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"Why do they all want so badly?" Phoebe’s shrewd, olive-colored eyes were guileless I wondered how long they would stay that way after she became a de Clermont and a variins? A record of soed state at the Bodleian in Oxford and once in Emperor Rudolf’s cabinet of curiosities when it hole and co the book All I can say with certainty is that is full of power--power and secrets"
"No wonder the witches and vampires are so keen to acquire it," Hamish said drily
"The daemons as well, Haatha Wilson She wants it, too"
"Wherever did you find this second page?" He touched the picture of the dragons
"Soht it to New Haven"
"Who?" Has I wasn’t sure how much to reveal But Hamish was our lawyer I couldn’t keep secrets from him "He’s a vampire"
"Oh, I’m well aware of who--and what--Andrew Hubbard is I’m a daeh "But I’et near He despises the ed, and why, but the tale of Jack Blackfriars was Matthew’s to tell
"What does thepicture of the tree have to do with Athanasius Kircher?" Phoebe asked, bringing our attention back to the ue Lucy Meriweather helped ht have happened to the Book of Life One of Rudolf’s ht that the illuestured at the frontispiece to Magnes sive De Arte Magnetica "I’m e, based solely on that illustration"
"Can’t you just look through Kircher’s books and papers?" Hamish asked
"I can," I replied with a smile, "provided the books and papers can still be located Kircher’s personal collection was sent to an old papal residence for safekeeping--Villa Mondragone in Italy In the early twentieth century, the Jesuits began to discreetly sell off some of the books to raise revenue
Lucy and I think they sold the page then"
"In that case there should be records of the sale," Phoebe said thoughtfully "Have you contacted the Jesuits?"
"Yes" I nodded "They have no records of it--or if they do, they aren’t sharing them Lucy wrote to the ot very far Sales information is confidential," Phoebe said
"So ere told" I hesitated just long enough for Phoebe to offer what I was afraid to ask for
"I’ll e-mail Sylvia today and tell her that I won’t be able to clear out my desk tomorrow as planned," Phoebe said "I can’t hold Sotheby’s off indefinitely, but there are other resources I can check and people who ht way"
Before I could respond, the doorbell rang After a ain The fourth tih the visitor had jaer into the button and left it there
"Diana!" shouted a fa
"Sarah!" I cried, rising to my feet
A fresh October breeze swept into the house, carrying with it the scents of brimstone and saffron I rushed into the hall Sarah was there, her face white and her hair floating around her shoulders in atwo suitcases as though their collective weight were no more than a first-class letter
Sarah’s red-rimmed eyes met mine, and she dropped Tabitha’s cat carrier on the marble floor with a thud She held her arms wide, and I moved into thehtened as a child, but right now Sarah was exactly who I needed
"It will be all right, honey," she whispered, holding ht
"I just spoke to Father H, and he said I’m to follow your instructions to the letter, Mistress
Mada past Sarah and aveelse?" I asked, drawing away from my aunt Perhaps Hubbard had shared news of Jack--or Matthew
"Let’s see" Leonard pulled on the end of his long nose "Father H said to ins and ends, and if there’s trouble, go straight to St Paul’s and help will be along presently"
Hearty slaps indicated that Fernando and Gallowglass had been reunited
"No problelass murmured
"None, except that I had to persuade Sarah not to disable the smoke detector in the first-class lavatory so she could sneak a cigarette," Fernando said mildly "Next time she needs to fly internationally, send a de Cler her here so quickly, Fernando," I said with a grateful s you’d never et you led with the de Clermonts and their proble s and knelt before me
"Get up Please" I tried to lift him
"The last time I fell to my knees before a woman, I had lost one of Isabella of Castile’s ships Two of her guards forced iveness," Fernando said with a sardonic lift to his et up when I aht of Fernando in such an abject position