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"But theis," said Lacoste "It isn’t armed, and even if it was, it can’t be fired"

"Not without the mechanism, no"

"What would it look like?" Gas that fit onto this wheel" The professor pointed to a circle with teeth, about a foot wide "There’s nothing electronic on this thing Not even the guidance system It’s all done manually"

"Could it have fallen off?" asked Beauvoir, looking on the ground

"This isn’t a LEGO set Things don’t just fall off It’s intricate, perfectly ly, exactly"

"So, no?" said Beauvoir

"No," said Rosenblatt "If it’s gone, someone took it, and by the looks of it, not recently I need to see the etching again"

The elderly man spoke with deterhts, and Beauvoir was afraid of confined spaces, Professor Michael Rosenblatt was afraid of the etching

They walked back to it, and Rosenblatt stepped back, taking in the winged monster as it reared and bucked Its seven heads were straining, its long necks intertwining like serpents There was a wo the beast She stared out at theht Gaeance or blood lust It wasGamache couldn’t quite define

Professor Rosenblatt whispered under his breath

"What did you say?" asked Gamache, as closest to the scientist

Rosenblatt pointed to what looked like scales on theon his glasses, he bent in Straightening up, he looked at the professor

"Hebrew?"

"Yes Can you read it?" asked Rosenblatt

"No, I’ain at the creature At the detailing, which were not scales at all, but words And he read, out loud