# The Dawn-Breakers Novel

*Exported from [Holy-Writings.com](https://www.holy-writings.com/) on 2026-06-21 — 1 clipping.*

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> Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: James J. Keene, The Dawn-Breakers Novel, bahai-library.com.
> ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
> 
> THE DAWN-BREAKERS Novel 1
> by
> 
> James J Keene
> 
> © 2021 James J Keene
> 
> Posted as a sample at
> https://bahai-library.com/keene_dawnbreakers_novel . Purchase
> online at https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09895BRXC .
> 
> Page format small because copied from the Kindle edition.
> Preface
> A movie screenplay is often based on a novel. However,
> this novel is based on the film script by the author,
> recently published as a book in "THE DAWN-BREAKERS
> Movie".
> 
> Some may prefer to read the novel version of the story.
> The screenplay version might provide a different
> experience. What if the reader is handed the script and
> asked to be the Director of the production, "What do you
> see, hear and feel?"
> 
> This is the question that readers of either the movie or
> novel versions may answer. Those answers suggest a
> variety of experiences of the story linked to the
> imagination of each reader.
> 
> The objective of the author is that the experience based
> on either the movie script or this novel version may enrich
> the lives of readers.
> 
> The working title of the movie is "The Dawn-Breakers".
> This title has become well known among Baha'is from the
> important historical account written by Shoghi Effendi,
> Guardian of the Baha'i Faith from 1921 to 1957.
> 
> In about 1986, the author and a prospective investor in
> the film production were invited to meet with Ruhiyyih
> Khanum (1910-2000), the widow of the late Guardian, in
> her suite while at the Theater Hotel, Vienna, Austria. The
> investor argued to Ms. Khanum that the movie should not
> have the same title as the Guardian's book. Her response
> was simple and brief, with a few words to the effect that
> she did not see any problem at all concerning the movie
> title.
> 
> ii
> At that time, the author had sent hundreds of pages
> including the script and supporting documents to the
> international administrative body of the Baha'i Faith,
> known as The Universal House of Justice, in Haifa, Israel.
> In a written reply, The House advised that the author
> should maintain control of the project and that they were
> praying for its success.
> 
> In the 1980s before "The Dawn-Breakers" screenplay was
> written, a detailed chronology of the story did not exist.
> Yes, many were familiar with the broad outline of the story
> based on various books that described its key episodes. So
> to write the film script, the author had to create a time-line
> of events in the story. This chronology was published in
> "THE DAWN-BREAKERS Movie", 2021, 30 pages in
> Appendices A and B.
> 
> After the author sent the script and related documents to
> The Universal House of Justice, one of the members began
> correspondence with the author. In one of these letters,
> he noted that he had shared the chronology with persons
> in the Baha'i community interested in Babi history. This
> may or may not have been appropriate since the
> documents at that time had been marked as proprietary
> materials of Keene Productions. Whatever the case, it
> appeared that there may have been some public release of
> the documents, perhaps mainly to Baha'i scholars.
> 
> Fast forward to the present writing of the novel version of
> the screenplay over three decades later. The internet was
> searched for illustrations for this book. Happily, it was
> noted that many sources now featured Babi history in
> chronology tabulations of events and dates, Wiki articles,
> videos and books, all closely following the chronology
> created by the author. Is this all original research or did
> the author's chronology play a role in some of these
> developments? In any case, the outcome is welcome.
> 
> iii
> In much of these works, historical figures are portrayed
> mostly in a one-dimensional, even zero-dimensional,
> manner. That is, the people are treated as if they were
> just cardboard cutouts or perfect saints. This can be both
> unrealistic and boring. In contrast, the movie script and
> this novel pose the question: what if these figures were
> real human beings? People who laugh, scream, cry, tell
> jokes, bleed, shout, smile, dream, get muddy. People with
> both weak and strong moments.
> 
> Finally, some housekeeping items may be helpful.
> 
> The dialogue in a screenplay might not include the name
> of a particular character. Hence, the script might invent
> descriptive names, like, say, "Waitress" or "Cop #1". This
> practice is continued in the novel version. Examples: A
> bread vender is "Bread". A wool vender is "Wool".
> 
> Many of the real names of characters are long and
> unfamiliar to many readers. Thus, many characters are
> identified with short names. Examples: Mulla Husayn is
> "Husayn", Abbas Quli-Khan is "General".
> 
> Scholarly accounts may carefully include accents on vowels
> in names of people, places and things. Sorry, folks. No
> vowel accents here. Technically, there is no ambiguity
> since each name, whether with or without accents, refers
> to the same person, place or thing.
> 
> The lights are dimming.
> THE DAWN-BREAKERS is about to begin.
