Attrition of the Gods: Book 1 of the Mystery Thriller series Gods Toys. by P.G. Burns Page B

continued into the white flames. Huge blue shafts of light shot from the sphere and a loud noise resembling a thunder clap encouraged the observers to run away. Only one young boy stayed as witness. The boy watched the men enter the fire and burn in front of him. First their clothes and then their skin melted from their bodies. Not one of them screamed with pain, no cries could be heard at all. The men stayed standing even though only bones remained. The boy stood to gain a better look. The brightness of the sphere increased, as did the heat and soon the boy had to retreat as it grew too intense. He ran behind a dune and peeked over the top. As the light expanded so did the searing heat.
    The boy could see the other tribesmen running and clambering aboard their camels, speeding away as fast as possible. A large explosion sent debris and sparks flying past his head. Camels and horses stampeded, throwing off their riders who then ran after their steeds, determined to escape. The young boy tucked his head down safely but did not move.
    Then silence fell, the heat receded and the light faded. The boy stood up and tentatively walked back to the crater but before he got to it the thirteen men appeared, climbing out of the pit. They stood in front of him, naked except for an amulet around each of their necks. Solomon looked at the faces; they were identical to the men that entered the fiery sphere but he knew these were not his tribesmen. They looked at each other and then at the boy whom Leo instinctively knew was Solomon, son of David, who would become the last king of the United Monarchy of Israel and Judah.
    Leo snapped out of his trance-like state and was thankful to see Simeon’s lips were moving again as he told Leo, “What you have just witnessed was our arrival amongst you and our first assimilation into human form.”
    “Who, or what, are you?”
    “We are the Djinn, a race that has existed on this planet alongside yours for all time. The Djinn collective exist on a different frequency to that of humans. We evolved from a very similar sapient form to you, although we exist in a state of non-biological dependency. We have a very different view and perspective of this world to you.”
    Somehow Leo knew that what Simeon was telling him was true but still he could not comprehend it.
    “You claim a whole other race lives alongside us? Surely we would have noticed?”
    Simeon nods. “In some ways you have. Many of your stories of ghosts, vampires and all those things that science cannot explain are caused by the occasional interaction with us. But please, I will try to explain as much as possible over the next few months. First we must address the matter at hand, this book.”
    Leo was shown photos of a brown leather book. It was obviously old and had a species of clover embossed on the front.
    “What is that?”
    “This is the ledger mentioned in your report about the Jesuit and the Jew.”
    Leo reached out for the pictures. “May I?”
    Simeon pushed them towards him. “Yes, go ahead.”
    Leo was looking at two pictures: one of the book’s cover, the other of an inside page and so he realised why he, a Jewish accountant with no links to the Roman Church, had been picked.
    “This writing is south-western Yiddish dialect!”
    He didn’t know why he’d studied this practically extinct language when he was younger but he did know he was one of a small minority who could read it fluently.
    “It is important we find this book, Leo. It will help us to defeat humankind’s worst enemy and you are the key.”
    And so Leo listened as Simeon explained that the Jesuit who created this book was one of the thirteen Djinn who appeared out of that crater. His name had been Isaac but he had disappeared, believed to have been killed in 1944, and his murderer had been trying to get hold of this book ever since. Simeon had specifically worked his way into the inner circle of the current Pope so as to get access to the Vatican,