1 A L I A S

PROLOGUEThebes, Egypt

341 B.C.

“Out of Egypt I called my son”HOSEA 11:1

The torch lit chamber smelled of sweat and rotting flesh.

Light from flickering torches gave life to shadows, which grew and shrank

upon the walls.

“Oh great one, spare your humble servant,” an anguished voice called

out.

“Mighty pharaoh! Have mercy on me,” another moaned.

A rusty iron gate creaked open and burly guards dragged Akkadian, the

commander of pharaoh’s chariots, down the stairs by toward the center of

the killing chamber. Akkadian caught a quick glance of the pharaoh lurking

in the dark.

“I beg of you, My Lord! Why have you had my men arrest me like a

common criminal? Have I not served you well?”

“My loyal friend unfortunately this deed is necessary for the very survival

of our empire,” pharaoh replied. “No one outside of our inner circle must

ever learn the extent of this deception.”

Akkadian thought to himself, Deception? What deception is it of which

he speaks?

“My Lord, you must believe me! I would never betray your trust."

Pharaoh walked from out of the shadows. He approached Akkadian and

pressed a finger to the lips of his lifelong friend as if to quiet him. When

he had given him the assignment, he knew that his reward would be the tip

of a dagger.

M I C H A E L D A V I S 2

Two years ago, Akkadian had brought back twenty of the most beautiful

virgins from each of the far off lands of Germania, Gaul, Dalmatia,

Pannonia, and Macedonia1.

Over the course of the years, the Pharaoh had impregnated each of the young

women with his royal seed. The task was completed and the last of the

maidens were with child. Like the others, she too, would be journeying back

to her country of origin accompanied by two royal protectors to ensure his

lineage survived.

Pharaoh held Akkadian’s mortified gaze and then looked away. “This act

is surely not an example of ma’at2 my friend. I know because of this I will

see you in the next life to answer for it,” the man explained.

In total disbelief Akkadian thought, “In the name of the gods, he’s going

to kill me!”

He turned his back to Akkadian as he slid his jewel-encrusted dagger from

its sheath. Pharaoh spun around and placed one hand on his friend's

shoulder. He drew his other hand back and with a powerful thrust impaled

him. Akkadian felt the sharp edge of the blade burn into his entrails. With a

sudden swift movement, he jerked the dagger violently upward and then slid

it out.

“Akkadian please… forgive me,” pharaoh said.

The guards released him. Akkadian took a few steps forward and

dropped to his knees. He slumped to the floor one arm straining to hold

himself up. “May Isis and Osiris avenge my death. May this deception of

yours one day be revealed to the world,” Akkadian strained with his final

breath.

1 Germany, France, Italy, the Balkans and Greece.

2 Egyptian understanding of justice and divine order.

3 A L I A S

1Alexandria, Egypt, 732 years later

391 A.D.

The upper rim of the sun had just pierced the horizon as the

centurion commanded the oars to be extended. The Theodosius had begun

its silent approach to the shore. Soft swishing of the oars going through the

water were the only sounds that rose to the bridge. The halyards groaned

under the weight of the drooping sails as they flapped against the ship's mast.

Muffled sounds of nervous horses drifted up from below deck, as groups

of soldiers busied themselves saddling their mounts. The Roman warship

coasted silently up to a makeshift platform prepared by soldiers who had

marched to Alexandria from Jerusalem and Damascus. The Theodosius, the

Roman emperor's namesake ship, had carried the Primus Pilus, Rome’s

highest ranked centurion, Bartheulemus and his elite band of marauders

from Rome. His Holiness Pope Siricius, reigning pontiff of the Catholic

Church, had given them order to eradicate all doctrine that opposed the

Church. Bartheulemus knew all too well the great importance of this

mission.

Huge oaken gates swung wide and riders led their armored stallions off the

ship. Both centuria3 of soldiers and the equestrians all carried unlit torches

along with their weaponry.

Over the last two weeks, a youthful lookout named Tiberius had lived

atop the Lighthouse of Alexandria in anticipation of the Roman attack. From

his vantage point four hundred feet above the terrain, he could easily see the

military arriving. Last month, word had come from within the ranks of the

Catholic Church’s hierarchy in Rome, through a well-placed Gnostic spy,

3 A centuria consisted of 80 men.

M I C H A E L D A V I S 4

that a plot was in place to eradicate all opposition to the Catholic’s

orthodox doctrine. This measure included marching into the city and

burning the Library at Alexandria complete with all its ancient knowledge.

