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House of the Temple 8:33 PM

The secret is how to die Since the beginning of time, the secret had always been how to die

The thirty-four-year-old initiate gazed down at the human skull cradled in his palms The skull was hollow, like a bowl, filled with bloodred wine

Drink it, he told hi to fear

As was tradition, he had begun this journey adorned in the ritualistic garb of ashirt gaping open to reveal his pale chest, his left pant leg rolled up to the knee, and his right sleeve rolled up to the elbow Around his neck hung a heavy rope noose--a "cable-tow" as the brethren called it Tonight, however, like the brethren bearing witness, he was dressed as a master

The asse hialia of laloves Around their necks hung cerehostly eyes in the ht Many of these men held powerful stations in life, and yet the initiate knew their worldly rankswithin these walls Here alla mystical bond

As he surveyed the daunting assembly, the initiate wondered who on the outside would ever believe that this collection of men would assemble in one placemuch less this place The room looked like a holy sanctuary from the ancient world

The truth, however, was stranger still

I am just blocks away from the White House

This colossal edifice, located at 1733 Sixteenth Street NW in Washington, DC, was a replica of a pre-Christian teinal mausoleuma place to be taken after death Outside the uarded the bronze doors The interior was an ornate labyrinth of ritualistic chambers, halls, sealed vaults, libraries, and even a holloall that held the remains of two human bodies The initiate had been told every roo held a secret, and yet he knew no rooantic cha with a skull cradled in his palms

The Temple Room

This roo soared an astonishing one hundred feet overhead, supported by allery of dark Russian walnut seats with hand-tooled pigskin encircled the room A thirty-three-foot-tall throne doan opposite it The walls were a kaleidoscope of ancient syyptian, Hebraic, astronomical, alchemical, and others yet unknown

Tonight, the Teed candles Their diht that filtered down through the expansive oculus in the ceiling and illu feature--an enorian black marble, situated dead center of the square chamber

The secret is how to die, the initiate reminded himself

"It is time," a voice whispered

The initiate let his gaze cli before him The Supreme Worshipful Master The man, in his late fifties, was an American icon, well loved, robust, and incalculably wealthy His once-dark hair was turning silver, and his faorous intellect