> 
> James J Keene
> July 9, 2021
> 
> iv
> Contents
> 
> Anticipation of the Mission of the Bab ............................. 1
> The Shaykhi Movement in Karbala ................................ 11
> Proclamation of the Mission of the Bab ......................... 27
> The State Reacts - Shiraz ............................................. 37
> Biela's Comet Split in Two ............................................ 45
> Vahid Investigates the Babis ........................................ 57
> Shiraz Governor Ordered to Kill the Bab ........................ 67
> The State Reacts - Isfahan ........................................... 77
> The Bab Disappears..................................................... 93
> The State Reacts - Tehran ......................................... 101
> The Bab Imprisoned at the Mak-Ku Fortress ................ 111
> The Babis Act ............................................................ 119
> Mulla Husayn Walks from Mashhad to Mah-Ku ............. 131
> Islamic Clerics Agree to Execute Tahirih ...................... 141
> Christian Missionary Watches the Babis ....................... 147
> Mulla Husayn Back in Mashhad ................................... 151
> Badasht Conference and the Trial of the Bab ............... 155
> Dream of a Tabriz Youth ............................................ 169
> Babis March from Mashhad to Mazindaran................... 173
> Babis Attacked Again by Religious Fanatics .................. 187
> Babi Defense at Tabarsi Shrine ................................... 199
> Tabarsi Fort 1.0 ........................................................ 205
> Tabarsi Fort 2.0 ........................................................ 213
> Babis Target Munitions to Disable Besiegers ................ 225
> Fifteen Minutes of Fame for a General ........................ 233
> Tabarsi Fort 3.0 ........................................................ 243
> Babis Betrayed and Massacred at Tabarsi .................... 247
> Babi Numbers Increase Throughout Persia .................. 251
> Turmoil and Death in the Capital ................................ 255
> Siege of Zanjan Babis by the Shah's Troops ................ 265
> Martyrdom of the Bab ................................................ 275
> Postscript.................................................................. 287
> 
> v
> vi
> Anticipation of the Mission of the Bab
> 
> This is the true story
> of a youth from Shiraz known as the Bab
> 
> HAIFA, PALESTINE, 1843
> 
> At the Mediterranean shore of the small port of Haifa,
> Palestine, the sun is about to rise over Mt. Carmel, a
> barren mass rising right from the shoreline. Austin Wright
> and Captain move with the gentle sway of a fifty-foot
> cargo boat, where they sit on the stern rail. Three Arab
> locals are unloading sacks of grain: one in the hold, one on
> deck and one stacking the sacks on a cart on the small
> pier to which the boat is moored.
> "A long way from America," says Captain.
> "I can't believe I'm here," replies Wright.
> "Don't start on that again."
> 
> A rooster crows at dawn. A few voices and a baby crying
> come from the few modest houses lining the street leading
> up the mountain. Each off-loaded sack thuds on the cart.
> 
> Wright: 32, an American Christian missionary, earnest, clean-
> shaven with moustache, a talker, seeks an audience.
> Captain: unkempt beard, middle-aged British adventurer.
> 
> The Arab on deck throws a fifty-pound sack to the pier.
> As it leaves his hands, he hears the sound of wood and
> rope under suddenly increased tension.
> The line attaching the bow to the pier has no slack and
> the bow rises slightly increasing its tension as each sack is
> off-loaded.
> "People are buying white
> robes in London ... to climb
> a mountain like that,"
> Wright     says,   gesturing
> toward Mt. Carmel.
> Captain is a skeptic.
> "These people are insane."
> The Arab on deck listens
> to the conversation as he
> works.
> "They're coming here.
> You'll see!"
> Wright gazes up at Mt.
> Carmel, "It began in 1755
> with the great earthquake
> of Lisbon, Portugal."
> A sea swell begins a slow
> roll of the boat as the Arab tosses another sack off the
> boat.
> The bowline is about to give way. The rope unravels and
> slips. The deck and pier cleats strain and wood creaks.
> Cargo shifts below deck. A couple having an argument
> scream in one of the nearby shacks. It sounds like an
> earthquake.
> The bowline is so tight that the boat can no longer
> move. Wright continues, "This one ranks first among all
> recorded earthquakes, killing 60,000 people in six
> minutes."
> The bow-pier attachment gives way. The pier plank with
> the mooring cleat at the bow breaks loose. The boat
> bobs up and down. Wright almost goes overboard.
> Captain grips the stern rail.
> "Jesus," Captain says, as he shakes his head in
> resignation while the Arabs hasten to refasten the bow. A
> small swell from the sea slams the boat into the pier.
> "Are we sinking?" Wright asks with an impish smile.
> Captain replies with playful sarcasm, "Just an
> earthquake."
> 
> "Ah. Then in 1780 there was the Dark Day. Imagine."
> The picture in Wright's mind is a New York street with
> people looking up, circa 1780. The mid-day sun begins to
> darken.
> "An eclipse?" asks Captain.
