Dance Of Death

D'Agosta could now hear Pendergast murmuring into Viola's ear, but he couldn't catch the words. She shook her head, pulled away, swayed. He grasped her again, steadying her. Then he helped her toward the tunnel opening.

'Bravo, gentlemen, I do believe we're done!' came Diogenes's triumphant voice. 'Now you may all leave by tunnel VI. In fact, you must leave by tunnel VI. I would insist upon it. And you had better hurry-the midnight Acela will be coming down track VI in five minutes, bound for Washington. It accelerates quickly out of the station and will already be going close to eighty. If you don't reach the first alcove, three hundred yards down the tracks, you'll be so much paste on the tunnel walls. I'll shoot any stragglers. So get moving!'

Pendergast helped Viola back into the darkness, passed her to D'Agosta.

'Get her and Kaplan out of here,' he murmured, placing his flashlight in D'Agosta's hand.

'And you?'

'I have unfinished business.'

This was the answer D'Agosta had feared. He put out a restraining hand. 'He'll kill you.'

Pendergast gently shook himself free.

'You can't!' D'Agosta whispered urgently. 'They'll be-'

'Did you hear me?' Diogenes's voice rang out. 'You've now got four minutes!'

'Go!' said Pendergast fiercely.

D'Agosta shot him a final glance. Then he wrapped his arm around Viola, turned toward Kaplan, gave him a gentle nudge. 'Come on, Mr. Kaplan. Let's go.'

He switched on the flashlight and, turning away from the Iron Clock, led the way quickly down the tracks.

SIXTY-EIGHT

Pendergast remained in the darkness of the tunnel, gun drawn, waiting. All was silent. A minute went by, then two, then three, then four.

Five minutes passed. No train came.

Six minutes. Seven.

Still Pendergast waited in the dark. He realized his brother, always cautious, would not show himself until the train had passed. Slowly, he stepped back out into the light.

'Aloysius! What are you still doing here?' The voice was suddenly panicked. 'I said I'd kill anyone who showed themselves again!'

'Then do it.'

Once again, a gun fired, kicking up gravel inches from his toe.

'Your aim is off.'

A second round ricocheted off the stone arch above Pendergast's head, spraying him with chips.

'You missed again.'

'The train's coming through at any moment,' came the urgent voice. 'I won't have to kill you-the train will do it for me.'

Pendergast shook his head. Then he began strolling leisurely along the railroad turntable, heading toward the center of the vault.

'Get back!' Another shot.

'Your aim is poor today, Diogenes.'

He stopped at the center of the turntable.

'No!' came the voice. 'Get away!'

Pendergast reached down and picked up the box, took out the diamond, weighed it in his palm.

'The train, you fool! Put the diamond down! It's safe in that hole!'

'There is no train.'

'Yes, there is. It's late, that's all.'

'It's not coming.'

'What are you talking about?'

'The midnight Acela was canceled. I called in a bomb threat at the Back Bay station.'

'You're bluffing! How could you have called in such a threat? You couldn't have known my plan.'

'No? Why meet us at six minutes to midnight, rather than midnight? And why here? There could be only one reason: it had to do with the railroad timetable. From there it was elementary.' He slipped the diamond into his pocket.

'Put that back-it's mine! You liar! You lied to me!'

'I never lied to you. I merely followed your instructions. You, on the other hand, lied to me. Many times. You said you would kill Smithback. Instead, you targeted Margo Green.'

'I killed your friends. You know I won't hesitate to kill you.'

'And that's precisely what you're going to have to do. You want to stop me? Then kill me.'

'Bastard! Mon semblable, mon frere-now, you die!'

Pendergast waited, motionless. A minute passed, then another.

'You see, you can't kill me,' Pendergast said. 'That's why you did not properly aim your shots. You need me alive. You proved that when you rescued me from Castel Fosco. You need me, because without me-without your hatred of me-you would have nothing left.'

Diogenes did not respond. And yet a new sound had been introduced to the vault: the sound of running feet, barked commands, crackling radios.

The sounds were coming closer.

'What is it?' came Diogenes's urgent voice.

'The police,' said Pendergast calmly.

'You called the police'? You fool, they'll get you, not me!'

'That's the whole point. And your gunshots will bring them here all the faster.'

'What are you talking about? Idiot, you're what-using yourself as bait? Sacrificing yourself?'

'Precisely. I'm exchanging my freedom for the safety of Viola, and for the recovery of Lucifer's Heart. Self- sacrifice, Diogenes: the one end result you could not have predicted. Because it's the one thing you would never, ever think to do yourself.'

'You-! Give me my diamond!'

'Come and get it. You might even have a minute to enjoy it before we're both captured. Or you can run now, and maybe-just maybe- escape.'

'You can't do this, you're utterly mad!' The disembodied voice fell in another choking moan, so penetrating and inhuman that it sounded feral. And then it cut off abruptly, leaving only an echo.

A moment later, Hayward burst out of tunnel IV, a phalanx of cops behind her. Singleton followed, speaking excitedly into his radio. The officers quickly surrounded Pendergast, dropping to their knees in the three-point stance, weapons aimed at him.

'Police! Freeze! Raise your hands!'

Slowly, Pendergast raised his hands.

Hayward came forward, stepping through the ring of blue. 'Are you armed, Agent Pendergast?'

Pendergast nodded. 'And you will find Lucifer's Heart in the left pocket of my jacket. Please treat it with great care. Hold it yourself, don't entrust it to anyone.'

Hayward glanced back, motioned for one of the officers to frisk him. Another agent came up behind, grabbing Pendergast's hands, pulling them behind his back and cuffing them.

'I suggest we move away from the railroad track,' Pendergast said. 'For the sake of safety.'

'All in good time,' Hayward said. She reached cautiously into his jacket pocket, withdrew the diamond, glanced at it, tucked it into her own breast pocket. 'Aloysius Pendergast, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law…'

But Pendergast was not listening. He was looking over Hayward's shoulder, into the darkness of tunnel III.