The library was a virtual compendium of knowledge from as far back as the

days of the Sumerians, the Babylonians, and the Egyptians, and, most

importantly, the Gnostic movement itself— the doctrine the Catholic Church

feared the most.

Tiberius spotted the ship mooring and dropped a black stone from atop

the tower as a signal to dispatch Evaristus, the rider below, to bring the

news to the keepers of knowledge at the library.

“Yah! Yah!” Evaristus exclaimed, kicking his horse sternly in its flanks.

It is happening! God save us from this disaster.

The sun was blazing down upon the town of Alexandria. Inside the library,

a group of monks congregated nervously in a corner. Evaristus arrived and

ran inside.

“They are coming!” he exclaimed breathlessly.

Several monks ran toward the boy. “Evaristus, how many come this way?”

“Many riders and two cohorts4 of foot soldiers! They all bear many

weapons and torches,” Evaristus said catching his breath.

“How long before they arrive?” a monk asked.

“They are not far behind me. Nicodemus and I must leave immediately.”

“We must consult with Arius. Perhaps, because of his position, he will be

able to talk Bartheulemus out of this most horrendous deed. ”

The group made their way through the museum colonnades that had

likenesses of Ptolemy II, and his father the founder of the library, Ptolemy

I Soter etched into them. With no time to spare, they reached a door that

read: Depositorium of Ancient Texts.

The Depositorium was a unique collection of literature from all parts

of the known world. Scrolls neatly lined the vast hall from wall-to-wall.

In the center of the room, there was a large common table with scrolls

4 A cohort consisted of a group of 480 men.

5 A L I A S

sprawled out across it. Several monks assisted an aged priest who was

making last minute preparations on two packages.

The group burst in shoving the doors open. “Arius, the time is upon us!

Bartheulemus and his men will be here shortly. Evaristus reports that they

are right behind him. What course do we take?”

“Brothers we have discussed this in detail. We must stand together.

Today, as a precaution, should we fail in our endeavor, I am sending out

these two packages. One contains the uncensored teachings of Yahshua, an

enlightened one born in Bethlehem, as recorded by his disciples. The

other, is evidence of the deception that the Catholic Church has

perpetrated upon the world. With the Creator’s help, we shall hope that this

sacred knowledge will survive the ages. I implemented one measure to

unmask this Catholic deceit many years ago when I attended the Council of

Nicaea,” Arius said.

“Surely Arius, because of your position, you will be able to keep

Bartheulemus and his soldiers from doing this,” a monk stated.

“We can only hope my son. You must not forget Bartheulemus' orders

come directly from Pope Siricius5—signed by the emperor himself. There

exists perhaps, a very slight chance, that Bartheulemus will not obey his

decree. Even so, shall we not be able to persuade him, I say my brothers, we

must offer a peaceful resistance. Should we meet violence with violence you

shall assuredly forfeit your lives. Before times runs out, I must dispatch the

couriers. Evaristus and Nicodemus step forward,” Arius said, reaching for

the two wrapped scroll packages.

Arius addressed the two riders. “It is again I ask you in front of your

brothers as witnesses, are you willing to accept this burden, to secure your

package and to never return to Egypt?”

“I am,” Nicodemus offered bravely.

“I too am willing,” Evaristus replied.

The monks shouted in unison. “Peace be with you!”

“Let us take a moment to pray that the Creator be with these boys as they

are the custodians of a great knowledge as well as a great secret. Know ye

5 Pope Siricius, the 42nd pope of the Catholic Church (389 to 394 A.D.)

M I C H A E L D A V I S 6

all of you, that neither rider shall know the destination of the other, nor does

any other man, so as not to compromise the resting places of these scrolls.

Evaristus come to me my son,” Arius commanded.

The boy knelt before him and Arius handed Evaristus one of the scroll

packages. Covering his mouth with his hand, he leaned toward the boy

and whispered, “Take this package of the teachings of Yahshua, or Iesous

as the Greeks have corrupted it, to Nag Hamadi near the Valley of the Kings.