> "No, the cause was not known," replies Wright. His
> imagined flashback to the event continues. The sun and
> sky darken. Star constellations become visible. New York
> people and animals react, run and look. The moon
> becomes visible in the darkening sky. Wright continues,
> "but in the day-time darkness the moon appeared red as
> blood."
> A few seagulls fly by. Dogs are barking in the distance.
> Wright looks for a reaction. But Captain just glances up
> at Mt. Carmel.
> The sun has now arisen above the horizon. The sacks
> keep thumping their way from boat hold to pier cart. The
> Arab at mid-ship still listens to Wright's description,
> "The third thing. The historic shooting star displays of
> 1799 and 1833. I tell you. All around the world, serious
> people are preparing for the sudden appearance of Christ
> next year."
> Hearing this, the Arab drops a sack of grain on the deck,
> as if it had become electrified and steps forward crying out
> in Arabic, "Shi'ihs are waiting for the prophet in Karbala!"
> Wright looks to Captain for the English translation, "The
> Muslims also are waiting for their prophet to return in
> Karbala."
> The Arab can speak a little English and barks out, "Next
> year. Big trouble," before resuming his work.
> Closing his eyes Captain says, "Descend from the clouds,
> eh?"
> 
> Captain recalls having a drink ten years ago with Lt.
> Francis Farrant and Lt. Justin Sheil in the countryside near
> Hamadan, Persia. They are in a military tent. They see
> dancing light from camp fires and hear depraved partying
> of Persian soldiers in the night.
> 
> "Ten years ago in '33, Farrant, Sheil and I were training
> the Persian cavalry forces of Fath-'Ali Shah. Suddenly there
> was silence. We looked outside."
> 
> They look up at the cloudless sky of Nov 13, 1833.
> Against the constellations of fixed stars, with that of Leo
> seen prominently, hundreds of shooting stars appear as
> flying sparks. This is the famous "Leonid" meteor shower.
> The dramatic burning of each entering meteor is heard.
> The breaking of several meteors into pieces is even louder.
> Fireballs created by large meteorites are breathtaking,
> followed by thunderclaps. This shooting star display is said
> to be the biggest recorded in history.
> 
> QAZVIN
> 
> Two women walk briskly down a narrow street in the
> noon sun. We suppose they are women by their voices,
> since they are completely covered in black veils and the
> only opening is a cloth grid of a few square inches for
> them to see out. Their black forms contrast the light brown
> mud walls along the dusty street. They are Tahirih and
> Mardiyyih.
> 
> Tahirih: 26, is beautiful, a "man's woman", a child prodigy,
> known as the most educated woman in Persia, a renowned
> poetess. At age 13, Tahirih had been forced to marry her cousin,
> now about 35, the son of a Mulla who is a brother of her father.
> Thus, Tahirih was related as wife-cousin, niece and daughter
> respectively to three powerful clerics in Qazvin.
> 
> Her sister, Mardiyyih, 20,
> is her attractive and faithful
> companion.
> 
> Others are on the street, as
> Tahirih's husband passes
> them.
> "That was my husband.
> Now I've had it."
> "If he knew it was us,"
> Mardiyyih replies.
> They both laugh. The
> other women on the street
> are covered in identical
> head-to-toe veils which are
> indistinguishable.
> 
> Tahirih's Husband: 35, is
> cruel and arrogant, but unable to subdue her free spirit and
> outstanding intellect.
> 
> The two women stop at a door along the walled narrow
> street. It opens just enough to see a man inside. It's
> Tahirih's uncle, mid-40s, open mind and heart.
> Tahirih's eyes are barely visible behind the cloth grid
> opening in the full body veil. It appears that nothing is
> happening in this very brief encounter. However, Tahirih
> discretely passes a letter to her uncle. She pulls it from her
> sleeve handing it to her uncle, who then disappears behind
> the door. Not a word is spoken. The women scurry off.
> As her uncle, his eyes not yet adjusted to the outdoor,
> mid-day sun brightness, is about to close the door, he
> notices a small disturbance down the street. A vendor
> points to the sky as he hawks copperware vessels from a
> street cart to potential customers. High in the sky, strange
> circles or halos appear around the sun. Tahirih's uncle
> glances upward as he closes the door.
> It is dark inside the front door hall. He blinks with
> watered eyes.
> 
> He sees a long darkened hall, much like a tunnel,
> opening into a bright inner courtyard.
> He squeezes his eyes shut
> again.
> The light at the end of the
> passageway is replaced with
> that of the sun with halos in
> negative image. It is the after-
> image still tingling in his visual
> system. Words cannot describe
> the beautiful bursts of swirling
> colors that his vivid imagination
> freely adds to this unusual
> image. Blinking several times, in a stroboscopic series of
> images, he sees his hand rise into the passageway holding
> the letter from Tahirih. The letter is bound with a ribbon
> with its wax seal and addressed in Persian calligraphy. The
> letter rises to match the position of the sun after-image
> and mix with it. Tahirih's uncle whispers, "Karbala."
