Most of the Elders were never generous toward what they called humani. Very
few of them were prepared to give without attaching some sort of conditions,
Flamel explained. The greatest gift the Elders can bestow is that of
immortality. Humans want to live forever. Both Dee and Machiavelli are in
service to their Dark Elders who gifted them with immortality.
In service? Sophie asked, looking from the Alchemyst to Joan.
They are servants, Joan said gently, some would say slaves. It is the
price of their immortality and powers.
Joan s phone rang again with the same ring tone and she flipped it open.
Sophie, Flamel continued quietly, the gift of immortality can be withdrawn
from a person at any time, and if that happens then all of their unnatural
years will catch up with them in a matter of moments. Some Elders enslave the
humani they Awaken, turn them into little better than zombies.
But Hekate didn't make me immortal when she Awakened me, Sophie argued.
Unlike the Witch of Endor, Hekate had no interest in humani for countless
generations. She always remained neutral in the wars between those of us who
defend humanity and the Dark Elders. A bitter smile twisted his thin lips.
Perhaps if she had chosen a side, she would still be alive today.
Sophie looked into the Alchemyst s pale eyes. She was thinking that if Flamel
had not gone into Hekate s Shadowrealm, the Elder would still be alive.
You re saying Josh is in danger, she said finally.
Terrible danger.
Sophie s gaze never left Flamel s face. Josh was in danger not because of Dee
or Machiavelli, but because Nicholas Flamel has placed the two of them in
this terrible situation. He was protecting them, he said, and once she had
believed that without question. But now now she didn't know what to think.
Come. Joan snapped her phone shut, caught Sophie s hand and dragged her
down the alleyway toward the street. Francis is on the way.
Flamel took one final look at the manhole cover, then tucked Clarent under
his coat and hurried after them.
Joan led them out of the narrow side street onto the Avenue du President
Wilson, then quickly turned left onto Rue Debrousse and headed back toward
the river. The air was filled with the sounds of countless police and
ambulance sirens, and in the skies overhead police helicopters buzzed low
over the city. The streets were almost completely empty, and no one paid any
attention to three people running for shelter.
Sophie shivered; the whole scene was so surreal. It was like something she d
see in a war documentary on the Discovery Channel.
At the bottom of the Rue Debrousse, they found Saint-Germain waiting in a
nondescript black BMW badly in need of washing. The front and rear passenger
doors were open slightly, and the tinted driver s window hummed down as they
approached. Saint-Germain was grinning delightedly. Nicholas, you should
come home more often; the city is in chaos. It s all terribly exciting. I ve
not had so much fun in centuries.
Joan slid in beside her husband, while Nicholas and Sophie climbed into the
back. Saint-Germain gunned the engine, but Nicholas leaned forward and
squeezed his shoulder.
Not so fast. We don't need to draw any attention to ourselves, he warned.
But with the panic on the streets, we shouldn't be driving slowly, either,
Saint-Germain pointed out. He eased the car away from the curb and set off
down the Avenue de New York. He drove with one hand on the steering wheel,
the other draped over the seat as he kept twisting around to talk to the
Alchemyst.
Completely numb, Sophie slumped against the window, staring out at the river
flashing by on her left. In the distance, on the opposite side of the Seine,
she could make out the now familiar shape of the Eiffel Tower rising over the
rooftops. She was exhausted and her head was spinning. She was confused about
the Alchemyst. Nicholas couldn't be bad, could he? Saint-Germain and
Joan Scatty, too obviously respected him. Even Hekate and the Witch liked
him. Flickering thoughts that she knew were not hers hovered at the very edge
of her consciousness, but when she tried to focus, they drifted away. They
were the Witch of Endor s memories, and she knew instinctively that they were
important. They were something to do with the catacombs, and the creature who
lived in the depths .
Officially, the police are reporting that a portion of the catacombs has
caved in and brought down some houses with it, Saint-Germain was saying.
They re claiming that the sewers have ruptured and that methane, carbon
dioxide and carbon monoxide gas have escaped into the city. The center of
Paris is being sealed off and evacuated. People are being advised to remain
indoors.
Nicholas leaned back against the leather seats and closed his eyes. Has
anyone been injured? he asked.
A few cuts and bruises, but nothing more serious has been reported.
Joan shook her head in amazement. Considering what s just tromped through
the city, that s a minor miracle.
Any sightings of Nidhogg? Nicholas asked.
Not on any of the main news channels yet, but some grainy cell phone images
have turned up on blogs, and
exclusive images of what they are calling The Creature from the Catacombs
and The Beast from the Pit.
Sophie leaned forward, following the conversation. She looked from Nicholas
to Saint-Germain and then back at the Alchemyst. Soon the whole world will
know the truth. What happens then?
Nothing, the two men said simultaneously.
Nothing? But that s not possible.
Joan swiveled around in the passenger seat. But that is what is going to
happen. This will be covered up.
Sophie looked at Flamel. He nodded in agreement. Most people simply won t
believe it anyway, Sophie. It will be dismissed as a hoax or a prank. Those
who do think it true will be called conspiracy theorists. And you can be sure
that Machiavelli s people are already working to confiscate and destroy every
image.
Within a couple of hours, Saint-Germain added, the events of this morning
will simply be reported as an unfortunate accident. Sightings of a monster
will be laughed at and dismissed as hysteria.
Sophie shook her head in disbelief. You can t hide something like that
forever.
