It is hard to describe what happened next, as time both stopped forever—and began again for me.
The door burst open, and I heard the nails moving across the floor, devouring whatever was left in my body, screaming in fury that the spirit-marrow was stolen from them. They could still taste it. I pressed my face into Aryeh’s chest, breathing in the warm fragrance of peace.
I saw the book close.
My story was ended.
Scion Publishing
New York, New York
“Amazing, really.”
He poured a brandy from a crystal decanter. Mariskka loved that; she had only seen it in the movies. He was a classy man, she could tell.
The woman at his right nodded vigorously. She did that a lot.
“My imagination could run away with me on those night shifts.” Mariskka giggled.
“We’ve already had one preempt for the movie rights. This is going to do very well,” the woman said.
“Yes, Mariskka,” he said, cradling the glass as he walked it to her. He handed it to her and she took a little sip, careful not to breathe in the fumes. She usually drank beer.
“I’ve never met a first-time novelist who created such a rich, fascinating story. You’re going to be very famous, and very rich. How does that feel?”
She smiled and shrugged, remembering how she used to charm her teachers in school, remembering how none of them ever caught on. “I can’t take credit for the book. It’s a gift from God.”
She set the glass down on the table between them, the table littered with papers she had signed. The early reviews of the book had been raving and plentiful. Marisska saw how the Rolex sparkled on her tanned wrist.
When the woman stared at it, Mariskka realized she was lusting for it. She had never caused envy before. It felt wonderful.
“A little something to celebrate your first book?” the woman asked.
“Oh.” Mariskka smiled. “Let’s just say … I couldn’t resist.”
Epilogue William Hutchins was a pseudonym used by William Tyndale, the man who translated the New Testament for the first time into English from the original texts. He used the name William Hutchins to prevent authorities from tracing the book back to him and his printer.
The furor this book caused, the outrage over giving sacred Scriptures to common men and women, launched the Reformation and birthed modern women’s literacy. For his work, William Tyndale was strangled and then burned at the stake.
Today the average American family owns four Bibles and has read none of them.
… a little more …
When a delightful concert comes to an end, the orchestra might offer an encore.
When a fine meal comes to an end, it’s always nice to savor a bit of dessert.
When a great story comes to an end, we think you may want to linger.
And so, we offer ...
AfterWords—just a little something more after you have finished a David C Cook novel.
We invite you to stay awhile in the story.
Thanks for reading!
Turn the page for ...
? Author’s Notes on the Story ? Personal Note to Readers ? Notes ? Bibliography ? Discussion Questions
Author’s Notes on the Story
The main events in this novel took place in and around London in the years 1526 to 1536. Wherever possible, I have kept original names and dialogue, and the sequence of events. However, for my own purposes, I have condensed these events down to the space of one year, so that all our energies may move to the heart of this story.
Some exact dates from the story are unknown. These include the date Henry met Anne, the indulgence sold in advance for the beating the priest would receive later, and Henry’s “pilgrimage” to the church on his knees. Who stole Henry’s love letters to Anne is not known; but they were indeed stolen and today are kept at the Vatican as the property of the Catholic Church.
By the time our story opens, Luther had nailed his 95 Theses to the church door and begun the Reformation in Germany. Hutchins had already dedicated himself to translating the Bible into English, although it set him against monarchs, emperors, popes, and nobles. He lived and died an outcast.