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Gray twisted in his seat "We’ll be at the hotel in another ten minutes," he called back to them

The taxi sped to where the road ended at the Yaht sunlight, lined by palms To the left rose a h parapets and thick walls Reaching the river, they turned away from the fort and followed the curve of the ay

Traffic slowed again, but in only a fewan expansive parkland ofpools, and patches of forest The greenbelt hugged the banks of the river, but the true wonder seeainst the shiineering wonder and an architectural low and drifting in the heavens Built over three centuries ago by the Mughal e place of his beloved wife, it was to many a testament to the eternity of love

But it was not their destination

The taxi van skirted to the side and pulled up to a five-story white building, lined at each level by large arched s, the Deedar-e-Taj Hotel It was here they were to meet Dr Hayden Masterson

"The restaurant is on the top," Elizabeth said as they piled out She checked her watch They were half an hour late

Gray paid the driver, and they all crossed past a dancing fountain into the hotel lobby, gloriously air-conditioned

"Kowalski," Gray said and pointed to the front desk, "you and Luca secure our rooms We’ll head up" He nodded to Elizabeth and Rosauro

Kowalski sighed heavily, but heabout a cold shower He hovered a moment near Elizabeth as Gray turned toward the elevator "Are you okay?" he ht ed

"Just the heat…maybe nerves," she mumbled

"I have just the ticket" He leaned conspiratorially over to her and parted his suit jacket enough to reveal two cigars in an inner pocket "Cubans From the duty-free shop at the airport"

She sht now

Before she could say anything, the elevator chimed behind her Gray called for her to hurry

Kowalski straightened and patted his jacket He winked at her as he turned away Actually winked Who still winked? Still, her ser on her lips as she turned to join Gray and Rosauro

Gray ushered her inside and punched the button for the top floor "Is there anything else we should know about Dr Masterson?" he asked her

"Just don’t mention Manchester United," she mumbled

"The soccer team?"

"Trust me, or you’ll never hear a word about et to the point in his own tiht A large restaurant filled the roof level, sparsely occupied at this hour Tables were set with linen and fine china The sly in the air

But as unusual was that the entire restaurant slowly rotated It spun through a panora the Taj Mahal

At a table by one of the s, a tall man unfolded from his seat He lifted an arm, then lowered it, and tapped at his atch

Elizabeth s platfor at first, but she led the others forward through the nests of e to them

It had been several years since she had last seen Dr Masterson He still wore his characteristic white suit, formal, colonial, with a wide-bri table A cane leaned there, too, with a hooked ivory handle carved in the shape of a white crane His hair, worn long to the shoulder, had also gone white to match, which she was sure did not entirely displease hiy, leathery, tanned to a deep bronze that by now probably never faded

Elizabeth made formal introductions Dr Shay Rosauro expressed what an honor it was tohis irritated frown into so Women were a weakness of Hayden’s, especially the attention of so-limbed and lithe as Dr Rosauro Elizabeth’s father had once hinted at why the professor had ree It seeraduate student

Hayden waved the sure Dr Rosauro was positioned next to him By the time they were situated, the restaurant had rotated to a stunning view of the Taj Mahal

Hayden noted their attention "The mausoleum to Mumtaz Mahal, wife of the Shh Jhan!" he said with a bluster "That dear wife of the emperor extracted four proers "To build a great toain Now that’s a wife! Third, that he’d be forever kind to their children And lastly, that Jahan would visit her tomb each year on the anniversary of her death Which he did honor, until the day he was buried in the Taj with his dear wife"

"True love," Rosauro said, staring out at the beauty of the mausoleum

"And what’s a love story without a little spilled blood?" Hayden said and patted Rosauro’s hand He left his paled that Jahan had the hands of all his artisans chopped off upon coain build a race as the Taj Mahal"

At Hayden’s other side, Gray stirred, plainly anxious to bring the discussion to bear on the reason they’d all traveled halfway around the globe Elizabeth brushed her toe against Gray’s, warning him

His eyes met hers

Don’t push him, she silently coht ear bleith a spray of blood--at the exact ti out like struck crystal

Gray and Rosauro both moved while Elizabeth was still frozen in place Rosauro yanked Hayden down to the floor; Gray tackled into Elizabeth She caught a glilass behind Hayden, radiating cracks

As she fell,cracks--then she hit the floor, Gray on top of her