Jeremy parked in a lot just off Spring Garden Road. Maury held the satellite phone in his lap.
“What are we going to tell him?” Jeremy finally asked.
“About what?”
“Those dudes,” Jeremy said. “Are we going to say something about the bullet?”
Maury put a hand on his abdomen but didn’t say anything.
“Do you think Benicio’s right?” Jeremy said. “Maybe we aren’t Nephilim. Maybe the cardinal has been lying to us.”
“So we’re just a couple of lepers?”
“I don’t know.” Jeremy was quiet for a moment. “I mean those guys — the ones that healed you. They said they wanted the boy. They said he was the last of the Nephilim.”
“Those guys were fuckin’ wacko.”
“But they healed you,” Jeremy said. “The dude put his hand on your gut, and you were better.”
Maury couldn’t argue with that. “I’m going to call,” he said finally, and started pushing buttons on the phone.
“What’re you going to say?”
“I don’t know.” He finished dialing and held the phone to his ear.
The familiar ring tone sounded twice before a voice answered.
“What news?”
It was Cardinal Espinosa.
“We’re in Halifax. Benicio is here with the boy.”
“How long?” the cardinal asked sharply.
“Soon, I hope.”
“I want the boy here. Do whatever you have to do, but get him here.”
“There’s another thing,” Maury said tentatively.
“What?”
“There’s other people interested in the boy.”
“Other people?”
Maury hesitated then said, “There were two other guys. Strange guys.”
“How were they strange?”
“Um, they sort of gave the impression they were, uh …”
“Be articulate!” the cardinal barked.
“They said they were angels and they needed to get rid of the boy. They said he’s the last Nephilim.”
There was a very long pause.
“Did they say anything else?” There was a definite change of tone in Espinosa’s voice.
“No.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.”
“Don’t trust them,” the cardinal ordered. “Don’t talk to them. They are not of God. They are banished from the Kingdom. They will deceive you.”
“Whoa,” Maury said, surprised at the hatred and fear in the cardinal’s voice. “Why? What’s going on?”
“Don’t question me,” Cardinal Espinosa commanded. “Find the boy. Bring him to me. Do not let the angels near him.”
The line went dead.
Jeremy grinned at him. “How’s the old shit doing? Does he send his love?”
Maury turned the phone off and dropped it on the floor behind the front seat. “Let’s go.”
“To where?”
“I’m thirsty. I’m going into that drugstore and getting something to drink and buying a map of Halifax.”
Jeremy shrugged, and they got out of the car.
Cardinal Espinosa was shaking. He hadn’t slept in a few days; he’d been sitting at his desk, waiting for news, waiting for the phone to ring.
He’d never expected to hear that the angels were back. Seventy generations have passed. I won’t let those cursed angels cause any more damage. The Voynich will be mine, as will the boy who can read it. The church will never need to worry about this again. I’ll make sure of it.