You will find a great many caves in the hills. Find a secure place to leave

your treasure. May the Creator bless and keep you safe. Go swiftly my son.”

Evaristus stood and nodded.

“Nicodemus step closer.” The boy complied as Evaristus had and knelt

before the priest. Arius repeated his whispered instructions, again taking

caution to shield his lips. “Nicodemus, your destination shall be

Oxyrhynchus6 nearest the Nile Delta. Search out a priest there named

Artemus. Give him your package. He shall know how to protect it.”

“Yes Arius. It shall be done.” Nicodemus stood and swiftly left the library

with his package.

A series of colored cloths waved from one rooftop to the next

announcing the military was approaching. A monk shouted down from the

rooftop. “Arius! They are entering the town.”

“Quickly! The signal,” Arius commanded.

Several trumpets sounded three mighty blasts from in front of the library.

“It's working! The academics, pursuers of science and the clergymen are

coming. Look Arius! A great crowd gathers.”

* * *

Bartheulemus arrived first. His mount, a white armored stallion, pranced

and pawed at the ground. He gave a few hand signals and several cohorts

began surrounding the library. Fifty archers scaled the ledges of bordering

temples.

Bartheulemus was the first to speak. “I seek the curator. Bring him forth.”

6 The Oxyrhynchus Papyrus Imaging Project. www.papyrology.ox.ac.uk/POxy

7 A L I A S

“It is I that you seek,” Arius said, pushing his way to the front of the

crowd. “I am Arius, chief keeper of the knowledge contained herein. How

may I be of service to you, My Lord?”

“Under orders of Pope Siricius, and by Imperial decree of Emperor

Theodosius of Rome, this entire structure and all within it is to be burned to

the ground,” Bartheulemus ordered.

“My Lord, what resides here is the knowledge of the ages. Ancient

wisdom. We collect one-of-a-kind works that deal with the study of

astronomy, science, and religion. To lose such a treasure—the damage

would be unspeakable. Nothing here threatens the mighty empire of Rome,”

Arius explained.

“This place has been condemned by The Holy Father Pope Siricius as the

heart and soul of heresy. It shall not stand another day,”

Bartheulemus demanded.

Arius took a step forward. “Heresy? How is this—."

“Silence old man! Command these people to move aside so that I may

complete my mission,” Bartheulemus ordered, retrieving his cutlass from its

scabbard.

“I’m sorry My Lord, as keeper of this sacred knowledge, this I cannot

do,” Arius said.

Bartheulemus raised his sword and as if choreographed the archers

drew back their bows. As he dropped his sword, the archers released their

arrows skyward in a long-range arching trajectory. The well-honed warheads

seemed to scream through the air hurtling the weight of their shafts and their

death-dealing cargo with deadly precision. In an instant, the pressure in

the air became almost palpable with the tension that precedes death. The

crowd began to disperse, but many arrows still found their marks.

Bartheulemus walked his horse up the steps to the entrance of the library

knocking Arius aside. “Grab the old priest,” Bartheulemus ordered his optio7.

“Incendiary battalions forward. Light your torches. Bring all the scrolls to me.

Create a pile here in the courtyard, and find me a stake for this Arius—the

greatest of all heretics. He shall perish along with his precious knowledge.”

7 A centurion's first-in-command.

M I C H A E L D A V I S 8

Eighty men formed two columns double arms distance apart and marched

into the ancient library. They threw all the books and scrolls into a huge heap

in the center of the courtyard. Several soldiers readied a stake amidst the scrolls

and tied Arius to it. When the library was completely empty, two hundred

more soldiers entered the building and lit it ablaze. One frightened monk

approached Bartheulemus flanked by two soldiers and spoke quietly to the

commander.

“Wait! Do not burn the old priest just yet,” Bartheulemus said. “Arius, I

see that even in your old age you still are capable of great deception. My

mission was to burn everything, and yet I see I missed two very important

pieces. I understand you have sent out two couriers. Tell me of their

intended destinations and save yourself.”

“I know not of what you speak My Lord. Obviously, my frightened

brother is hoping to garner your favor and thereby save himself,” Arius

answered.

