The Prophecy

4

Although he would have preferred the basketball game, this type of event was a great consolation prize for Jones. A voracious reader with a thirst for knowledge, he had always been a fan of history and world culture. Throw in his incredible memory, and he had the ability to spout random facts about every subject imaginable, often to Payne’s amazement.

As he roamed the crowded halls of the Cathedral, Jones ducked into a few of his favourite rooms, starting with the German Classroom. Designed to reflect the sixteenth-century German Renaissance, it was based on the Great Hall at the University of Heidelberg. Walnut panelling framed the blackboards. The intarsia doors of the corner cabinets featured images from German folklore, including Lorelei, the beautiful maiden who lured sailors onto the rocks of the Rhine river with her enchanting songs. Wrought-iron chandeliers hung from the extravagant wood ceilings, and rows of walnut armchairs graced the floor.

Jones had seen the German Classroom several times before, but he had never noticed the whimsical details of the stained-glass windows until he overheard one of the tour guides discussing them. The images depicted several characters from the Grimm Brothers’ fairytales, including Hansel and Gretel, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Cinderella, and Little Red Riding Hood.

‘I wonder,’ said the tour guide, ‘if Walt Disney visited the Cathedral of Learning prior to making his animated classics. If so, this room might have been his inspiration.’

A few minutes later, Jones decided to journey across Europe. He bypassed the crowded Italian and Czechoslovak Classrooms and headed towards the Syria — Lebanon Room. Because of the extravagance of its furnishings, it was one of two display rooms where no classes were taught. Originally a library and prayer room in a wealthy merchant’s home in Damascus, it was moved intact to its current location and installed by the Syrian and Lebanese communities.

The linden-panelled walls and ceilings were decorated with gesso, a mixture of chalk and glue applied by brush, then painted and overlaid with silver and gold leaf. The room featured a mihrab, a decorative niche that indicated the direction of Mecca, and a marble ledge for the placement of the Koran during daily prayers. An old mosque oil-lamp made of perforated copper and hand-blown glass wells illuminated the room. The sofas were covered in satin and rested on a dark red and white marble floor that sloped down at the entrance, where visitors were asked to remove their shoes before entering. In 1997, a glass-panelled door had been added to allow the opulent decor to be seen even when the room was closed.

But on this night, the room was open for guided tours. Inside, a Syrian professor was commenting on the room’s furniture. ‘Very few Americans know this,’ he said in heavily accented English, ‘but the word sofa comes from the Arabic word suffah. According to tradition, it was a reclining piece of wood or stone that was often covered in cushions.’

Not surprisingly, Jones already knew that fact and many others about the Arab world. He had acquired most of his knowledge years ago when his unit was stationed in the Middle East. However, he had recently added to his collection during a classified mission to Mecca, a journey that he and Payne weren’t allowed to discuss outside the confines of the Pentagon.

After listening for a moment, Jones walked down the corridor and visited the English Classroom. It was the largest of the Nationality Rooms and was in the sixteenth-century Tudor-Gothic style of the Houses of Parliament. The Commons Chamber had been destroyed by Luftwaffe bombing in 1941. The British government had rescued several relics — a stone fireplace, hearth tiles, oak panelling, the entrance doorframe, lintels, etc. — and donated them to the Cathedral of Learning.

Under the ceiling trusses were four limestone corbels from the Commons Chamber carved with a Tudor rose. Stained-glass window medallions depicted the coats of arms of several English towns and cities, literary figures, scholars from Cambridge and Oxford, and the Houses of Lords and Commons. Portraits of Andrew Mellon, former Ambassador to the Court of St James, and William Pitt, Earl of Chatham, after whom Pittsburgh was named, flanked the stained-glass windows in the rear bay. A brick from 10 Downing Street, the residence and office of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, served as the room’s cornerstone.

As Jones admired it, he sensed someone staring at him from the entrance. Always attentive, he glanced over his shoulder and caught a glimpse of a woman a split-second before she hustled into the hallway. Her face was obscured by her shoulder-length brown hair and the collar of her green coat. Long legs and a slender frame were showcased in a snug pair of faded jeans that were tucked into stylish black boots.

Jones stood at once, realizing that this was the same brunette he had seen in the shadows of the Commons Room during Payne’s speech. Now she was watching him, too. He didn’t feel threatened — his gun and his training put his mind at ease — but he was intrigued.

Who was this woman, and what did she want? Suddenly his evening had become a lot more exciting.

Payne’s cell phone vibrated in his jacket pocket. He looked at his screen and shook his head before he answered. ‘Don’t tell me you’re lost.’

‘Where are you?’ Jones demanded.

‘Why?’

‘I just spotted your stalker. Now she’s following me.’

‘Where are you?’

‘Didn’t I just ask you that?’

Payne growled in frustration. ‘I’m in the Polish Room.’

‘Of course you are.’

‘It’s near the registration table.’

‘Then you better hustle. You’re on the wrong side of the building. She just left the English Room, number 144. It’s in the far corner. I’m not sure where she went, though. She blended in with all the white people.’

Payne walked into the corridor, trying to picture the layout of the Cathedral and the nearby streets. Fifth Avenue was to his left, Forbes Avenue to his right. Bigelow Boulevard was behind him, and Bellefield Avenue was on the far side of the building, much closer to Jones.

‘Take the hallway that runs parallel to Bellefield. I’ll take the one along Fifth. Those are the only two routes from your current position.’

‘Unless you count all the rooms and stairs.’

‘Worry about them later. For now, concentrate on the hallways.’

‘Just so you know, she’s wearing jeans and a green coat. She should stand out.’

Payne nodded in agreement as he passed several older couples who were dressed in formal attire. ‘Remember, this is a charity event, and she’s done nothing wrong. Try not to shoot her.’

Jones grinned. ‘No promises.’

‘And no running. I don’t want anyone else to worry.’

‘I know, and no sweets between meals. I got it, Mom.’

Payne smirked and hung up the phone, which was one of the only ways to stop Jones’s yapping. Some of the others included duct tape and medical-grade pharmaceuticals, neither of which Payne had in his tuxedo.

Jones smiled in triumph when he heard the click of his phone. That meant Payne was unable to think of a suitable retort and had hung up instead.

Keeping his phone in his hand, Jones shifted his attention to his surroundings. This was the same corridor he had strolled down minutes before, so its layout was fresh in his head. The French Classroom was on his immediate left, followed by the Norwegian and the Russian. Up ahead on his right was the Syria — Lebanon Room he had viewed earlier. After that, the hallway split: stairs to the left, elevators to the right, and several regular classrooms in the distance. Rooms on the first floor were rarely locked, giving students a quiet place to study. Unfortunately, it also gave the woman plenty of places to hide.

At this point Jones viewed her more as a curiosity than a threat. He had jokingly referred to her as a stalker because she had acted like one when he had spotted her — quickly retreating into the hallway — but he knew her reaction could be explained in several innocent ways. His best guess was she didn’t belong at the event. It was invitation-only, and she was obviously underdressed. Perhaps she had hustled away to avoid an embarrassing confrontation.

On the other hand, her behaviour had raised a red flag.

And for that reason alone, they were determined to find her.