“They are dead,” Baldwin said. “All dead. Why in God’s name has this happened?”
Bartholomew was systematically going from row to row, stepping carefully over and around bodies, trying to keep his footing. For a very old man, he was moving briskly from one station to another, plucking manuscript pages off the table and making a stack of them in his hand.
He made his way to Baldwin clutching a ream of parchments.
“Look,” the old man said. “Look!”
He laid the pages down.
Baldwin picked up one and read it.
Then the next, and the next. He fanned the pages out on the table to see more of them quickly.
Each page carried the date 9 February 2027, with the identical inscription.
“Finis Dierum,” Baldwin said. “End of Days.”
Felix trembled. “So this is when the end will come.”
Bartholomew half smiled at the revelation. “Their work was done.”
Baldwin gathered up the pages and held them to his breast. “Our work is not yet done, brothers. They must be laid to rest in the crypt. Then I will say a mass in their honor. The Library must be sealed and the chapel must be burned. The world is not ready.”
Felix and Bartholomew quickly nodded in agreement as the abbot turned to leave.
“The year 2027 is far in the future,” Baldwin said wearily. “At least, mankind has a very long time to prepare for the End of Days.”
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I’m not sure this book would have seen the light of day without the intercession of Steve Kasdin, of the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency, who took a shine to my letter in his query pile and helped shape the manuscript into its final form. He’s very popular in the Cooper family. Thanks too for the soul-lifting encouragement from my early readers, Gunilla Lacoche, Megan Murphy, Allison Tobia, and George Tobia, my friend and lawyer. I’m also delighted to be part of the HarperCollins family under the experienced wing of my delightful editor, Lyssa Keusch. Finally, a big shout-out to my wife, Tessa, and my son, Shane, who gave their support every step of the way, and a special mention to my sister, Gale Cooper, and my mother, Rose Cooper, for a life-long discussion of reading and writing.
About the Author
GLENN COOPER studied archaeology at Harvard before becoming a physician specializing in infectious diseases. After a career in research he became a biotechnology chief executive officer. He has written multiple screenplays and runs an independent film production company based in Boston. He lives in Massachusetts in one of the oldest houses in America. Secret of the Seventh Son is his first novel.
www.glenncooperbooks.com
