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“Yes.”
She slowly opened the box and lifted out the golden cherubim’s wing. It glowed, warmed her hands. She felt the writing indenting its surface and saw the words in her mind:
Through this door lies a weapon of great power. Open it, and it will indeed kill.
Through this door—
She whispered, “The Ark is here, it’s in the vault, isn’t it? You’ve had it this entire time. You’ve lied to us, to me and Ajax, our entire lives. The Ark is here.”
“No,” he said, and felt a sudden spurt of fear. She was walking toward him, never taking her eyes off him and the look in her eyes was wild and cold and black.
“You bastard. What else have you been hiding in that ridiculous vault? My mother’s whereabouts? My mother’s notebooks? Tell me, you worthless old man!”
Jason simply shook his head back and forth.
She said, “The Ark belongs to the Kohaths. We are the last of the line. The Ark will be mine, not yours, never yours.”
He slammed his fist onto the console. “Get a hold of yourself, Cassandra. Listen to me now. I don’t have the Ark. As for the formula, I keep it here.” He tapped his head. “Do you believe I would ever write it down and stash it in my vault? Yes, I see you want to kill me, but if you do, you will never be able to use the Coil again. And that means you will never find the Ark. Think carefully before you do something you will regret for the remainder of your life.”
Her eyes—he saw his death in her eyes. This was the end. He knew it. He must find a way to warn the others, to warn his assistant, Burnley, but there was no way, and he felt sorrow, deep in his soul.
Cassandra knew he was lying. No, the formula wasn’t in the vault, nor was it his ancient memory. He would keep it close, she knew it.
Jason spread out his arms, knew what was coming, accepted it. “Your mother knew that neither you nor your brother could be trusted, that you were both the product of your father, and she wept for a future that promised nothing but pain and loss and disaster for you.”
“You’re a liar! Mother left us a message with the cherubim’s wing. She loved us, do you hear me? She wants Ajax and me to have the power, the immortality.”
He ignored her question. “I will not give you the combination to the vault. You won’t be able to enter without it.”
“Of course I will. I checked it out, read everything about your precious vault.”
Jason was tired, mortally tired. “If you think you are so clever, if you know so much about my vault, then try to open it, but I must warn you, you will die trying.”
“Oh, I know all about the explosives you fashioned into it as well. It will not be a problem. I have a way to open it, you’ll see.”
There was nothing more to say.
“You miserable old man, give me the formula!”
Jason swiveled around to see Ajax coming toward him.
“No,” he said. “As I told your sister, I fear for humanity were you to have it.”
Ajax was on him. He sent his fist into his grandfather’s head, knocking him out of his chair. Jason lay motionless facedown, unmoving, Ajax standing over him, breathing hard.
“Ajax, is he dead?”
Ajax went down on his haunches, grabbed his grandfather’s arm and pulled him onto his back. His eyes were closed, his mouth slightly agape. Ajax could see his chest rising and falling rapidly. Blood was running from a cut on his forehead, running into his eyes.
“No,” he said, “I didn’t want to kill him. He still hasn’t told us where he keeps the formula.”
“Ajax, he told me the formula wasn’t in the vault, that he had it memorized. He was lying. The procedures for directionality can’t be all that simple, so wouldn’t he keep it close? Here, by his computers?”
She ran toward and began pulling open drawers. Ajax joined her. They looked in every drawer, they lifted books off the shelves and fanned them. Nothing.
Ajax said, “When he comes to, I’ll get it out of him.”
“Keep looking. I know it’s here, it has to be here.”