“He lies My Lord! He, and he alone, knows the destination of the

riders,” the sobbing monk shouted.

“I see. Well then, wet the scrolls then light them,” Bartheulemus

ordered. “Perhaps my good friend Arius shall have—a little more time to

think.”

Arius felt fingers of intense heat grasping at his feet. The wetness began

burning off slowly causing small pockets of fire to erupt around him.

“Arius, the water brigade stands at the ready. Say the word and save

yourself. Tell me old man, where did you send the couriers?” Bartheulemus

asked.

The fire walked its way up the pile to Arius’ feet and his robe began to

ignite. “I know not of what you speak! Do with me what you must,” Arius

said.

“Bind this sniveling monk and throw him on the pyre with Arius,”

Bartheulemus said as he placed his sword back into its scabbard.

“No! Please My Lord! God help us!” the frightened monk screamed.

“In the name of Our Lord Iesous Christus,” Bartheulemus continued, “I

hereby sentence both of your heretic souls to hell. May you suffer eternally.

So it is ordered, so let it be done. Take it to your grave that you have failed

9 A L I A S

miserably. Arius, whatever your plot was with these missing scrolls I will

locate them. Believe me… it is finished.”

Arius, in his final moments of lucidity, thought to himself, I assure you,

Bartheulemus—it is far from finished.

M I C H A E L D A V I S 10

2Thursday, 8:20A.M., March 7th, 2007

Potomac, Maryland

Countryside Estates was an upper class enclave of

forty custom built homes adjacent to The Congressional Country Club—a

socialite hangout for Washington’s blue-blooded elite.

Dr. John Elliott’s red brick colonial style mansion was perched on a hill

just off the well-manicured street behind a stand of pine trees. Two-hundred-

year-old oak trees provided ample shade for the circular driveway that led to

the home’s majestic entrance.

A Catholic charity step van turned into the driveway and rolled to a

stop. The driver and a tall Jesuit priest stepped out and went to the back of

the truck to retrieve a large cardboard box emblazoned with ‘THANK YOU

FOR YOUR DONATION’ on its side. The driver, placed the box on a dolly,

handed it to the priest, and returned to the truck. The priest wheeled the box

to the twin mahogany doors and rang the chimes.

A few moments later a young housekeeper answered the door.

“May I help you Father?” the housekeeper asked.

The priest smiled. “Good morning dear. Dr. Elliott called us this

morning and was kind enough to donate a gas grill for our church. I believe he

said it would be out on the rear deck. It was such a generous gift and we are

here to pick it up. It should only take a few minutes.”

The young woman looked perplexed. “I’m sorry Father but Dr. Elliott

never mentioned anything about a donation when he left this morning.

Would you please come in? I’ll give him a call.”

“Certainly. Thank you my child,” the priest said leaving the box on the

porch and following her inside.

“This is truly a magnificent home. I’m sure it’s lots of work for you to

keep it this way.”

11 A L I A S

“Yes Father it keeps me very busy.”

“I’m sorry dear. What is your name?”

“My name is Anita,” the housekeeper replied as she turned to walk to the

phone.

The priest knew he could not allow this call. With her back turned, he

slipped on a pair of surgical gloves and pulled out a Glock 9mm handgun. He

screwed on a silencer and leveled it at the housekeeper’s head.

“Anita, you have such a lovely accent. What country are you from?”

“Mexico. Have you ever been there?” she asked, as she turned around

with the cordless phone in her hand. The housekeeper saw the pistol in the

priest’s gloved hand and froze in disbelief.

“I’m sorry. It’s nothing personal dear, but I cannot allow you to make that

call.” The priest reached into his pocket, retrieved a wireless patch, and

pressed it over his vocal chords. His hand grabbed an earpiece that was

hanging from the back of his clerical collar, positioned it in his ear and began

speaking to the driver outside. “Wait for my signal before you come in.”

“Father, what’s going on?” the housekeeper asked as her voice trembled.

“Anita, today will be your last day working for Dr. Elliott. What I need

you to do, is to get a piece of paper and a pen. You are going to leave Dr.

Elliott a note to tell him of an emergency with your grandmother’s health in

Mexico. You will tell him that you have to leave today and that you hate

leaving him this way, but it couldn’t be helped,” the priest instructed.

