Rumble of Distant Thunder

Our young people are dying, constantly being murdered by senseless acts of violence. They are dying in unprecedented numbers¾not on the battleground of foreign lands¾but in the schools¾and on the streets of their very own cities.

RUMBLE OF DISTANT THUNDER is a story born out of love and compassion for these children. For already in the distance an ominous cloud has formed forecasting destruction, wars, and global famine for their future. No one seems to care enough and so, they are become the forgotten ones. Â Violence is robbing our youth of the simplicity of pleasure, their childhood.

RUMBLE paves a way from such gloom that threatens to destroy our children and our society. It teaches self-respect and the value of human life.

Within the first chapters, you will meet SOJOURNER, a star-ship that is one of the principal characters. Its primary function is to travel the galaxies, while monitoring the "Chosen Ones" stationed throughout the universe.

You will meet Darius; a seventeen-year-old inner?city youth who is forced to ward off everyday events that threatens his survival.

Through a series of events and prophecies, he learns that there is a special call on his life—and an inescapable destiny.

Young Darius and his friends have seen the results of living in such a violent and moralless society. He has seen childhood friends senselessly gunned down, others trying to escape by way of drugs, leaving to mourn their shattered lives friends and loved ones. Â Darius is troubled and saddened by all that is happening around him. Powerless to do anything about it for the moment, he pledges that somehow, he WILL make a difference.

The unsuspecting youth learns through an age?old prophecy that he is a prince and direct descendant of the Wantu?Wazuri, a supremely advanced race that had once visited our world over twelve thousand years ago. Â In their observation of human development, they were overwhelmed with concern for the children they were to leave behind. Â Upon their departure, they endowed the lives of these children with positive effects and indelible marks of more advanced and intelligent civilizations. Unbeknownst to Darius the prophecy is unfolding itself. Â Elsewhere in the Universe, the Council of Elders are convening and collectively using their telepathic powers to summon and prepare him for the leadership of his people.

As Darius’ appointed time draws near, he begins to speak out of love and self?respect to all that will listen, while Jamaal, a young, ruthless killer, and leader of a powerful drug?gang, is determined to protect his own interests. The escalating violence surrounding him continues to fill Darius with questions as he struggles to understand why, and the call on his life.

Through Ganna, his spiritual guardian and mentor, Darius knows he must accept his fate. Â The decision to leave Earth even temporarily is tough, but he knows that if his world Â is to survive at all, he must go.

Arriving with his family and some of his closest friends on Wantu?Wazuria, the Central Seat of government for the vast, expanding empire, the struggle intensifies as Efuru, the evil and manipulating wife of the late Emperor Nkombe?the?Great, attempts to thwart his ascension to the throne.

This humble, yet lion?hearted youth learns that for the last five hundred years, the Wantu?Wazurians were peaceful and prosperous people. Now, after the Emperor´s death, his wife fights to have her evil and treacherous son rule, despite the prophecies that the throne would be torn from her grasps and given to an off?worlder.

Ignoring the ancient prophecies, Efuru continues her campaign for her son´s rights against the Will of God and the Council of Elders who had refused to reinstate him honoring the request of his father on his deathbed.

Prince Naamesis, extremely bitter over that decision, rebels and leads a revolt against Darius. But while on Khorsabad, a world outside the Empire, he is killed during an assassination attempt on the prince´s life.

Yet reeling over her son´s death, Efuru risks death for deceiving the Council of Elders, and invokes the Ancient Right?Of?Challenge to reveal a long, dark secret of the birth of another son out of wedlock to Nkombe before he became Emperor.

Kewsi?Molimbwai, a Champion of Warriors, is summoned by his mother from their family estate and arrives before the Council to challenge Darius´ right to the throne. Â But after discovering her murderous plot, he befriends the young prince, has a change of heart, and reveals the plan to Ganna, Wantu?Wazurian’s chief high priestess and prophetess.

In order to become a man, Ganna knows that Darius has to prove his bravery and gain his confidence. Â To do this, she decrees that he must go to Khorsabad to bring an end to the

Six-year occupational rule of the Madmanishians, ruthless warriors under the Imperial Dictatorship of Emperor Draccar, who had confiscated that world’s life?sustaining Fluro?Pluetonian mines for his own. Â Uniting with Fagan and his underground army of young men, the valiant prince is successful, and fulfills the long awaited prophecy of a Deliverer who liberates the people. Â His return home to Wantu?Wazuria is triumphant.

Soon after Darius´ arrival, the deadly plot against him is revealed to all. Â Ganna and the Elders arrest Efuru. Â Finally, in unparalleled pageantry and fanfare, Darius is crowned Wantu?Wazuria´s undisputed Emperor.

As an act of clemency, The Emperor sets aside the death penalty for Efuru. But she is stripped of all power and authority and exiled to Earth to live out her days helping the less fortunate.

Â  Â  Â  Â  Darius remembers the children, the chosen of the Wantu?Wazuri and gives a sad report that even on his home world millions die each year through famine and starvation in third?world countries, and to abuse, gun and drug violence in others. He decrees that all children throughout the Empire will grow up in a safe environment.

Finally fulfilling all Wantu?Wazurian prophecies, it´s time to extend his authority to Earth. Â He appoints Kewesi?Molimbwai as co-regent in his absence. Â He has proven to be an honest and just man with many of his father´s traits. Darius knows that he will rule well and continue to carry out his assigned agendas. Â With that assurance, he departs.

However, his mission is FAR from over. Â Upon returning to Earth, he finds that he and other unexplained missing persons have been the target of a six?month world?wide investigations headed by global law enforcement agencies.

Darius knows that the time to explain to the people of Earth is long overdue. Â As Head of the 1000?world Wantu?Wazurian Empire, his mission is to turn the tide of hunger;

to put an end to child?abuse and the flow of drugs and guns throughout the world. To accomplish this, he must take on corrupt political leaders as well as its international cartels.

Sadistic, Opera lover, Carlos Delgotto has almost dictatorial control over one of the most corrupt and deadliest cartels on earth. Â But through a near tragedy, which almost cost the life of his favorite son, Carlos is finally convinced that the drug and gun trade must stop. But before he can present his convictions to other cartels leaders, he and forty?eight members of his organization are killed in the bombing of the restaurant frequented by them.

Angered over the violent deaths in an escalating war between drug factions, Darius is even more convinced that it´s time to confront the enemy and make his presence known. With no better place to begin, Sojourner leaves orbit for the Earth and a course that takes it directly over the "No?Fly Zone" of the White House. Immediately, the world is thrown into turmoil and fear from the confirmed sightings of an Armada of ships circling the Earth.

Darius arrives at Philadelphia´s Penn´s Landing where ironically he falls victim to the violence he sought to stop. He is cut down by two irate drug?dealers after