'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.'