“I will do anything you ask father. Just please… don’t hurt me,” Anita

pleaded.

“Relax dear. Everything will be alright.”

The young housekeeper complied and wrote Elliott a brief note. The priest

read it over and nodded with approval.

“The note is perfect. Now, I have only a couple more questions. First,

what is the code to the burglar alarm?”

“It’s... it’s 022858.”

“Excellent. Now, if you would like to see tomorrow, you will do

exactly as I say. Do you understand me?”

“Oh yes father, whatever you say.”

“Ah—ah. No tears.”

M I C H A E L D A V I S 12

The priest took a step closer to her. “Last, I must see you in your total

beauty—just as Our Heavenly Father created you. Please Anita… remove all

your clothing.”

“Oh no! Please—not that. But, you’re a priest!”

“My dear, even priests must remind themselves what they gave up for

God. You must trust me. I only want to observe you in all your natural

beauty. I won’t touch—I just want to admire you. I promise,” the priest said.

Her trembling hands unbuttoned her blouse and removed it. Next, she

slipped out of her apron and skirt. Standing there in nothing but matching

black panties and a bra, she stopped undressing. The priest motioned with

the pistol for her to remove everything. Sobbing gently, she took off her bra,

slipped out of her panties and let both pieces fall to the floor.

“Splendid! Such a beautiful creature,” the priest remarked.

“I need you to turn around and face the wall for a minute.”

“Father you promised,” Anita cried out.

“My child do as I say. I’ll let you get dressed in a moment.”

The young woman made a vain attempt to cover her breasts and crotch

and slowly turned to face the wall. The priest reached into his pocket and

removed a plastic bag. He stepped up behind the girl and grabbed her

tightly as he placed a rag over her nose and mouth. She clutched and clawed

at his forearms and within moments, the strong chemical fumes overwhelmed

her as she slumped to the floor unconscious.

The priest reached into his pocket and retrieved a hypodermic needle

loaded with a dose of Roxanol. The drug would insure that she would remain

unconscious for hours. He paused a moment and studied her perfectly shaped

breasts and her adolescent curves. He felt a wave of anticipation surging

through his loins. He thought, I can’t wait until we have a chance to really

get to know each other. The priest then tied a tourniquet around the young

woman’s upper arm, located a suitable vein and injected her.

“Let’s move!” the priest ordered his team. The driver who was waiting

rushed up to the porch, grabbed the dolly and box and opened the door.

“Nice!” the driver said eyeing the housekeeper’s nude form sprawled out

across the floor.

13 A L I A S

“Keep your mind on business,” the priest ordered. “There will be time

to play later. I want voice and video recorders in all the smoke detectors.

Keystroke monitors on both computers and cameras in all the rooms. I want

everything accessible by satellite.”

“I’m on it,” the driver said.

“Where is Elliott now?” the priest asked, speaking to the technician in the

van.

“I have him southbound on Interstate 95 heading toward Richmond.”

“Let me know if he doubles back for any reason.”

“Roger.”

Elliott had no way of knowing that he was in the process of losing all

semblances of his privacy. For centuries, the Church had its way of dealing

public dissenters of their doctrine. In 1633, Pope Urban VIII8 used the

threat of torture against Galileo to make him abjure his Copernican theory

that the earth revolved around the sun. The problem was the Church had

misinterpreted four Bible verses9 and had erroneously accepted the theory

by Aristotle that the earth was at the center of the universe. After a second

trial, Galileo reached a plea bargain with the Roman Catholic Church in

which he accepted house arrest for life. The Catholic Church would not

officially forgive Galileo until 1981.

The Jesuit surveillance team climbed up into the attic and imbedded a

powerful terabyte data relay transmitter in a roof truss. All

communications that took place in the mansion would be available for

remote monitoring.

“Everything’s in place. Run a test on all systems,” the priest ordered the

technician.

“Voice—check. Data—check. GPS—check. Video… wait. Everything

looks good on the video except the one in the master bedroom. Camera

angle is off too much to the left.”

The priest went to the bedroom and made a minor adjustment to the

camera.

8 The 236th pope of the Catholic Church (1623 to 1644 A.D.)

9 Psalm 93:1, 1 Chronicles 16:30, Psalm 104:5 and Ecclesiastes 1:5

M I C H A E L D A V I S 14

“How’s that?”