> 
> Tahirih's room has no windows and the subdued lighting
> comes from roof ports and the doorway, which opens as
> she and Mardiyyih romp in. The room is not big, but by the
> time they reach the other side, they have quickly shed
> their veils down to simple dresses. They dislike the veil,
> the discomfort associated with it and waste no time in
> getting it off now that they have arrived in their own
> women's quarters. Even though it is a cool day, they are
> covered with sweat, from the excessive clothing, the
> vigorous walk and the excitement of their mission. It
> almost looks like they had been swimming. Tahirih's face is
> particularly enticing. They embrace. Both are filled with
> emotion.
> Mardiyyih says, "Now you can teach us again tonight."
> "Um-hum. Tell the women."
> Behind them, Tahirih's desk is filled with papers and
> books. Mardiyyih, then Tahirih, notice something on the
> floor behind a chair.
> 
> A closer look reveals bits of shredded manuscripts.
> Furthermore, some books have been torn apart and the
> ink well had been emptied over precious documents. They
> sigh at the view of this destruction.
> Good thing the women had not yet fully released their
> embrace, so they can grab each other in sudden fear as a
> voice booms, "Women should not read and your 'poetry' is
> disgraceful ... Give it up ... and you can see my children
> again."
> Tahirih's Husband had not yet left the room when the
> two women entered. He makes his statement and leaves.
> This is closer to the last, than to the first, altercation
> between Tahirih and her husband. Tears flow. He is gone
> but she calls out, "Our children ... my children."
> Mardiyyih, speechless, tries to comfort her older sister.
> 
> The Shaykhi Movement in Karbala
> 
> KARBALA
> 
> Mysterious halos appear around the sun quite different
> in pattern than before. They are seen above the Shi'ih holy
> city of Karbala in Ottoman Turkish territory (now Iraq),
> near the provincial capital of Baghdad.
> Tens of thousands of Persians flock to this city for its
> holy shrine of Imam Husayn, a sacred figure in Shi'ih Islam
> history. And they come to the city, at times, simply to get
> out of Persia for a while.
> 
> RESIDENCE OF SIYYID KAZIM, KARBALA
> 
> Siyyid Kazim has paused and is about to finish a talk to a
> group of some thirty men in a shady porch-like enclosure
> opening into the courtyard of his ample residence.
> 
> Siyyid Kazim, 59, is a Persian spiritual leader of the Shaykhi
> movement and perhaps the most prominent and respected
> resident of Karbala. As a measure of his stature, when Turkish
> troops sacked the city a few months ago (January, 1943) to put
> down an uprising of a rival Persian faction, the residence of
> Siyyid Kazim was hardly touched.
> 
> As Siyyid Kazim thumbs to a page in the Qur'an, some
> listeners are seen, including Javad, Sadiq, Mamaqani,
> Mulla and Karim.
> 
> And there is Shaykh
> seated at the periphery.
> 
> Shaykh and a friend,
> Eyes, late teens, are
> slightly apart from the
> group.
> 
> There is an empty spot
> between Shaykh and Eyes
> on which a ray of light
> seems to dance on the
> tiles. The     ray    shines
> through a hole in an
> awning, flapping in the breeze.
> Siyyid Kazim speaks, "I am spellbound by the vision. I
> am mute with wonder ... I am powerless to divulge the
> mystery and find the people incapable of bearing its
> weight." He closes the Qur'an and retires through a door
> to an inner parlor. His listeners begin to disperse.
> 
> In the center of Siyyid Kazim's parlor, Farrant sits, cross-
> legged, at the head of a Persian rug near a tea set. When
> Siyyid Kazim enters. Farrant, now 35, stands immediately
> showing deference.
> 
> "I        heard       your
> statement." says Farrant.
> "You're a Christian. You
> know that the 2,000 year
> period of Daniel is about to
> elapse."
> "There is discussion."
> "Questions?"
> "If you permit it, sir,"
> Farrant replies. "The British
> Ambassador at Istanbul..."
> Farrant and Siyyid Kazim
> plunge into a discussion of
> the affairs of the day.
> 
> Back in the courtyard,
> Eyes begins to move closer, but is detained by a gesture
> from Shaykh who then places his hand on the spot
> between them, where the ray of sunlight dances. The
> dancing of this illuminated spot seems magical.
> Shaykh is older than Eyes, sort of the difference
> between college graduate and high school age.
> Shaykh says, "Let me tell you about this spot. A few
> years ago an intimate of Siyyid Kazim awoke me at dawn."
> Bingo, just the inside story Eyes wanted.
> 
> Shaykh recalls how he, Siyyid Kazim and an intimate
> associate of Siyyid Kazim walked a Karbala street. Vendors
> are opening their shops. A man, putting on his turban,
> eyes them. The intimate associate of Siyyid Kazim is easily
> into his forties. Clearly, the younger Shaykh, tagging
> behind the two men, is thrilled to be part of whatever
> these illustrious gentlemen are about to do. Shaykh
> narrates, "The morning light had just broken. I followed
> them through the streets of Karbala. We reached a house.
