‘You want to field this one, Kelsey?’ Sandstrom asked.
‘Sure. The short version goes something like this. Four basic forces are known to be at work in the universe – forces that determine the behavior of everything from the smallest subatomic particle to the universe itself. Current theory predicts that if we were to wind the clock back in time to less than a hundredth of a second after the Big Bang, we should find these four apparently separate forces merging into a single unified force.’
Nolan nodded. ‘I’m with you so far. Gravity, which keeps us from falling off the earth and affects all the big stuff in the universe is theoretically related to the forces that hold atoms and all the subatomic bits together.’
‘Exactly. A theory of everything, or TOE, describes the linkage between all the forces. If we can ever develop one that can survive experimental testing, we’ll have a much clearer understanding of how the universe began, how it works, and where it’s going. Now, trying to tie all four forces together in one shot is incredibly difficult. Einstein spent the later years of his life on his unified field theory and came up empty. Taking it one step at a time, we’ve managed to tie two of the forces – electro-magnetism and the weak nuclear force – together. Currently physicists are trying to tie these two forces with the strong nuclear force – the one that holds protons and neutrons together to form atomic nuclei. A theory describing the union of the three nongravitational forces is known in the trade as a GUT, which stands for grand unification theory. The next step after a working GUT is developed is a working TOE.’
‘So, based on Wolff’s letters, you think he was piecing together a theory of everything?’
‘Absolutely,’ Sandstrom assured Nolan, ‘and he was at least as far along fifty years ago as anyone is today. I’m seeing glimmers of M-brane theory in these letters and hints at strategies for resolving some of the stickier problems that current theorists are wrestling with.’
Nolan nodded. ‘Can these letters help you with your research?’
‘Who knows? It all depends on how far Wolff progressed with his theoretical work. These letters are just chip shots, snippets; Wolff did his big thinking somewhere else. A guy this bright had to have published somewhere – left some kind of record of his research.’ A gleam shone in Sandstrom’s eyes, and he looked up at Nolan and Kelsey. ‘We have to find Johann Wolff.’
‘Ted’ – Kelsey’s voice carried a touch of concern – ‘even if he’s still alive, he’d be at least as old as Raphaele was.’
Sandstrom smiled. ‘It doesn’t matter. A mind like this has to have left some mark behind – some evidence that he was here. Dead or alive, we have to find Johann Wolff.’
14
Moscow, Russia
Irena Cherny placed the handset back in the cradle of the multiline phone on her desk and sighed. She took a deep breath, attempting to stave off the anger that threatened to disrupt her normally poised demeanor.
‘ Yop t’voi yo mat! ’ she growled, cursing the man with an expression suggesting an incestuous relationship between the bureaucrat and his mother.
She glanced down at the slip of paper containing the flight and cargo identification numbers for the materials acquired by Dmitri Leskov’s team in the United States. Orlov had handed it to her more than two hours ago, requesting that she locate the shipment and arrange for it to be retrieved.
Cherny stood, brushed at a crease in her skirt, and calmly walked to her employer’s office. She knocked, and Victor Orlov waved her in.
‘Did you talk with the people at Sheremetyevo?’ Orlov asked.
‘ Da, Victor Ivanovich, I most certainly did.’
‘And?’
‘And I have been able to confirm that the aircraft has indeed arrived and been unloaded.’
‘Good, then we can send a truck down to retrieve our shipment.’
‘Not yet,’ Cherny said.
‘Why?’
‘As you requested, I called Customs using only the name on the cargo manifest and made no mention of you or the company.’
Orlov nodded.
‘After wasting a great deal of my time, they finally connected me with someone who allegedly has enough blood flowing between his ears to generate a spark of intelligence. This individual informed me that the aircraft that arrived from Chicago had no cargo on board that matches our number or description.’
‘How can this be? Voronin faxed us all the paperwork. The shipment should have been on that plane.’
‘I understand, but according to the people who unloaded the aircraft, it was not on board. Since the manifest that arrived with the aircraft also did not indicate that our property was on board, the man I spoke with suggested that there may have been a clerical error in Chicago.’
Orlov was on his feet, pacing in front of the tall windows that faced the Moskva River.
‘Get Voronin on the phone.’
Cherny did a mental calculation of the time difference. ‘It’s four in the morning there.’
‘I don’t care if I have to wake that fat slob up. I want to know where my property is.’
Cherny nodded and returned to her desk. In five minutes she connected Orlov with Voronin.
‘Victor Ivanovich,’ Voronin said groggily, still trying to shake the sleep from his head. ‘What can I do for you?’
‘You can answer a question, Pyotr Yefimovich. Where is my property?’
‘It left Chicago yesterday. It should be in Moscow by now.’
‘According to Russian Customs, no cargo containers bearing the numbers that you faxed me were on the plane. Again, I ask, Where is my property?’
Voronin was now fully awake, fear for his life causing an adrenaline-fueled rise in both his heart rate and blood pressure. ‘Could the Customs people be fucking around with you?’
‘I don’t think so, because they didn’t try to extort any money from me. They say that there was no cargo on the plane matching the information you sent me.’
‘I swear to God, Victor, I wouldn’t do this to you.’
Orlov could hear the fear in Voronin’s voice, a fear that the man was perfectly justified in feeling. Even halfway around the world, Voronin knew that Victor Orlov could make his life a living hell or, worse, take his life. Orlov did what his business required, and ordering a man’s death was no different from cashing a check.
‘I know, Pyotr. And you know that I don’t like excuses. I want results; I want my property. Find it today.’
‘ Da, Victor Ivanovich. I’ll call you as soon as I know anything.’
15
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Nolan walked down East University, or what used to be East University until the dead-end road that defined the eastern edge of the original campus had been closed off and terraformed into a lush pedestrian walkway. To his left was West Engineering, a long three-story Romanesque building topped with a red tile roof and a pair of cupolas.
He smiled as he passed by a series of glass-block windows that punctured the building’s thick masonry base. Hidden behind the translucent blocks was the Naval Architecture wave tank and the carpentry shop where his