“A little more to the right.”

“And now?”

“Perfect. Let’s roll!”

“We’re on our way out.”

The two men tied up the unconscious housekeeper, grabbed her uniform,

and then carefully placed her nude body into the large cardboard box.

Before they left Elliott’s home, the priest took one last look around and

smiled. The only thing left to do was to reset the burglar alarm.

15 A L I A S

3Friday, 7:18 P.M., December 21st, 2007, Nine months later

District of Columbia

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts was

abuzz with activity. Throngs of people were out front jostling for last

minute tickets. The night's venue was the Concert Hall. Dr. John Elliott

would be speaking about his newest bestseller, The Power of Manifestation:

Creating Reality Through Your Thoughts to a standing room only crowd.

Elliott arrived in a white stretch limousine with his small entourage at the

side entrance. As he passed the front entrance, he could see there was an

ornate desk and velvet rope aisles for a signing line. Virtual walls of both of

Elliott’s bestsellers were set up as a backdrop. Ten-foot tall publicity posters

of his face and book jacket covers hung down from the ceiling.

Venue security officers were checking tickets and outfitting each patron

with a voice operated wireless microphone. All of Elliott’s lectures focused

heavily on audience participation.

Elliott went over his notes and made his way to the speaker’s observation

area that adjoined the sound booth. He could see the technicians were

running elaborate computer-controlled audio and video scenarios. One

technician smiled and gave Elliott the thumbs up through the thick Plexiglas

window. “Dr. Elliott you’re live in three minutes,” he told Elliott through his

wireless earpiece.

“Thank you,” Elliott smiled and nodded back.

Elliott closed his eyes and slipped into a moment of meditation. He

envisioned an excited and enthusiastic audience eager to learn. His

performance tonight would be flawless.

The auditorium lighting dimmed and the soft background music tapered to

a close. Center stage was the only area that remained illuminated.

The emcee began. “Ladies and Gentlemen welcome to The John F.

Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts special event. Tonight we proudly

M I C H A E L D A V I S 16

present ‘An evening with Dr. John Elliott, Ph.D.’ Dr. Elliott is the Director

of Egyptology at our affiliate, the world-renowned Smithsonian Institution.

He is also an adjunct professor of Religious Mythology at George Mason

University.

Dr. Elliott has authored one of the world's most popular fiction novels.

His first book, the highly controversial historical religious novel, Son

Worship: The Modern Day Morphing of Ancient Religious Mythologies,

released last year, has enjoyed sales which have far surpassed Dan Brown’s

The Da Vinci Code making Son Worship the bestselling historical fiction

book of all time.

Dr. Elliott's second blockbuster hit, the reason you are here this evening,

The Power of Manifestation: Creating Reality Through Your Thoughts, has

been number one on the New York Times bestseller list for an amazing

thirty-five weeks. Therefore, without further adieu, I am pleased to present

to you, Dr. John Elliott. Let’s give him a very warm Kennedy Center

welcome.”

The audience applauded as Elliott made his way from side stage.

“Good evening ladies and gentlemen. Before I begin, I would like to

introduce the two people to whom all this would have been impossible

without. It is with great pleasure that I present to you my parents… George

and Barbara Elliott.”

The lighting technician used a tightly focused spotlight that illuminated

Elliott’s parents in the upper balcony. The formally dressed couple stood and

bowed slightly.

The audience rose and gave Elliott's parents a standing ovation.

Elliott began. “Over a year ago when I began writing this book I didn’t

think or hope you would be here. I visualized your presence with such

certainty; I know that I manifested your attendance tonight.”

The audience burst into another round of applause.

“We are going to conduct this lecture more or less like an informal chat.

Much of what I have to say this evening relies on your input. Thanks to this

wonderful venue, if you would like to participate, simply depress the

‘PARTICIPATE’ button on the right hand armrest of your seat. If you see the

17 A L I A S

green light on the back of the seat in front of you illuminate please stand.

Are we ready to begin?”

The audience roared with applause.

“Great! Let us begin. There are two types of laws. One type of law is

geophysical and the other is universal law. Geophysical laws are immutable

laws that apply to us on this planet such as the laws of gravity and physics.