> In the open door stood a youth."
> 
> Eyes is captivated as
> Shaykh continues, "He
> had an expression of
> kindliness I can never
> describe. He embraced
> each of us."
> Eyes is leaning forward
> and has to be reminded
> not to block the light ray
> on the spot between them
> as Shaykh speaks.
> "At the upper floor, we
> entered      a     chamber
> bedecked with flowers ...
> the loveliest perfumes. We
> sat. At the center ... a
> silver cup. The youth said,
> 'A drink of a pure
> beverage shall their Lord give them'."
> Eyes says, "Words from the Qur'an."
> Shaykh continues, "Siyyid Kazim drank from the silver
> cup, forbidden by Islam."
> 
> By now, Shaykh and Eyes are alone in the courtyard.
> Shaykh jumps up to better dramatize the end of his story.
> "Three days later, the same youth arrived and sat right
> there."
> The light ray dances on the tiles as Shaykh points. Eyes
> gives the spot a little more room.
> "Siyyid Kazim was speaking to an assembly."
> Now Shaykh has stepped up to the spot where Siyyid
> Kazim speaks some twenty-five feet away and acts out his
> description, "As soon as his eyes fell upon that young man,
> he said, 'What more shall I say? Lo, the Truth is more
> manifest than the ray of light that has fallen upon that
> lap!'"
> Of course, Shaykh has puffed up his posture to his idea
> of the dignity with which Siyyid Kazim presents himself. He
> 
> swings his arm around to emphasize how Siyyid Kazim had
> pointed to the spot where "the youth" had been.
> "Some of Siyyid Kazim's listeners, Husayn, Quddus,
> Mulla, Sadiq, Javad and finally Mamaqani, turned their
> heads toward him. They all looked curiously. But the
> mean-looking, one-eyed Mamaqani, an ugly scar over the
> bad eye, looked disdainfully."
> Shaykh surveys the courtyard to see if it is still empty. It
> is. They are alone.
> "O.K. Ask me ... Ask me who this youth is."
> Eyes grins, jumps up, raising his hand to be recognized
> as Siyyid Kazim's students would do and asks, "Can you
> reveal his name?"
> Slitting his throat with his finger, acting Siyyid Kazim's
> role, Shaykh answers grimly, "If I divulge his name, we
> both would be put to death instantly."
> 
> After a journey from Qazvin, Persia, over the mountains
> to Karbala, Tahirih's uncle has delivered her letter to Siyyid
> Kazim one summer night in his parlor.
> The opened letter from Tahirih is centered on Siyyid
> Kazim's writing table. Siyyid Kazim holds another letter, his
> reply, and speaks to Tahirih's uncle, "Your niece. The most
> educated woman in Persia. A renowned poetess. Now
> this."
> The uncle asks, with his eyes, "Now this, what?"
> Siyyid Kazim hands to him his sealed letter, with these
> words, "In my reply, I address her as Qurratu'l-'Ayn,
> 'Solace of the Eyes.' She has already stepped beyond
> poetry."
> 
> CHRISTIAN MISSION, URUMIYYIH
> 
> The Christian Mission at Urumiyyih is a handsome stone
> structure in the northwest of Persia, near the Russian and
> Turkish borders. This building still stands today. Urumiyyih
> is now called Rizaiyyih, Iran.
> In the front parlor, the American Wright is speaking with
> a visiting British Bishop, near retirement, who does not
> share Wright's expectations. Bishop reads the religious
> newspaper, "Midnight Cry." Not lifting his eyes from the
> paper, he pays only minimal attention to Wright.
> Wright is enthused, "In America, William Miller and
> Joseph Smith say the coming is imminent."
> Bishop replies, "Here it says that British and American
> societies are spreading the Gospel in every part of the
> world."
> "Just so! Everything is in place."
> In his own low key manner, Bishop is skeptical, "With
> Mt. Ararat not far away and all the cloudiness lately, it
> might seem so."
> Wright has found a listener, "The Sunnis and Shi'ihs say
> that..."
> For the first time, Bishop looks at Wright with more than
> a glance, "Nothing simple can cross the bridge between us
> and Islam."
> Sensing that he was not getting anywhere, Wright steps
> outside while Bishop continues relaxing and reading.
> 
> In the May-June night air, Wright strolls the crest of a
> slope with distant mountains barely visible. He looks back
> at the mission building, thinking, "We say 1844. They say
> 1260. In our calendar, 1844."
> Swiftly, clouds part. Wright beholds the appearance of a
> stunning sight, the Great Comet of 1843. It was not called
> "The Great Comet" for nothing. It was so astounding that
> it was first seen during bright sunlight.
