“You know exactly what it looks like.”
“Do I? „Artifact‟ is such a vague term—it could be anything. But if you won‟t describe it, can you perhaps tell me what it might be used for?”
Weezy frowned. “Used?”
“Yes. What did it do?”
“It didn‟t do anything that we know of.”
“Then what possible use could it be to the Order? Why would we want to … steal it?”
Her voice rose. “Because it‟s proof that there‟s a Secret History of the World, something your order and other groups like it want to remain secret!”
As Mr. Drexler‟s smile broadened while he stared at Weezy, Jack edged to the left for a peek through the doors. He saw fringed rugs on the floor—Persian carpets?—dark, indistinct paintings on the walls, a large fireplace with a lot of curios set on the mantel above it. The one in the center looked—
Jack felt his neck muscles bunch as he took a step closer for a better view.
Eggers reappeared then, frowning at Jack as he blocked the space.
But not before Jack spotted a black object similar in size to the pyramid he and Weezy had found—the one that disappeared. This thing seemed to have a pointed top.
Their pyramid?
He hid the thrill jolting through his nerves as Mr. Drexler turned to him.
“Your friend is a most entertaining young lady. I would love to stand here and discuss her Secret History of the World and other wild imaginings, but duty calls.” He lifted his gaze and inclined his head toward a place somewhere behind them. “And besides, your lost man is up and about.”
Jack turned and saw the man staggering along Quakerton Road toward the bridge. He heard a click and turned back to see the Lodge door had closed. It appeared Mr. Drexler was done with them. Perhaps they‟d stopped being “entertaining.”
“No!” Weezy cried as she started banging on the door. Her features were tight and her eyes wild. “Open up! Let us in!”
He touched her arm. “That‟s not going to help.”
For an instant she looked as if she was going to pound on him instead of the door, then her shoulders slumped and she nodded. He was afraid she was going to cry, but she took a breath and started down the walk.
“Let‟s go.”
He‟d never seen her like this. What was with her, anyway?
8
They caught up to the lost man at the edge of the swollen lake. “Where‟re you going?”
Jack said.
“Thirsty.” He looked at them with glazed eyes, then pointed at Quaker Lake.
“Need a drink.”
“That‟s probably not such a good idea,” Weezy said. She seemed back in control
again. “Might make you sick.”
“Come on.” Jack pointed to the bridge. “Let‟s get you across. There‟s an
ambulance on the way.”
A sheriff‟s cruiser pulled up just as they reached the other side. Deputy Tim
Davis hopped out and helped the man to the car where he sat on the rear seat with his legs outside and his feet on the ground.
“The ambulance will be here in a few minutes.”
After handing him a bottle of water, with advice to drink slowly, Tim turned to
Jack. He‟d dated Jack‟s sister, Kate, in high school, so they knew each other pretty well.
“Where‟d you find him?”
“He sort of found us.”
“That‟s not answering the question.”
Jack glanced at Weezy and said, “Out by Old Man Foster‟s.”
Tim didn‟t look surprised. “That wouldn‟t be the land that‟s posted for „No
Trespassing,‟ would it?”
“Good thing we just happened by, huh?” Jack added a grin.
Tim didn‟t return the smile. He looked tense. “I suppose so. Don‟t go anywhere.
I need to talk to you two.”
“About what?” Weezy said.
“About the woods.”
“Why us?”
“Because you spend so much time there, you should be made honorary pineys.” Ordinarily he might have smiled when he said something like that, but his
expression remained grim. Jack wondered what was going on.
As Tim took out his note pad and began asking the man questions, Jack started