For instance, let us take the law of gravity. Imagine two people, one in

Singapore and the other in London, each dropping a ten-pound bowling ball.

Due to the slight variation in the gravitational field, the bowling ball in

Singapore would hit the ground 1/200,000 of a second after the one in

London. However, they will both hit the ground. This principal is called a

constant coefficient principal.

“Let’s see about a few others. Who was it that said, ‘For every action

there is an equal and opposite reaction?’ Yes ma’am—” Elliott said

recognizing a young woman that stood.

“Sir Isaac Newton, I believe.”

“You are correct, ma'am. How about E=MC2? Yes sir—”

“That would be Albert Einstein’s Theory of Relativity,” the man

answered.

“Absolutely! Who was it that said, ‘The more money you throw at a

problem the quicker it disappears?’ Yes sir—” Elliott directed pointing to a

tall man sitting near front stage.

“That would be George Dubya Bush and his theory on the Iraq war?” the

man said with a very evident Texas twang.

The audience burst out in laughter and applause.

“At a billion dollars a day one would think so!” Elliott laughed. “Actually,

I think it was an Alan Greenspan blooper. Can anyone tell me the difference

between Bill Gates, the former Chairman of Microsoft, and a homeless man

named Bill Gates? Yes ma’am—”

“About forty billion dollars!”

Chuckles meandered throughout the crowd.

Elliott smiled. “Yes, on a physical level. However, could there be a higher

principal at work? In other words, is it possible that the Bill Gates of

Microsoft fame, at some level, visualized his company dominating the

M I C H A E L D A V I S 18

computer industry so clearly that he manifested himself into becoming one

of the world’s richest men? Is it possible that this Mr. Gates could have used

his power of manifestation so precisely that he saw himself as one of the

richest men well before he became one? How about the other Mr. Gates?

Could it be because of his life’s circumstances, as ridiculous as this may

seem, he has inadvertently expected to live a life of poverty and destitution?

Could it be that the people who live in government projects never truly

expect to live a life in the suburbs? Could it be just that simple? Can a

person use the power of visualization to manifest a new reality? In order to

answer that question, we have to define what the word manifest means.

Many confuse the words manifest, hope, and wish. It’s one thing to hope

something will happen, or wish something would happen, but it’s

completely another to visualize something so clearly, and with such a

determined belief, that you manifest it into becoming a reality. This subtle

nuance makes a huge difference. In the case of the power of manifestation it

requires that you truly believe something will happen with such certainty—

so as to make yourself believe that the object of your manifestation has

already taken place. When you wish for something to happen that is called

wishful thinking. In addition, positive thinking is just that… positive

thinking. Without the emotional belief quotient, manifestation is not

possible.

Even Jesus mentioned this very principal in the New Testament. He said

‘Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a

mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and

it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.’10 Most religious

people believe the faith he was speaking of was the faith in their religion, or

their faith in Jesus as the Savior of humanity. My friends I stand before you

tonight as a living testimony that he was referring to having faith—faith in

the power of manifestation. An unchangeable, immutable, divinely-inspired

universal law.”

“Let’s look at thought itself. Thought is pure energy. As my good friend

James Van Praagh says, ‘All things are created from universal thought. Even

10 New King James Version Bible, Matthew 17:20

19 A L I A S

though we do not see thought, we know it exists. There is a universal law of

cause and effect that is constant, much like the energy that moves and

animates our world. In other words, it is the way in which we think that

creates our lives.’ ”

Elliott paused to sip a glass of water.

“That would logically lead us to the conclusion that there exists an

intrinsic relationship between the power of imagination and the law of

manifestation. Thought—or energy is the life force, the mind is the builder,

and physical manifestation is the result. Our minds are the builders between

the ethereal world of thought and that which is part of the material world.

“For instance, before you decided to join me here this evening, this lecture

experience was not your reality. First, you thought about it, then you acted

upon that thought and it became your reality. At this simplistic level, we can

all see precisely how our thoughts actually create our reality. The problem is

that we believe, because of indoctrination, this is the extent of our thought

power. We have labeled our imagination as something that is not real when

it pertains to our reality. A terrible mistake indeed.” A well-dressed socialite

stood near the center aisle. “Yes ma’am—”

“Dr. Elliott are you saying that we can use our imagination and the power

of manifestation to bring us any reality that we choose? Things like wisdom,

wealth, success, and health?”

