Weezy remembered what she and Jack had uncovered when they’d dug on his land-Glaeken had been known to the locals back then as Old Man Foster-and it had led to a ton of trouble.
She looked at the Lady. “But you’re saying that old stone cage would be a safe place for you?”
“Wait,” Jack said, holding up a hand. “We’re just going to forget about this Other Name thing?”
Glaeken said, “I think it’s a dead end, Jack.”
Jack shook his head. “I’m not so sure. There’s an opportunity there. I don’t know what, exactly, but something’s there.”
“Not if I do not perform the ceremony,” the Lady said.
Jack leaned back, looking frustrated. Weezy had a feeling he wasn’t going to let this go.
The Lady turned to Weezy. “To answer your question: Yes, I think that ancient cage might offer a hiding place.”
Jack frowned. “How? It’s got open sides. I think you’d be more exposed.”
“But it was built in a way that honors the Otherness. If I stay within its confines, its walls might deflect the One’s awareness of me.”
Glaeken said, “It’s obvious he has no way to harm you-at least at the moment-otherwise he would have used it yesterday. But we can be just as sure that he is leaving no stone unturned looking for a means to extinguish you. So I see no downside to trying the cage.”
“Well, who knows?” Jack said. “If you drop off his radar, he may waste time and resources locating you instead of hunting up ways to off you.” He looked at Weezy. “Somebody’s going to have to drive her.”
Right. The Fhinntmanchca encounter had robbed her of the ability to zap herself around, appearing anywhere on Earth whenever she pleased. Until she regained her full strength, she had to travel like anyone else.
Weezy raised her eyebrows. “Road trip?”
He sighed. “I guess so.”
He couldn’t have sounded less enthused.
“Today?”
He shook his head. “Something I need to do. Tomorrow is better.”
“Then we head home tomorrow.”
Home… so many memories back there, good, bad, and awful.
4
Dawn stared through her windshield at the McCready Foundation building from her quasi-legal parking space. Senator James McCready had died last year but his foundation lived on. Part of the building was rented office space-mostly to the private practices of the physicians associated with the foundation-but the rest was devoted to research.
And that totally bothered Dawn. Dr. Heinze was a pediatric surgeon-it still bothered her that Mr. Osala had called in a surgeon-associated with a medical research facility. Were they doing research on her baby? Were his birth defects so unusual that he had to be hidden away and studied?
She didn’t care about his defects, she wanted him back.
But where was he?
She hadn’t named him, and he certainly wouldn’t be listed anywhere with her last name. Baby Boy Pickering. Totally unlikely. But he had to be somewhere.
Banned from the building, she’d had to set up watch out here. Not an easy thing in midtown Manhattan.
She stepped out of the car-a used Volvo V70 wagon-and stretched her legs. Jack had helped her buy it. She glanced through the side window into the rear where the infant seat was securely strapped in. She’d wanted a Volvo because she’d heard they were safe, and if she was going to be driving her baby around, she wanted a safe car.
She’d parked where she could see not only the front entrance to the office section of the building but the ramps in and out of the attached garage as well.
She was suddenly on alert as a silver Lexus pulled out of the garage. Dr. Heinze drove a silver Lexus And yes, that was him behind the wheel.
She jumped in and started the car. She’d never before been able to follow him after he left his office. Now she’d know exactly what he was up to. And, eventually, where he lived.
5
After arranging a time to meet here at the Lady’s and drive her into the wilds of the Jersey Pine Barrens, Weezy left to meet Eddie, and Jack stayed behind.
As Glaeken rose and started for the door, Jack said, “I want to show you something.”
He pulled off the long-sleeved T he was wearing and angled his wounded left arm toward him.
“Remember that from yesterday?”
The butterflies were gone and the wound had further healed. No dressing necessary.
Glaeken peered at the arm, then looked at Jack with concern in his eyes.
“You’re healing… quickly.”
“Too quickly. What gives?”
“It’s obvious, isn’t it?”
“It’s obvious in a direction I don’t want it to be moving, so tell me something else. Please.”
“I wish I could, but the answer is clear: As I begin to fail, you are progressing.”
“Toward what?”
Jack knew the answer but needed to hear Glaeken say it.
“Toward what I used to be. You are the Heir, after all. And as you well know, upon my death, you assume my old place as Defender.”
Jack did know.
“Swell.”
Glaeken looked at the wound again and heaved a sigh. “I can only assume this means I haven’t much time left.”
That saddened Jack. Yeah, he wanted Glaeken to live forever for his own selfish reasons-so he wouldn’t have to take on the Defender mantle. But he had others. He’d grown attached to the old guy. Glaeken had a quiet nobility that appealed to him. He was a walking trove of arcane knowledge. With his passing, humanity would lose someone unique and infinitely valuable.
“How much do you think? I mean, this is all new to me.”
Glaeken smiled. “It’s new to me as well. I’ve never died before, so I have no idea.” The smile faded. “But I’d hoped to outlive Magda. Without me…” He looked at Jack. “May I ask you a favor?”
Jack sensed what was coming. “Look after her? Sure. Gia and I will see she’s well taken care of. And you know Weezy will pitch in.”
“Thank you. That’s a comfort. I want her to stay right where she is. Any change in her surroundings worsens her confusion. If she was moved to another apartment, it would upset her terribly. I don’t want her upset.”
Jack slipped back into his T-shirt. “Don’t worry. I’ll see to it.”
“Good. I knew I could count on you.” He turned toward the door, then swung back. “Oh, and don’t worry about paying for her care. I-”
“I’ve got plenty of money stashed away.”
“You won’t need it. I’ve left everything to you.”
“What do you mean, ‘everything’?”
“All that I own. You are the Heir, after all, so you will be my heir as well-my sole heir.”
“You don’t have any kids?”
“Hundreds. But they’re all gone. And Magda and I never had any, so you’re it. You’ll own this building and all my other holdings, including the Foster tract in the Barrens.”
Jack shook his head. Me… owning a building on CPW “Wait. I can’t inherit anything. I don’t exist. No Social Security number, no property, never paid taxes.”
He’d run into this problem when Gia was pregnant. Without an official existence, he couldn’t be a child’s legal parent.
Glaeken smiled again. “I’m aware of that. And I’ve been aware of you for a long time. I knew this day would come, so, maybe a dozen years ago I had someone create an alter ego for you. You, as you are now, have a corporeal life but no legal existence. This other entity has a legal existence but no life. He draws a salary from me and pays all proper taxes on it. He has your face and your fingerprints. He is named in my will and you will assume that identity whenever you need to access the assets I will leave to you.”
“But I don’t need-”
“A few billion dollars? Of course you don’t. No one does. But it’s got to go somewhere.”
Jack swallowed. “Billions?”
Glaeken shrugged. “Give or take. I’m not sure of the exact figure. I’ve had a long time to accrue treasures and property, and they all tend to increase in value over time.”
Billions… the responsibility was daunting. But then…