often smaller and weaker than the old one. The bone is newer, fresher, younger. This is exactly what the physical anthropologists found when they examined the skeletons of some of these monks. It’s all here, in this folder. The science is impeccable. They are mystified. Their research continues. But we… we know why these monks healed.”
Gideon simply stared in disbelief. Now he was sorry he hadn’t accepted a glass of port.
Glinn opened the folder, displaying an array of electron micrographs of bones. “See for yourself. The dig was sponsored by the Scottish government and—not surprisingly, when they discovered this—was immediately hushed up. That of course was no impediment to EES. So you see, Gideon, this isn’t a wild goose chase after all. The monks truly did find a remedium , a physic, that could make the blind see, the crippled walk, limbs regrow.”
Once again the crooked finger tapped the paper with its long witch’s nail. “This is no legend. The skeletons don’t lie .”
13
A LONG SILENCE gathered in the room as Gideon stared from Glinn to the folder and back again. The head of EES was deadly serious—and, it seemed, as sane as ever.
Glinn finally broke the silence. “Let’s have lunch before we examine the map in further detail. We should give our experts a little time to make an initial examination. But rest assured, now that we have the map they’ll be working on its decipherment flat-out, twenty-four seven. Our client is most anxious to get his hands on that drug.”
“And do what with it?” Gideon asked.
“He will see to it that the drug is researched, tested, developed, and shared with the world.”
“And you trust him? This medicine, if real, would be worth billions to whoever brings it to market.”
“I can absolutely assure you: he has no intention of profiting financially from this. He will create a nonprofit foundation to bring the drug to market. Now I’ll order in lunch for you two.”
“You’re not joining us?” Gideon asked.
“I have much to take care of.”
On the spur of the moment, Gideon followed Glinn into the hall. “I need to…ask you something.”
Glinn paused, turning the wheelchair around to face him, and arched the eyebrow on his one good eye inquiringly.
“This drug…I can’t help but wonder if it might cure my AVM.”
Glinn gazed at him quietly, his face unreadable. “Impossible to say. Also impossible to say is whether it would heal me.” Glinn held up his withered hand and made a gesture encompassing his crippled legs, eye, and arm. “But it seems you and I have a powerful, personal motive to succeed, do we not?”
Gideon watched the wheelchair move away down the corridor. His initial skepticism had begun to give way to mental turmoil. Glinn, who was well aware of Gideon’s terminal condition, and what the remedium might mean to him, hadn’t been the one to bring it up. But quite obviously he’d known just how powerful a motivation it would be.
An hour later, Gideon and Garza followed the wheelchair through the halls of EES, descending to the first floor. Gideon hadn’t been able to get the story of the physic out of his mind. Perfect healing. Regrown entire limbs . But his initial excitement had dimmed. No medicine, however powerful, could heal the congenital tangle of blood vessels in his brain that doctors had said would kill him in less than a year.
They entered the cavernous central space of EES, and he was glad of the distraction. The firm was always busy with obscure projects, but it seemed to Gideon that today it was busier than usual. Everyone worked industriously in the hangar-like room, mingling, chatting, looking over each other’s shoulders. Glinn had once explained that such a work environment broke down compartmentalization and encouraged spontaneous collaboration. As they made their way across the floor, one mysterious project in particular attracted Gideon’s attention. Every time he’d entered EES this
Gideon simply stared in disbelief. Now he was sorry he hadn’t accepted a glass of port.
Glinn opened the folder, displaying an array of electron micrographs of bones. “See for yourself. The dig was sponsored by the Scottish government and—not surprisingly, when they discovered this—was immediately hushed up. That of course was no impediment to EES. So you see, Gideon, this isn’t a wild goose chase after all. The monks truly did find a remedium , a physic, that could make the blind see, the crippled walk, limbs regrow.”
Once again the crooked finger tapped the paper with its long witch’s nail. “This is no legend. The skeletons don’t lie .”
13
A LONG SILENCE gathered in the room as Gideon stared from Glinn to the folder and back again. The head of EES was deadly serious—and, it seemed, as sane as ever.
Glinn finally broke the silence. “Let’s have lunch before we examine the map in further detail. We should give our experts a little time to make an initial examination. But rest assured, now that we have the map they’ll be working on its decipherment flat-out, twenty-four seven. Our client is most anxious to get his hands on that drug.”
“And do what with it?” Gideon asked.
“He will see to it that the drug is researched, tested, developed, and shared with the world.”
“And you trust him? This medicine, if real, would be worth billions to whoever brings it to market.”
“I can absolutely assure you: he has no intention of profiting financially from this. He will create a nonprofit foundation to bring the drug to market. Now I’ll order in lunch for you two.”
“You’re not joining us?” Gideon asked.
“I have much to take care of.”
On the spur of the moment, Gideon followed Glinn into the hall. “I need to…ask you something.”
Glinn paused, turning the wheelchair around to face him, and arched the eyebrow on his one good eye inquiringly.
“This drug…I can’t help but wonder if it might cure my AVM.”
Glinn gazed at him quietly, his face unreadable. “Impossible to say. Also impossible to say is whether it would heal me.” Glinn held up his withered hand and made a gesture encompassing his crippled legs, eye, and arm. “But it seems you and I have a powerful, personal motive to succeed, do we not?”
Gideon watched the wheelchair move away down the corridor. His initial skepticism had begun to give way to mental turmoil. Glinn, who was well aware of Gideon’s terminal condition, and what the remedium might mean to him, hadn’t been the one to bring it up. But quite obviously he’d known just how powerful a motivation it would be.
An hour later, Gideon and Garza followed the wheelchair through the halls of EES, descending to the first floor. Gideon hadn’t been able to get the story of the physic out of his mind. Perfect healing. Regrown entire limbs . But his initial excitement had dimmed. No medicine, however powerful, could heal the congenital tangle of blood vessels in his brain that doctors had said would kill him in less than a year.
They entered the cavernous central space of EES, and he was glad of the distraction. The firm was always busy with obscure projects, but it seemed to Gideon that today it was busier than usual. Everyone worked industriously in the hangar-like room, mingling, chatting, looking over each other’s shoulders. Glinn had once explained that such a work environment broke down compartmentalization and encouraged spontaneous collaboration. As they made their way across the floor, one mysterious project in particular attracted Gideon’s attention. Every time he’d entered EES this
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