> Wright begins to romp, jump and run away from the
> mission into the darkness. As he dashes off like a child, he
> 
> screams as if the rocky empty slopes are lined with
> listeners. Wright always seeks an audience, "Their 1260 is
> our 1844."
> 
> Seated in the mission
> parlor, Bishop looks up
> momentarily      from     his
> paper. Perhaps the voice
> (of Wright) he hears in the
> distance is a whirling
> dervish. Not to worry. It is
> not uncommon that human
> voices in the distance
> interrupt the night silence.
> 
> As Wright's exclamations
> are now quite loud, a
> dervish peers at Wright
> from among some large
> rocks.
> 
> Dervish is a sight rivaling that of the Great Comet. In his 50s,
> he has long stringy hair and mustache, an unusual outfit
> accented by his leopard's skin cloak and little round spectacles
> about to slide down his nose. His face has sharp but pleasant
> features. With wandering dervishes of this type, one may be
> dealing with a con-man or simply a bum or a genuine mystic
> spiritualist of the Sufi tradition.
> 
> The moving clouds reveal a fuller view of the Great
> Comet. Wright shouts, "That's it! It's happening!"
> 
> Wright is now dancing, twirling, his arms out-stretched
> and vocalizing loudly something not quite understandable.
> The mountains seem crowned by the giant comet glowing
> above.
> 
> Dervish inspects the ecstatic trance of Wright. He fingers
> his prayer beads and scratches his chin with the curved-
> blade hatchet commonly carried by such individuals. He
> seems to be considering several unspoken theories: "This
> Westerner has seen me here and is making fun of me" or
> "This Westerner is really with it, whatever it is."
> 
> Suddenly, Wright freezes as his twirl throws him eye to
> eye with Dervish. A bit dizzy, Wright notices the sharp,
> curved hatchet blade. Dervish howls, tosses the hatchet
> aside, jumping up to twirl in his own reverie. His
> spectacles fall at Wright's feet. Wide-eyed, exhausted,
> Wright sighs and dashes after him.
> Now two "whirling dervishes" dance on a hill crest below
> the Great Comet.
> 
> THE BAB'S FAMILY RESIDENCE, SHIRAZ
> 
> Illuminated by a lantern, a beautiful, very young baby
> lies still in a Persian style crib. Its eyes are open. It is
> absolutely motionless. After a few heart beats, the horror
> of this sight hits home. All is not well.
> These are the moments after the death of the only child
> of a quiet, young man, who will later assume the title of
> "the Bab," meaning "the gateway" to a new era of history,
> our modern age.
> The Bab's Wife and Mother, tears gushing, sob and wail,
> hugging the lifeless child and clinging to each other.
> 
> It is a silent night, but for an ethereal and profoundly
> sad Persian chant. These intonations are prayers offered
> by her husband, the Bab, on this solemn occasion.
> 
> Later, the Bab's Wife, despondent, sits on a bench in the
> small courtyard. She looks up in the direction of the source
> of the chant, coming from the roof of a second story of the
> house. Her eyes are wet and red. The Bab's Mother
> appears and comforts her.
> She tells the mother, "He said he was not destined to
> leave any children."
> "Come to bed ... He will not stop until morning."
> 
> The Great Comet dominates the night sky. From the
> courtyard, it appears to connect with a place on the roof of
> the house. The prayerful chanting continues.
> 
> COURTYARD OF SIYYID KAZIM, KARBALA
> December, 1843
> 
> According to custom, Siyyid Kazim has been prepared for
> burial. This is not a dream. He is dead. Light filters through
> moving tree leaves illuminating his figure. Prior to his
> death, however, there was a dream of a modest Shepherd
> of similar age to Siyyid Kazim. Consider his story, near the
> mosque of Baratha, not far from Baghdad.
> 
> BARATHA, COUNTRYSIDE NEAR BAGHDAD
> 
> In the same position as Siyyid Kazim now lies on his
> back, the sun-burned and wind-worn face of this Shepherd
> appears, also in the shade, illuminated by light filtering
> through moving foliage. The Shepherd opens his eyes and
> rises to a sitting position, as if rising from the dead. He
> smiles, seeing his livestock and dog nearby. But he just
> had a disturbing dream.
> 
> IN FRONT OF MOSQUE-I-BARATHA
> 
> Camels loaded with possessions mill about in front of the
> mosque. A group of some twenty men have gathered
> under a palm in the foreground. The Shepherd and his dog
> approach with hesitation. He is about the leave, when two
> men in the group, Sadiq and Javad smile and beckon him
> to join them.
> Just as the Shepherd finds himself among the men, one
> of them turns for a close look at him. It is Siyyid Kazim.
> The Shepherd almost collapses. His dog whines when the
> one-eyed Mamaqani approaches.
> Recomposed, the Shepherd quotes from his dream to
> Siyyid Kazim, "'When you shall have returned to Karbala,
> there, three days after your return, you will wing your
> flight to Me'."
