The Twelfth Insight - James Redfield [35]
The leader was walking back toward me.
“This idea of ideology,” he said. “It refers to people who are living lies and know it, yes? Like those who lie and steal for money, like you people in the West.”
He looked closely to see if I was going to defend Modern life, but the thought came to me to go in another direction.
“I think the Document is pointing,” I said, “to those people who have set ideas about reality and aren’t open to any discussion about it. They stop growing and just repeat the past. They aren’t conscious in their conversation.”
“Like Peterson?”
“Well, I don’t know.”
“You know!”
For the first time he looked fully menacing, and I knew I was on tricky ground here.
“Okay,” I said. “I think he is trying to find a way to stop the war over religion before it’s too late.”
He looked as though he was trying to control an inner outrage.
“He only wants power for himself,” he said. “Besides, the war cannot be stopped. It is destined. I think you are trying to deceive me.”
With that he turned away again. Rachel was staring at me, cautioning me to be careful.
The leader looked at Adjar. “Set a guard over them all night.”
Adjar nodded to two other men who lifted me up and had me sit by Rachel, then he said something to the other woman in Hebrew. She moved over to a rock about ten feet away to watch us, an Uzi machine pistol in her lap. He called her Hira.
I leaned over toward Rachel and noticed her rose perfume again, which in this setting made her seem otherworldly, or angel-like.
“Who are these people?” I whispered.
“I’ve been with them a while,” she said quietly, “and I still don’t know much about them. They mostly belong to Arabic sects, but they have Westerners with them, too, Jews and Christians from all over. The only connection I can see is that they are all into end-times Prophecy. The leader’s name is Anish. He’s the one who holds them all together.”
I quickly told her what Peterson had said about religious extremists desiring Armageddon.
She thought for a moment. “I know Anish is planning something. I just don’t know what it is. They call themselves Apocalyptics.”
“And they won’t let you leave?”
“I haven’t pressed the issue. They made me agree to help them understand the Document, although only a few of them are comprehending it.” She glanced over at Adjar who quickly looked away.
I took a breath and then told Rachel about the men terrifying the campers at the clearing.
“I was thinking they might be forcing people to give up their copies,” she said.
She looked at me, trying to find my eyes again. “How far have you gotten with the Integrations?”
“I’m through the Third and some of the Fourth.”
“So you get the problem with polarizing ideologies, and the disregard of moderate views?”
“Yes.”
She seemed to light up. “Well, the conclusion of the Fourth is revealing. It says there is only one solution to the problem of people who are lost in ideologies. The Document says those of us in Alignment, holding a central position of truth, have to reach them.”
“What does that mean?”
“It explains that enough of us have to move through the Integrations until we have enough influence to persuade them, before it’s too late, that Alignment is the only way. People can change in the blink of an eye.”
“A race against time,” I said.
She gave me a puzzled look.
“Just something a friend told me when I first heard about the Document.”
At this moment, the leader, Anish, walked up and said something to Adjar. Then he gave me a long look. He seemed to grow irritated that I was returning his stare. He stormed over.
“Who are you to look into my eyes?” he yelled. “Show deference! You are here, alive, both of you, because I allow it. When you no longer serve our cause, I can dispense with you in an instant.” He snapped his fingers to illustrate the point.
Then, strangely, his demeanor became calm again, and he smiled. “Tomorrow, you will tell me everything you know.”
He glared one more time at both of us and walked off.
The