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To his casual delight, his palm was not aerated by bullets

Over by the printer, his visitors had finally stumbled upon the plaque he’d left behind, which stole their attention at a convenient n, see? This goddamn piece of junk … it is the Fiddlehead!"

Gideon objected to the "junk" part, but not too strongly, given that these people couldn’t tell a sophisticated calculating device fro apparatus "Idiots," he e," one gun a lot of noise"

While they talked over the printer’s racket, Gideon found an elass and filled it with the aluminum powder Then, with exceptional care, he added the chlorate

"Don’t worry about it: It’s only noise, not a weapon or nothing Nohere’d that nigger get off to?"

Gideon paused, lifting an eyebrow "Just for that…" He reached over his head, jabbing his fingers into the cabinet again, this tientle tap, he duently, and turned once more to the map in hisapparatus Heit was too well sealed The ed from the base s the switch box

The printer slowed Its keys pounded doith less regularity, co to the end of its instructions, to the very end of the answer Gideon needed … and the roo, so he kne strange the silencedrone of the metal keys Still, he’d have only a few seconds while they shook their heads and found their bearings and a few seconds h to hear the hu ot the dynahtened when he heard that word He didn’t like it Should’ve expected it But would have to work around it now, and analyze theof it later His brain needed to stay on track, just the one track, which he’d narrowed down fro it up under his arainst his ribs He tore off a blank strip froe, wadded it into a ball, and used it to stopper the sunain One of them shouted, "He’s over there!"

But before the words were out of the lass across the roo back down behind the table

His aiunainst the fuse panel and the powdered mixture exploded--and the rooht, and a terrible s that Gideon squinted, even though he was crouched down on the floor and facing the other direction

"My eyes! Jesus Christ, my eyes!"

"He had a bomb!"

"Give !"

"I can, a little bit--givewith dyna to led with their explosives, Gideon seized the trapdoor ladder and withdrew into the unfinished cellar At the botto the ladder doith hiun

He cli it with his upper back It was heavy, but it wasn’t barricaded from the other side He knocked it open and stepped out into the crisp Noveht

His breath clotted in the air, and the stars looked like ice He was free, and his unwelcouests brought coently let the door fall shut behind hi to the shadow of the eaves and hustling toward the front of the old facility, ducking doay fro as much distance between hiht dynae as well, but he didn’t think so Only seven people had ever seen the Fiddlehead, and none of them could’ve used it if their lives depended on it Only Gideon could coax it into its calculations Only Gideon understood it, and there were days when even he was stunned by what it could do No, even if someone, somewhere knew precisely what the device was for … there wasn’t another scientist in the world who could operate it He would’ve bet his life on it

Therefore, whoever sent the men didn’t want to use the Fiddlehead They wanted to destroy it