> Sadiq and Javad, but not Siyyid Kazim, become
> disturbed.
> The Shepherd finishes his account, "That's what the
> voice said, 'Tell him, from Me'."
> Suspicious        that    a
> conspiracy might be afoot
> with respect to their leader,
> Siyyid Kazim, some of the
> men can barely restrain
> themselves. No fool, the
> Shepherd       realizes   what
> methods might be used to
> extract further information.
> He sees that he cannot
> make a run for freedom. He
> is surrounded. Siyyid Kazim's
> men would not have harmed
> him, but the Shepherd is
> relieved when Siyyid Kazim
> intervenes smiling, "This was
> a dream?"
> Looking around at the
> men, the Shepherd carefully
> 
> pronounces in his most credible tone of voice, "Yes, that's
> right. A dream." His dog wags its tail.
> Then Siyyid Kazim states, "There is no doubt of the truth
> of this dream."
> The emotions of the men shift from anger and suspicion
> toward confusion and grief as Siyyid Kazim continues,
> "Would you not wish me to die, that the Promised One
> may be revealed?"
> 
> COURTYARD OF SIYYID KAZIM
> 1844
> 
> Tahirih's uncle had personally delivered Siyyid Kazim's
> reply to her letter. This kind uncle, Tahirih and her sister,
> Mardiyyih, then embarked on the long journey to Karbala
> to study under Siyyid Kazim. Upon their arrival, Mardiyyih
> awaits a reunion with her husband, Ali, who was already in
> Karbala as a student of Siyyid Kazim.
> Alas, Siyyid Kazim had
> passed away before their
> arrival. Now Karbala was
> buzzing        with       the
> expectation that a new
> era was beginning and a
> new       prophet     might
> appear.
> The courtyard of Siyyid
> Kazim's      residence      is
> empty. Mardiyyih stands
> in the doorway to the
> women's area of the
> household.
> Three men enter the
> courtyard from the street
> entrance,           Shaykh,
> Tahirih's uncle and Ali, about 22.
> "Ali!" cries Mardiyyih.
> 
> Shaykh and Tahirih's uncle stop at the entrance and
> politely look away as Ali runs to embrace Mardiyyih.
> 
> "To have traveled so far only to find that Siyyid Kazim
> had..." Ali says.
> Mardiyyih whispers, "Umm ... you're here."
> 
> Husayn, 31, is another of Siyyid Kazim's students. As many of
> Siyyid Kazim's following, he is a scholar, devoted to religious
> studies, a Muslim cleric known as "Mulla Husayn." He is
> handsome and on this day, as he appears on the street in front
> of Siyyid Kazim's residence, his popularity is evident.
> Husayn is not large, either by build or stature and may even
> be considered on the fragile side physically. He is serious,
> determined and possessed of an attractive personality that
> makes him a natural leader. A slight tremor is seen whenever he
> uses his right hand.
> 
> Mounted on horses, Husayn followed by his Brother and
> Nephew ride toward the residence of Siyyid Kazim.
> Husayn's Brother and Nephew, younger men, are almost
> constant companions devoted to Husayn.
> 
> Attracted by the sound of
> a crowd, Tahirih's uncle
> and Shaykh emerge from
> the front entrance of Siyyid
> Kazim's residence to see
> the three men near the
> stand of a bread vendor.
> 
> This vendor -- let us call
> him "Bread" -- is short, stout,
> flabby,    unkempt,      gruff,
> without class.
> 
> In the threshold of the
> dwelling next to Siyyid
> Kazim's, Husayn's mother,
> 
> early 40's and his sister, Bibi, mid teens, wearing face
> veils, scarfs and dark dresses, watch the scene.
> "Look at him!" Bibi says.
> Husayn's mother, standing behind Bibi, wraps her arms
> around Bibi and replies stoically, "Take a good look at your
> brother."
> 
> A young boy, who will be called Street, then 10 years
> old, is thrilled to touch Husayn's saddle, as the crowd
> presses in.
> 
> From a window on the outer side of the parlor of Siyyid
> Kazim's residence, Tahirih lifts her shawl to cover her face
> and peers out at Husayn.
> Near the rump of Husayn's horse, Street cups his hands
> to form a step to hoist his younger brother -- call him Kid,
> only five years old -- up on to the horse. High-strung and
> prancing in place, the horse shifts position. Street and Kid
> hit the ground.
> 
> Kid    and    Street    are
> brothers visiting Karbala with
> their father, a widower; are
> "lower class" and often seem
> unaware of "manners"; they
> wear something distinctive to
> be easily recognized about
> three years later.
> 
> Above the voices of well-
> wishers all speaking at
> once, the Bread vendor
> calls to Husayn, "Stay in
> Karbala! It is you they
> want.    Thousands      are
> coming! Big business!" as if
> a bread vendor could select
> or appoint the Promised
> One.
