The provided text is comprised of excerpts from Mark Frost's 1995 novel, "The Six Messiahs," as indicated by the copyright information. The narrative follows Dr. Arthur Conan Doyle and his companion Innes as they become embroiled in a global mystery involving stolen holy books, including the Zohar, and a secret society known as the Hanseatic League, which is potentially linked to the return of Doyle's estranged inspiration, Jack Sparks (Sherlock Holmes's model). Concurrently, the story tracks several other characters—including the Japanese martial artist Kanazuchi, the Jewish scholar Jacob Stern, the actress Eileen Temple, the American Indian woman Walks Alone, and the outlaw Buckskin Frank McQuethy—all of whom are connected by a shared, apocalyptic "dream" concerning a "black tower" and "six figures." The plot culminates in The New City in Arizona, where the primary antagonist, the charismatic cult leader Reverend Day (who is Jack Sparks's brother, Alexander), plans to destroy the holy books in an underground chamber to "break the chains that bind our Messiah in darkness." The excerpts detail the violent confrontation between the heroes and the Reverend's followers, revealing that the Reverend is insane and has been attempting to recruit new members like the killer Dante Scruggs for his cause, which he believes is a "healing or repair" for the world.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.