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"Wilfrid Voynich bought Yale’s mysteriouson a cucu their collections at the Villa Mondragone outside Ro of Corra

"Yep It got its nauy who reformed the calendar But you probably knowEurope in the late sixteenth century had required faory’s reforms if I had wanted to knohat day it was

"More than three hundred volue in Roone sometime in the late nineteenth century I’m still a bit fuzzy on the details, but there was so Italian unification" Lucy stabbed an anemic cherry toone were reportedly the most treasured voluet a list" I’d owe ht lead to one of the es

"It’s worth a shot Voynich wasn’t the only interested buyer, of course The Villa Mondragone sale was one of the greatest private book auctions of the twentieth century Voynich almost lost the manuscript to two other buyers"

"Do you knoho they were?" I asked

"Not yet, but I’ue That’s all I’ve been able to discover"

"Prague?" I felt faint

"You don’t look well," Lucy said "You should go ho on it and see you to up her elass said when I exited the building

"Ran into a research snag" I sighed "The whole day has been a few bits of progress sandwiched between a two thick slices of frustration Hopefully, Matthew and Chris willout of ti out of tilass said with a sage nod "It always does"

We cut across the green and through the gap between the courthouse and City Hall On Court Street we crossed the railroad tracks and headed toward my house

"When did you buy your condo on Wooster Square, Gallowglass?" I asked, finally getting around to one of many questions about the de Clermonts and their relationship to New Haven

"After you calass said "I wanted to be sure you were all right in your new job, and Marcus was always telling stories about a robbery at his house or that his car had been vandalized"

"I take it Marcus wasn’t living in his house at the ti an eyebrow

"Lord no He hasn’t been in New Haven for decades"

"Well, we’re perfectly safe here" I looked down the pedestrians-only length of Court Street, a tree-lined, residential enclave in the heart of the city As usual, it was deserted, except for a black cat and solass said dubiously

We had just reached the stairs leading to the front door when a dark car pulled up to the intersection of Court and Olive Streets where we had been onlyer seat He was all legs and arly broad shoulders for soraduate, because he wore one of the standard Yale student uniforlasses shielded his eyes, and he bent over and spoke to the driver

"Good God" Gallowglass looked as though he’d seen a ghost "It can’t be"

I studied the undergraduate without recognition "Do you know hi man’s eyes met mine Mirrored lenses could not block the effects of a vaave me a lopsided smile

"You’re a hard woman to find, Mistress Roydon"

18

That voice When I’d last heard it, it was higher, without the low rumble at the back of his throat

Those eyes Golden brown shot through with gold and leafy green They still looked older than his years

His sht

"Jack?" I choked on the na pawed out of the backseat of the car, hopping over the gearshift and through the open door, long hair flying and pink tongue lolling out of his rabbed him by the collar

"Stay, Lobero" Jack ruffled the hair atop the dog’s shaggy head, revealing glily, thu to await further instruction

"Hello, Gallowglass" Jack walked slowly toward us

"Jackie" Gallowglass’s voice was thick with eht you were dead"

"I was Then I wasn’t" Jack looked down atmy arms around his rather than warm bread, as he had when he was a child After a , lean arile, as though hismore than a shell

"I missed you," Jack whispered

"Diana!" Mattheas stillthe entrance into Court Street, as well as the strange man who held me From his perspective Inearby Instinct took over, and Matthew ran, his body a blur

Lobero raised an alar bark Komondors were a lot like vampires: bred to protect those they loved, loyal to fah to take doolves and bears, and ready to die rather than yield to another creature

Jack sensed the threat, without seeing its source He transforhtrabbedthe flow of air intothe last of my breath Now there was no way for ht, vulnerable boy blood rage

Before Matthew could hurtle over the car’s hood, a rabbed hiht dizzily, if he had the strength to stop Matthew

"Stop, Matthew It’s Jack" Thevoice and distinctive London accent conjured up unwelco into a va of London was in New Haven Stars flickered at the edges of my vision

Matthew snarled and twisted Hubbard’s spinethud

"It’s Jack," Hubbard repeated, gripping Matthew by the neck and forcing hih Matthew’s eyes widened, and he looked in our direction