Ancient Echoes

CHAPTER 53



New York City

“I WANT TO GO home, Mommy. Take me with you, please!” As Vandenburg stood to leave, Felicity's small, clawlike hand grasped hers, her grip amazingly strong. “I hate it here. I want to go back to my own room. Please, Mommy!”

“I'll see what I can do.” She kissed her daughter's forehead and yanked her hand free, then she turned and hurried from the room with a quick goodbye to Kay. Felicity’s kidneys were shutting down. If the girl went home now, she would be back in a day anyway. The fools of doctors said the end was near. Vandenburg refused to allow it.

Outside the hospital, her limo waited.

She gave an Upper East Side address, and the housekeeper showed her to the living room of what had been one of the most beautiful homes in New York City, but now appeared old and neglected. Just like Calvin Phaylor, she thought.

Phaylor entered, his wheelchair pushed by his male nurse.

“Hello, Calvin.” Vandenburg smiled sweetly. “Good to see you.”

“No, it's not, and you and I both know it. Where are your new products? You can't ride on old ones forever, you know. What's wrong with you people? Have you no talent left in the firm? No imagination? Don't think you can make my company fail, not while I'm alive!” The nurse handed him the oxygen mask, then left the room. Phaylor breathed deeply.

“We're doing all we can to protect all you created. But that's not why I'm here.” Vandenburg paused a moment. She felt pressure build behind her eyes, and turned her head so he wouldn’t notice if she lost the fight with tears. She worked to control her voice. “My daughter doesn’t have much time left. My people in Idaho are still missing. It’s long past time for you to tell me everything. I need to find the book that tells how to create the philosopher’s stone and use it before it’s too late!”

He gave a snort of derision.

“I’ve toyed with going to Idaho myself, even announcing to the world what we’re looking for, and how much I’ll pay to whoever delivers The Book of Abraham the Jew to me. How does one billion dollars sound? People will laugh, until I succeed. With this, Felicity will live. It’s her only chance. Her last chance!”

“How touching.” His insincerity reeked. “You’re damn right people will laugh. Even more will laugh as the board of directors carts you off to an insane asylum.” He eyed her with contempt. “It’s not your money. Wasn’t even mine, as I found out. And if by some crazy circumstance, you did find the book, the government would step in and take it from you.”

“No, they won’t! I'm going to find it,” she said. “One way or another. I came to you for advice, but if you have none—”

“Oh, I have advice, all right. Allow your daughter to die in peace.”

Jennifer stared at him, hate filling every pore. “Never.”

“I tried to find the secret of alchemy for myself.” He wheeled himself to the bar and poured a Macallan single scotch malt. She refused a glass.

“I was one of the five richest men in America, and I was getting old and sick. This would be a way to beat death, or so, I thought.” He sipped the scotch, smacking his lips with pleasure. “I threw all my money, time, and effort in it, and my reward was to be kicked out of my own company before I destroyed it. And I would have. What's a mere company compared to immortality?”

“My plan will save people from pain and suffering,” she said. “But they’re going to have to pay for it. We can’t solve the problem of death only to have people starve from overpopulation. Only certain people, the right people, will have access to my elixir for immortality. And I’ll be the one to decide who that is.”

He chuckled, but just as quickly his smile vanished. “You think knowledge from the book is what you want. But it won't work. It'll drive you mad, and destroy everything around you.”

“Come with me to Idaho,” she said. “You know where the pillars are. We can find them. We’ll bring Michael Rempart’s assistant with us. I’m sure he knows a lot more about all this than he’ll admit. Plus, most importantly, I’ll bring my daughter.”

Phaylor just stared as her.

“Together, we’ll get the book ourselves!” she continued. “We’re waiting for people to return to us with the book, but we don’t know what they’ve found out there. What if they not only found the book, but have learned how to use it? What if they’re stealing it from us? We can’t wait! We’ve got to go out there and see for ourselves. You’ve always wanted to be immortal. Show me the way.”

“Why should I do anything for you?” His eyes were flat and cold, his skin wrinkled as a lizard's. “And as for your daughter, do I look like someone who gives a damn?”

Her body stiffened with outrage. She would make him pay for those words. She realized how frail he was, how little effort it would take to squeeze the life from his skinny neck. She reined in her anger as a better plan began to form.

She strode out of the living room, but before leaving glared back at Phaylor. “I look forward to the day when you do the world a favor and die.”

The nurse, who had been seated in the hallway by the elevator, didn't look surprised at her anger. She guessed the old man treated all his guests equally graciously.

The open elevator waited for her.

As soon as she got off on the ground floor, she phoned her first vice president, Milt Zonovich. “Milt, I'll need the company jet to fly me to Sun Valley, Idaho, as soon as possible. And get a helicopter ready to meet me there. One big enough for a hospital bed.”