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Kane took a blissful sip of ouzo and put his glass down

“For a couple of years now, I’ve been chairroup called the Board on Marine BiologyBOMB, for short,” Kane said “The board includes some of the most brilliant minds in the field of ocean biomedicine We ith the National Research Council, and advise the govern scientific discoveries”

“And as your pro discovery, Doc?”

“About a year after I had moved the lab to Bonefish Key, we acquired a rare species of jellyfish related to the sea wasp We naht lu produced hat really blew our minds”

“How so, Doc?”

“The medusa’s toxin didn’t kill It immobilized the prey so that the medusa could dine on food that was still alive That’s not an unknown practice in nature Spiders and wasps like to keep a fresh snack handy”

Austin nodded in the direction of the restaurant’s lobster tank

“Hu”

“You see s that we turn into steaks and pork chops have better medical treatment than many humans We even load those animals doith antibiotics and other medicines to keep them as healthy as possible until we can eat them”

“Ani with this?”

“The blue medusa toxin is the most complex naturally produced cheens at arth The doomed prey enjoys the best of health while it waits to be devoured” Kane leaned across the table and dropped his voice “Now, just suppose we could put those sa for humans”

Austin pondered Kane’s words

“You’d have an all-purpose pill,” Austin said “What the snake oil salesmen used to call a cure-all”

“Bingo! Only this was no snake oil We had found a reatest scourges of mankind, the ailments caused by viruses, from the common cold to cancer”

“So why all the hush-hush?” Austin asked “If people knew you had discovered a cure-all, the world would build statues in your honor”