of the Light. As you know, we’re very close to success. We, humble men, have been chosen as instruments to unite the entire world into one government, a government of true peace such as the world has never known—one world, one government, many gods, all in agreement with Lucifer, the true god, because he is benevolent to allow every man to worship as his conscience dictates and not according to outdated laws from ancient ramblings of mad men who have spoken ‘from the mouth of God.’ He parenthesized the phrase with his fingers, causing a lot of head nodding and amusement from the assembled. "We are on the brink of a new world order. We have been thought by some fellows to be ruthless, but such a lofty goal is never understood by lesser men. Let us, therefore, proceed with our noble plan. Our great founder, in the year 1770, began to bring men of like minds together with a plan to abolish and absolutely destroy the fallacies of traditional modes. Three points I bring, gentlemen. You have heard them before, so I will be brief:

"First, national identity, as you know, only brings discord and must be replaced with a simple, uniform, world-governing body able to coordinate all natural resources. One world, one government.

"Second, private ownership of property must be terminated in favor of a socialist approach in order to care for and control the population of the masses.

We will tighten our control over inheritance laws—the passing of property from one to another must be stopped in order to give the government the power