Percival looked vaguely interested, but didn’t respond until he’d given it a lot of thought.
“Very well. I should clarify. I don’t know Mr Ching personally-I know of him.”
“Who is he?”
Percival gazed across his desk at me like a chess player matching wits with a competent, though lesser, opponent. “He’s a…. an importer. His speciality is obtaining certain… how shall I put this?… collectibles, which he then makes available to his clientele. The statuette was one of these collectible.”
“So you did want it. Why?”
Percival opened his arms and gestured flamboyantly. “Why does anyone want anything?
Appreciation of beauty, the desire to own a magnificent and utterly unique work of art. I am wealthy beyond comprehension. I have worked diligently my entire life, and for what? So that I may call just such an object my own. There are few things remaining in this existence that fill me with wonderment and joy. Art can affect me that way.”
His explanation seemed genuine. I didn’t know Percival that well, but he struck me as the type of person who was never uninformed. If what Professor Perriman had told me was the truth, and he hadn’t just been mixing hallucinogens with excessive role playing, the statuette was much more than a run-of-the-mill collectible. It seemed almost inconceivable that Percival would bid (millions, undoubtedly) for the statuette and not know its significance. I had to find out.
“I’ve heard statuette is pretty valuable.”
Percival smiled patronizingly. “That is a gross understatement. In theory, it is priceless… though theories tend to break down at the bargaining table.”
“I’ve also heard that it may have magical powers.”
Percival laughed out loud. “Ah, yes… magic. That was my esoteric motivation for wanting the statuette. With it, I would master legerdemain and become a mighty wizard!”
Still laughing, Percival removed his glasses and dried his eyes. I felt as though I were being mocked. Percival replaced his glasses and looked over at me. “You seem to have heard a great deal about the statuette. What else do you know?”
I didn’t feel like dancing around the subject any more. “Some people think that it’s a sacred object, worshipped by an ancient cult known as the Brotherhood of Purity.”
Percival lifted his eyebrows and pursed his lips. “Really? A cult?”
“That’s just what I’ve heard. I don’t necessarily think there’s anything to it.”
Percival nodded sympathetically, then sat up in his chair. “Why don’t you?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. Sounds like a lot of hocus-pocus to me. It’s like that group of devil worshippers the cops busted a couple of months ago. Turned out to be a bunch of pimply faced teenagers, sitting around with a few dead chickens, burning incense and drinking beer. I just don’t buy the whole illuminati, trilateral commission thing.”
The billionaire smiled approvingly. “It is good to know that there are still reasonable men in this world. Though I must admit, I have always had a somewhat morbid passing interest in the occult, and I, too, have heard of this Brotherhood of Purity. It is a fascinating idea, though I believe that it, like the concept of illuminati, is by and large fictional. As for the actual significance of the statuette, that was irrelevant to me.”
“The source who told me about the occult also said that the Crusade for Genetic Purity might be connected to the Brotherhood of Purity. Do you know anything about that?”
Percival put his fingertips together and pressed them lightly against his chin. “I find it difficult to believe. The crusade is such a public organisation and, from what I know, the brotherhood has always striven for total secrecy. If it actually exists, that is.”
I nodded and tried to think if there was anything else I wanted to ask. Percival and I seemed to have similar opinions of the occult. Now if we only had similar incomes.
“Well, Mr Percival, I appreciate your time.”
I stood up and glanced around the office. On the wall behind the desk, I spotted a framed photograph of Percival shaking hands with the Reverend Claude Shepherd, the leader of the Crusade for Genetic Purity. I suddenly wondered if Percival had come clean with me.
“Looks like you’ve done alright for yourself since we last met.”
Percival came around the side of the desk and shook my hand. “I hope the success has been mutual. I enjoyed our visit.”
Trying to think of a snappy rejoinder, I walked to the door, and Percival opened it for me. I paused before leaving.
“Do you have the statuette?”
Percival shook his head. “I wish I did. I think it would look especially nice on that marble stand, next to the window.”
I thanked him, and he closed the door behind me. Alaynah turned and smiled. “How did it go?”
“I’m not sure.”
She smiled again and lowered her voice. “Mr Percival seems to have that effect on most people. So, when are you going to take me out for another drink? I think I might be free this evening.”
Despite having decided against pursuing anything amorous with Alaynah, I had a good reason to buy her a few drinks, though I’d have to find some money first. She probably handled some, if not all, of Percival’s correspondence. If I got her drunk, maybe she’d have something interesting to tell me about her employer. I was also curious about the light blue manila envelope from Genetic Research Systems still lying on her desk.
“What time are you off? I can swing by and pick you up.”
Alaynah smiled, glad to see that I’d finally come around. “Five o’clock.”
I grinned suavely. “I won’t be late.”
I said goodbye and walked back to the elevator. Five minutes later, I beeped off the alarm on the speeder and climbed inside. I was actually feeling eager. Maybe I’d jumped to conclusions with Alaynah. It was something we’d have to discuss. I knew I was being weak, but a beautiful woman with a great figure and a possible trove of information was almost too much for a celibate PI with no leads. I decided to make a quick trip back to the office, take a shower, dust off the bottle of Cologne, maybe even shave.
I lifted off and began to rise above the sunset. Turning the speeder in the direction of my office, I accelerated and glanced into my rearview mirror. Behind me, the Lowell Percival Enterprises building blew into a billion pieces.
UAKM — CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
The City went haywire. Immediately, a deafening cacophony of alarms went off. A massive dust cloud billowed from ground zero, then slowly dissipated, revealing piles of debris, corpses, and body parts scattered in all directions. Passersby who had survived the blast lay on the street and sidewalks, some dying, others only stunned. Within minutes, the area was flooded with fire department personnel, policemen, and horrified onlookers. The explosion had not only gutted the entire LPE skyscraper, but it had taken out most of the surrounding block. Few, if any, survivors would be pulled out of the Percival building. I suddenly remembered talking to at Alaynah and Percival. Now, only minutes later, they were both almost certainly dead.
I set my speeder down several blocks away and walked toward the destruction in a semi-stupor. On every side, emergency personnel were tending to the wounded. I’d never had the dubious honour of serving in the war, but this was what I’d imagined it would be like. Dazed workers from nearby buildings were streaming out to survey the damage.
Television vehicles began to appear, and the airspace was jammed with media craft.
Stopping just outside the perimeter of debris, I considered getting out of the way and returning to my office, but the awesome spectacle of the annihilated skyscraper held me fast. After several minutes, I caught sight of a familiar face. Mac Malden, along with most of the SFPD, was beginning to question eyewitnesses.