Goetia

his eyes. “Even before the Hellgates openedand the demons arrived, that sanitarium was a bad place to be. The thing that kept most of the residents there was the food. That appeared to be plentiful.”

“How did you find him?” Simon asked.

“There was an investigation into your father’s past. Someone found out thatyour father had visited Macomber in the sanitarium. They sent us to find Macomber.”

“What did they know about my father?” Simon felt awkward asking the question,as if a stranger would know more about his father that he did.

“Your father’s body was found and identified at St. Paul’s Cathedral only afew days after of the attack during All Hallows’ Eve.”

The news hurt Simon. He hadn’t known his father’s body had been recovered. Byrights, if he was able, he was supposed to lay his father’s bones to rest in thefamily crypt in the Templar Underground.

“Where’s my father?” he asked.

The quiet man paused before answering. “He’s in a medical examiner’s vault.If it’s still there.”

“I need to know where.”

“I’ll see if I can find out where it is.”

Simon nodded, unable to speak. He only hoped his father hadn’t been raised aszombie by one of the demons. He turned his attention to Macomber. Gently, Simon laid his armored hand on the old man’s shoulder.

“Professor,” Simon said.

The old man started at Simon’s touch. Macomber put his hands up to defendhimself. “Don’t hit me! Please don’t hit me again!”

He’s not here, Simon realized. He’s there, still stuck in the past.He kept his hand firmly on the old man shoulder and called his name again.

“Professor Macomber. I need to speak with you about Thomas Cross and thebook.”

The old man’s eyes focused on Simon. “Ah, there you are, Thomas. I’ve beenwondering where you’d gotten off to.”

Simon didn’t bother to correct the man and hoped that the mistaken identityworked out. “Tell me about the book, Professor.”

Macomber smiled. “It’s a wonderful book, Thomas. I think you’re going to bepleased.”

“Why am I going to be pleased?” Simon asked.

“Because the book has their names! It’s like we’ve always agreed. Ifwe know their names—the names of the demons—we’ll have power over them. We won’thave to fear them, Thomas. Even if they come to this world, we can save ourselves from them.”

“What’s the name of the book?”

“Don’t play me for the fool, Thomas. You know exactly what book I’m talkingabout. It’s Goetia.” Macomber set heavily on the ground. “I’m tired now,Thomas. I want to go home. Do you know why Jeanne has not been here yet to pick me up? When they put me in this awful place, she told me she would be back for me as soon as she could.” The old man snuggled against the ATV tire and pulledhis arms around himself. “Would you watch over me, Thomas? Would you wake mewhen Jeanne arrives? I don’t want to miss her.”

Without another word, Macomber closed his eyes and slept.

Simon reached for the professor, but the quiet man stayed his hand.

“It won’t be any good to try to wake him at this point,” the quiet man said.“When he gets like this, he goes to sleep for a few hours. Even if you succeedin waking him up, all you would probably get is gibberish.”

“What’s wrong with him?”

“I think they Swiss-cheesed his mind in the sanitarium with all the drugs andtreatments. My personal opinion is that he wasn’t very strong when he went in. Alot of what he’s said while he’s been in my custody has been insane stuff.” The hint of asmile pulled up the quiet man’s lips. “At least, if demons weren’t even nowrunning rampant throughout London, I would’ve thought him insane.”

“I want to take him with me.” Simon watched for any signs of resistance orbaiting. He had to figure that whoever Leah was with would just as likely prefer Simon took the old man. After all, the old man could provide a trail as well. He might even be faking his senility.

“He’s yours,” a quiet man said. “And I’m glad of it. He’s a hard man to bearound. Especially with all the talk of demons.” He studied Simon. “Do you knowwhat book it is he’s talking about? Goetia?”

“I do,” Simon said. “Have you ever heard of King Solomon?”

“Of course. H. Rider Haggard’s pulp novel about Allan Quatermain. KingSolomon’s Mines.”

“The historical figure,” Simon said.

“No.”

“Solomon was the son of David.”

“The David of David and Goliath?” the quiet man asked.

“That’s the one,” Simon said. “He was reputed to be the wisest man ever born.During his reign, he wrote the book of Goetia. In it, he penned the names of all the demons.”

“But that had to be a couple thousand years ago,” the quiet man protestedincredulously.

“Longer ago than that,” Simon said. “He was supposed to have a magical seal—aring—that gave him power over the demons.” He decided not to get into the taleof Asmodeus, the demon that had temporarily tricked Solomon out of the ring.

“A ring?” the quiet man asked doubtfully.

“It’s a story,” Simon said. “But many stories have some basis in facts.”

“Do you really believe there’s a ring that can bind the demons?” the quietman asked.

“I don’t know,” Simon said. “There was a time when I didn’t believe in demonsso much.” •

“I thought you people always believed in them.”

“No,” Simon answered, but he didn’t bother to explain his personal journey tothe truth. “Solomon also wrote a book called Goetia, also known as TheLesser Key of Solomon. The book is supposed to be a compendium of demons’names. Scholars think he called forth seventy-two demons and imprisoned them in a bronze urn of some kind.”

“Do you think that’s true?”

“I don’t know.”

The quiet man frowned. “I thought you people knew everything there was toknow about the demons.”

“No,” Simon replied. “We just know more than you do at this point.” Before itwas over with, he was certain they would know everything together. Or we’llall be dead. “The question remains, do I get custody of Macomber? Or wasthis just an interview you arranged?”

The quiet man looked at the professor sleeping against the oversized tire. The old man looked completely innocuous.

“For