The Reincarnationist by M. J. Rose

night as big as all the nights I’ve ever known. As big as all the nights Bella has slept all these sixteen hundred years.”
    Rudolfo was having trouble straightening up; he was favoring one side of his body.
    â€œAre you sure you are all right?”
    He nodded. Concentrated. Frowned. And then looked down at his stomach.
    The professor was wearing a dark blue shirt, and until that moment, in the low light inside the tomb, Josh had missed the spreading stain. But now they both saw it at the same time.
    As carefully as he could, Josh pulled the professor’s shirt away from his body. The wound seeped blood. Snaking his fingers around Rudolfo’s back, he checkedfor an exit wound. He couldn’t find one. The bullet was still inside him.
    Meanwhile, the professor kept talking. “Good timing for you,” he said. “If you hadn’t been in the tunnel you would be bleeding like a pig, too, eh?”
    Except, Josh thought, if he’d been quicker, he might have prevented this. Hadn’t he thought this before?
    â€œBad timing for me,” the professor rambled. “I would have liked to have lived long enough to find out if what Gabriella and I have found…Find out if what Bella has been protecting all these years…is…is…as important as we think.”
    â€œNothing’s going to happen to you.” Josh put his fingers on the man’s wrist, looked at his own watch and counted.
    â€œIf I’d had a daughter…” the professor said, “she’d be just like her…tough as nails…with that one soft streak. She’s too much alone, though…all the time alone….”
    â€œBella?” Josh asked, only half listening. The professor was losing blood too quickly; his pulse was too slow.
    Rudolfo tried to laugh but only managed a grimace. “No. Gabby. This find…Her find…Something no one believed existed. But she was as cool as…What is your expression…Cool as…What is it?”
    â€œCool as? Oh. Cool as a cucumber.”
    Rudolfo smiled faintly; he was visibly failing.
    â€œProfessor, I need to call for help. Do you have a phone?”
    â€œNow we know…dangerous…what we found…. You’ll tell her, dangerous….”
    â€œProfessor, do you have a phone? I need to call for help.”
    â€œDid he take…all of the box, too?”
    â€œThe box?” Josh looked around and saw the pieces of it on the ground. “No. It’s still here. Professor, can you hear me? Do you have a phone? I need to call for help. We need to get you to a hospital.”
    â€œThe box…is here?” The idea seemed to buoy him.
    â€œYes. Professor, do you have a phone?”
    â€œJacket. Pocket.”
    Finding the phone, Josh checked for a signal and then dialed 911. Nothing. He stared at the LED panel. 911? Why did he think the number would be the same in Italy?
    He hit zero and was connected in seconds with an operator.
    â€œMedical emergency,” he shouted as soon as he heard another human voice, hoping the words were similar enough in Italian for her to understand. They must have been because the woman said sì and switched him over. While he waited he wondered what he would do if the next operator didn’t speak English. But that turned out to be the least of his problems.
    â€œYes, I understand. An ambulance. Where is your location?” the next operator asked.
    An address. A simple thing, really. Except Josh had no idea where he was. He looked down; the professor’s eyes were shut.
    â€œProfessor Rudolfo? Can you hear me? I need to tell them where we are. An address. Can you hear me?”
    No response.
    Josh explained what was going on to the sympathetic woman on the other end of the phone. “He’s not responsive. I’m afraid he’s dying. And I don’t know where we are.”
    â€œAre there any landmarks?”
    â€œI’m sixteen feet