Chris Kuzneski - The Prophecy

They had noticed her immediately, spotting her in the large crowd even though she had stayed in the back shadows of the Cathedral. Less than five minutes later, they had converged on her

Perhaps, she thought, her long journey had been worthwhile.

Perhaps these guys were as good as she’d heard.

Payne made his way to the registration table where he talked to the two female students.

‘Great speech, Mr Payne,’ gushed the blonde. ‘We were impressed.’

‘Thank you, ladies. But, please, call me Jon.’

‘Okay, Jon,’ said the redhead, giggling.

Payne smiled at them. If he had been several years younger, this conversation would have gone in a much different direction, but he decided to focus on the business at hand. ‘Out of curiosity, did any more guests arrive while I was on stage?’

The blonde shook her head. ‘Nope, Mr Jones was the last one here.’

The redhead corrected her. ‘You mean the infamous Mr Jones.’

The blonde frowned. ‘Wait, why is he infamous?’

Payne leaned closer and whispered something.

‘Are you serious?’ she demanded.

Payne nodded. ‘Completely. If you don’t believe me, ask him yourself.’

‘No way,’ said the redhead. ‘I could never ask him that .’

The blonde grinned naughtily. ‘But I could.’

Payne laughed for a few seconds before he got the conversation back on track. ‘So, you’re sure no one came in after him.’

The redhead furrowed her brow. ‘Wait! Do you mean guests, or anyone ?’

‘Anyone.’

‘Oh, in that case, some lady came in. She wasn’t a guest, though.’

‘What was she?’ Payne wondered.

‘A brunette.’

‘No, that’s not what I meant. Was she a student? A professor? Something else?’

‘She was thin,’ the blonde offered. ‘Does that help?’

Payne nodded. ‘At this point, everything helps. Did she leave her name?’

The blonde shook her head. ‘She didn’t leave her coat, either. But it was really cute. It was green and had big buttons.’

‘No,’ the redhead replied. ‘She walked right past us and stood over there in the back of the room. I lost sight of her after that. I was watching your speech.’

The blonde looked concerned. ‘Did we do something wrong?’

‘Not at all,’ Payne assured them. ‘You two are doing a great job. I’ll make sure someone brings you over some soft drinks and appetizers.’

‘Thanks,’ they said in unison.

‘Do me a favour, though. When Mr Jones comes back for his coat, make sure you ask him about what I said.’ Payne grinned mischievously. ‘I bet he denies everything.’

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.

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

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 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

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.’

‘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.’