“You are absolutely correct! As human beings, we all have that innate

power within us. We need only to seek it out and exercise it.”

The woman continued. “Do we humans have that power to create our

reality, or is it God that creates these realities for us?”

Elliott smiled. “Overall it was the Creator who gave us this divine talent

of manifestation through the power of imagination and visualization, so

yes—indirectly, you could say it is the Creator. Please remember though, the

Creator gave each of us free will to choose the type of realities we create for

ourselves. These realities can be either good or bad as we learn distinctly

different lessons from both experiences.”

The woman’s demeanor turned icy. “It all sounds very convincing Dr.

Elliott. According to you, I see you think there are no differences between

good and evil. All realities are equally important experiences. No morals. No

M I C H A E L D A V I S 20

right or wrong. Well, I want you to know sir that I believe in Our Lord Jesus

Christ. It is obvious that he is not your Lord and Savior. I have read your

book Son Worship. You sir—are the Antichrist! I know you believe in

reincarnation. Damn you to hell John Elliott! The Bible says that Satan will

masquerade as an Angel of Li—”

An audio technician cut woman’s microphone off mid sentence.

Four security personnel dressed in suits and wearing earpieces made their

way to the woman who continued to scream. The men politely corralled her

toward the nearest exit.

“Hail Mary full of grace the Lord is with thee…” she yelled. “Believers

do not be deceived by this blasphemer. Hell is full of those tricked by the

devil!”

Elliott waited patiently while the irate woman was lead from the venue.

“Ladies and gentlemen, please do not hold her tirade against her. There

are many of the spiritually youthful among us. The inevitably beauty is even

she will someday come to understand these universal truths,” Elliott said.

A member of the audience familiar with Elliott’s lectures lit a lighter and

held it high over his head. Elliott had used the lighter in the past as a symbol

for enlightenment. Soon, the auditorium was awash in a sea of tiny

flickering flames.

“An excellent gesture,” Elliott nodded as he retrieved his own lighter.

Two hours later Elliott concluded his lecture. “Tonight as you leave I’ll

let you ponder these questions. Is it possible that the world’s greatest

civilizations and organizations, such as the Egyptians, the Romans, the

Greeks and even the Catholics stumbled upon a secret? One so incredible

that it has allowed them to harness the powers of imagination, visualization

and manifestation to attain positions of worldly greatness? Also, if they did,

were they likely to share this simple truth with the masses? I would say ‘yes’

to the first question, and ‘absolutely not’ to the second.

“Ladies and gentlemen your imagination, the power of conscious thought

and an unshakable emotional belief in what you visualize equals the power

of manifestation. You can change your reality through your thoughts. Trust

me friends, your imagination is a much more powerful entity than you could

ever imagine. Use it to manifest all the joys in life that you desire. I have

21 A L I A S

enjoyed my time with you. Thank you for joining me this evening. Do not

just wish for the life you want. Visualize it! Believe it! Expect it—and it will

manifest.”

The audience rose to give Elliott a standing ovation. Center stage went

dark as Elliott walked toward the exit. The crowd filtered out of the

auditorium and began forming long lines that snaked back and forth.

Everyone wanted signed copies of his books.

A tall Jesuit priest sitting near the back exit quietly left his seat before the

crowds formed and walked over to the corner of the atrium. Carefully, he

scanned the area to be sure it was secure before placing a call.

“Speak to me my son,” the voice answered.

“His influence grows. One of the faithful publicly denounced him and

Elliott was successful in marginalizing her as a religious fanatic. It seems

that the people are beginning to heed his advice. His next venue is nearly

twenty thousand in Madison Square Garden. In February, he is to appear to

eighty thousand at Dolphin Stadium. In addition, we have just intercepted a

call from his agent that hints at a major network series. We must move now

to use the full power of the Catholic Church to brand John Elliott as a new

age occultist. His message is becoming increasingly more dangerous.”

There was a brief moment of silence…

“I believe you are correct. The time has come. I will arrange to put our

plan into action,” the voice said.