All Nations

Gate of all nations



01-the-treasury-gardens



The first alignment offered itself immediately. one of the arms points directly at “The gate of all nations”


04-photo-the-gate-of-all-nations This was a quite distinct part of the palace complex at Persepolis, designed to be the focus of the Persian King’s relationship with all the countries within the empire. As the Shah had paid tribute to Cyrus the Great in particular as an enlightened ruler, it did not seem in any way unusual for such an alignment to be made when the camp was constructed.





the-gate-of-all-nations-2 Of course this line does not stop at the gate.

The Fire Temple

10-yadz-and-dargaz It stretches out across North Eastern Iran.













intersection It passes through the town of Yazd and on zooming in it can be seen to pass through a building with a relatively unusual layout. Investigation revealed that this building is a fire temple.







07-fire-temple Here is an external view of the front of the temple.













fire-temple This attendant is tending the sacred flame. the flame in this building is to the rear away from the doorway. This one of the primary lines of the camp layout align’s itself with a Zoroastrian Fire temple. This temple is relatively simple and unimposing. The building is relatively recent but the sacred flame has been burning there since before the time of Christ.

The entrance to Persia



dara-and-the-silk-road Nor does this line stop there it continues to the Iranian border at Dargaz, Also known as Dara, which in persian means wealthy, Dargaz lay on the silk road, became rich because of that and was both an educational and religious centre. In recent times it has been an Islamic centre but 1500 years ago it was a centre of Zoroastrian culture.





08-southern-pass-2 The line passes through Dargaz but is remakable decaus it bisects both the passes which delineate the Persian border, a border which appart from ambitions to assimilate Bactria just before and immediately after the time of Alexander the Great has always been the Persian Border.









09-northern-pass-2 the line is shown in blue and the path of the Silk rd is shown in red.

Now clearly there is a problem in explaining this. The line from the camp to Yazd passing through the gate of all nations could have been arranged by careful positioning of the camp but this extension to the two passes marking the Persian border cannot. The fire at Yazd could have been positioned on the line from Dargaz to Persepolis but the fire is supposed to have been in the same spot for at least two thousand years so the positioning could not have been arranged for the purpose of the celebration. It suggests that there were alignments from Persepolis which are more than two thousand years old!

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Extract from The Prisoner of Foix--Chapter 43 -The EntranceNo need to buy a Kindle. Read it on your computer or tablet

John Stanley-26th April 1355

 

'Looks like we are going to see a bit of excitement, John. The Captain tried to get an agreement from the Prince that if there is surf running across the channel to Arcachon we will turn back to Bordeaux, but the Prince would hear none of it. Instead, he has offered to provide insurance for all three ships. If they are damaged or sunk, the owners will be compensated and every sailor who makes the passage will be given a bounty payment. What none of this seems to take into account is that if we sink in rough, fast-flowing waters we might all drown.'

John raised his eyebrows. 'But that is what we are going to do?'

'Yes, despite the fact that surf running accross the entrance is not uncommon and the deep water channel moves continually. In the end, the Prince attacked their captains on their weakest point, their professional pride! He threw down the gauntlet. He offered to take the Sally first through the channel, and to take control during the passage.' He raised his brow. 'We are going into the Bay of Arcachon, come what may! '

Extract from The Eagle of Carcassone -- Chapter 24-- A Real GoddessNo need to buy a Kindle. Read it on your computer or tablet

John Stanley - 22 July 1355

An hour later John walked with Ximene close to the river along the valley below St Feriole. It was the very essence of a summer’s day. The sun was fierce but in the shadow of the trees, it was cool and fragrant. The trees and shrubs along the riverbank hid their progress, from the Château, from St Feriole.

Eventually they reached a point where John thought it was safe to emerge from cover. To his satisfaction the stream extended into a pool with a sandy beach, shaded by trees. Where the stream entered the pool there was a flat grassy area, almost circular. Behind this, the bulk of two mountain ridges provided a splendid backdrop. He looked around once more ‘Not just a good training ground but a great training ground. If the Greek heroes knew about this they might be tempted to join me, to train with me’

Ximene laughed out loud. He turned to look at her. She had removed her outer clothes and was wearing a white chemise, cut short so that it barely reached her knees. Around her waist, she wore a plaited leather belt, obviously fashioned from the multitude of leather straps to be found in the tackle room.

She ran her hands down over her breasts. ‘When you were unconscious I heard you muttering about gods and goddesses, so  I have decided that from now on, for you, I will be the goddess.’

The Prisoner of FoixVol 1 of the series—The Treasure of Trencavel

Aquitaine, an English possession, is in crisis. It is under threat from neighbouring nations and internal dissension.

The Black Prince, King Edward III’s eldest son has been given the task of taking command in Aquitaine.

Suddenly there is an opportunity. Ximene Trencavel is the heiress to the lands of Occitan, to the east of Aquitaine: lands controlled by the Franks. Ximene wants independence, both for herself and for Occitan.

A union between Aquitaine and Occitan would be mutually beneficial. The Black Prince undertakes a secret journey to meet Ximene to negotiate a marriage contract. It is, however, a marriage neither of them really wants.

Meanwhile, the  Franks plot to murder Ximene to prevent ,not just the marriage, but any kind of union between England and Occitan.

The Eagle Of CarcassonneVol II of the series—The Treasure of Trencavel

The loose alliance between Ximene Trencavel and the Black Prince is under threat.

The Prince invades Occitan, to show his support for Ximene but it becomes an invasion which creates more problems than it solves.

The Prince has fallen hopelessly in love with Joan of Kent and Joan is now determined to marry him and become the next Queen of England.

Joan is therefore  determined to convince Ximene that she should not marry the Prince.

Part of her strategy is to encourage Ximene’s relationship with John Stanley—one of the Princes bodyguards—not an easy task as both John and Ximene have doubts about their compatibility.

However, John is grievously injured in a battle and Ximene commits herself to nurse him back to health.