> 
> Husayn is expressionless. His Brother and Nephew are
> shocked by the crassness of this remark.
> Street and Kid, grinning, are again positioned beside the
> rump of Husayn's horse.
> We notice the tremor in his right hand when Husayn
> pulls out a coin. He tosses it to the Bread vender, who
> eyes it before enclosing it in his fist.
> Plop! Kid lands on the horse's rump behind Husayn.
> The Bread vender steps back from his stand, opening his
> arms. No one doubts the meaning. Quickly and orderly,
> the group cleans all the bread from the stand.
> Joy in her eyes, Tahirih chuckles. Everyone is having
> fun.
> Kid pulls himself up to sit behind Husayn. Though very
> young and with his hands on Husayn's shoulders, clearly
> Kid is daring and agile. The crowd cheers him.
> Two glassy-eyed men seated smoking water pipes stare
> straight ahead, as if none of this activity was taking place.
> Surveying and enjoying the near anarchy, the Bread
> vender notices that Husayn is staring at him and runs into
> his shop.
> Kid manages to stand
> behind Husayn on the
> horse.
> The      Bread    vendor
> reappears, carrying more
> bread from the shop for
> the people. More cheers.
> Husayn's Brother and
> Nephew laugh, seeing
> that Kid behind Husayn
> and out of Husayn's view,
> has raised an arm in a
> victory expression and
> bows to the crowd, as if
> the cheers were only for
> him. Realizing what is
> happening, Husayn also
> 
> laughs and snatches Kid down to his lap and hugs him.
> At that instant, the eyes of Tahirih and Husayn meet and
> remain interlocked as Husayn's horse continues shifting
> position. No question of the profound mutual admiration.
> 
> Tahirih turns away from
> the window. The shawl
> raised to cover her face slips
> down. She is glowing. She
> repositions the shawl over
> her face when she notices
> that Mardiyyih and Ali are
> standing on the other side of
> the room in the doorway.
> Looking out the window
> again, she says, "Mulla
> Husayn will not rest until he
> has found the treasure hard
> to attain."
> Turning to Mardiyyih and
> Ali, she touches a sealed
> letter to her cheek, crossing the room toward them.
> "And when you, Ali, shall have also found him, would
> you offer this expression of my love and devotion?" she
> asks as she places this letter in Ali's hand.
> Mardiyyih beams with pride at her husband.
> 
> Proclamation of the Mission of the Bab
> 
> THE BAB'S FAMILY RESIDENCE, SHIRAZ
> 
> Uncle, early 40s, raised
> the Bab almost as a father
> and     is    a    successful
> merchant. His dress is
> elegant but not ostentatious.
> He is a gracious host to the
> new friends of his nephew,
> Siyyid 'Ali-Muhammad (later
> known as the Bab).
> 
> The house of the Bab is
> part of a complex near to
> the residence of the Bab's
> Uncle.
> 
> It is night. Looking up
> from a small courtyard,
> Husayn can be seen
> standing at the top of a stairway to the second floor. His
> posture is casual but it might seem that he is guarding the
> entrance. The Bab's Wife emerges carrying a tray with tea
> cups and descends the stairs.
> 
> Quddus: 22, confident, relaxed, but respectful; handsome,
> with a sensitive face of a poet; clean-shaven. His dress is
> colorful and unusual, even bizarre, compared to other young
> men of his class who were religion students.
> 
> Ali and Quddus sit in the courtyard. The Bab's Wife
> passes them. Uncle asks, "Would you men like some tea?"
> Ali, "Oh ... no thank-you, sir, we're fine."
> 
> Uncle, "I hope my young 'Ali-Muhammad is not keeping
> you waiting."
> Ali, "Ah ... no ... Actually,
> he..."
> In the interior hallway
> behind     Husayn,       Mulla
> enters from a room and
> heads for Husayn and the
> stairs.
> Quddus nudges Ali to
> signal that Husayn and
> Mulla are descending the
> stairs.
> Quddus chimes in to
> Uncle, "Actually, sir, we
> were just on our way out.
> You have been more than
> kind."
> 
> Mulla: named Mulla 'Ali, a little older than Husayn and sports
> a full beard with strands of gray.
> 
> The four men exit the house of the Bab to the street
> from the front entrance, which is a double door in a wall
> enclosing the residence. As Husayn closes the doors, Mulla
> grabs both arms of Ali in a friendly, excited manner,
> "Listen to this."
> Back against the wall, Ali looks to Quddus, "I was going
> to tell him..."
> Quddus, "Tell him what? What would you say to the
> uncle of the Bab who has been like a father to him?"
> Mulla, "Listen, 'Ali. I am to deliver a message to
> Qurratu'l-Ayn."
> Across the narrow street on the second story, a woman
> opens a curtain to look.
> Husayn, "Gentlemen, let's go."
>
> — *The Dawn-Breakers Novel (Used by permission of the curator)*