The Last Odyssey (Sigma Force #15) - James Rollins Page 0,51

to build it with that city’s latitude fixed into it. After that, it would only function at that latitude. If you moved it to Paris, none of its amazing calculations and guidance would work.”

“But a spherical astrolabe is universal in design. That’s what makes them unique and rare.” Roe waved Gray closer. “If you look, you can see holes across its surface.”

Gray squinted and made out tiny perforations across the globe’s inner shell. At least two dozen of them. Each marked with a tiny symbol. He imagined there must be the same number of holes on the underside of the cradled artifact.

“When you insert rods into specific holes, you can change the astrolabe’s set latitude. Move the rods, and you can reset it to a new location. Over and over again.” Roe faced them. “But without those rods, it’s a blank, directionless slate.”

Gray pictured that tiny spinning ship.

Bailey added even worse news. “And we don’t know the right number of rods for this particular astrolabe or where to place them. The possible combinations are nearly infinite.”

Gray now understood why Bailey had summoned him here. “In other words, this astrolabe might be the key to the map, but the rods are the key to the astrolabe. To activate the map and have it point to the correct location, we need to put the right combination into the astrolabe.”

Bailey shrugged. “And without the rods and knowing where to place them . . .”

We’re no closer to an answer.

Mac looked aghast. “Back in Greenland. When we activated the map, the little ship traveled a bit farther out to the sea. Which makes me think at least some of the rods had been in place. But they must’ve dropped out when the astrolabe fell, or maybe when I caught it.”

“Then they’re gone for good,” Gray said. “Trying to find them in that glacier would be like searching for an unknown number of needles in the world’s largest frozen haystack.”

“What can we do?” Maria asked.

Roe stared at him, too, clearly wanting his help to solve this.

Gray shook his head, struggling for any answers. “Without those needles, there’s nothing we can do.”

Roe patted his shoulder and turned away. “I feared as much.”

Still, Gray spent the next ten minutes examining the device from every angle. He refused to believe it was hopeless. His mind spun with possibilities. If the rods had been in place, maybe by analyzing each of the holes—by looking for microabrasions or missing tarnish—we could identify the correct holes where they’d been seated. If we could fabricate new rods, then maybe—

A huge boom shook through the vaults.

Then another and another in rapid succession.

With the last one, the ground jolted hard, throwing them all down. The mosaic tile floor fractured beneath them. A burning log was bumped out of the fireplace as the hearth’s iron grate crashed down. It rolled against one of the tapestries and set it on fire.

Gray gained his feet and rushed to the door. “Stay here!” he yelled.

He skidded into the bricked dome. Seichan slid next to him, ignoring his warning. Across the space, the elevator doors were still open. Movement inside the cage drew his gaze. A figure dropped from above and landed in a crouch.

Gray tensed.

Seichan had a dagger in hand, somehow having managed to get the blade through the layers of security.

Out of the elevator, Major Bossard burst into view. As he ran, he carried his suit jacket bundled in his hands, then tossed it aside. He must have slid down the elevator cable using his jacket as insulation. His H&K submachine gun, still slung to his shoulder, bounced at his hip.

“Run!” he screamed.

Overhead, another thunderous blast. Behind him, the elevator cage blew out of its shaft in an explosion of rock, dust, and smoke. The brick dome shattered on the far side, huge sections crashed to the floor—then it all began to implode.

Bossard reached them. “Jets,” he gasped out. “Missile attack.”

More booms—some close, some far.

Bossard rushed them back toward the reading room as more of the dome collapsed behind them. The air choked with rock dust. “Bombarding the whole place,” the major coughed out. “Concentrating here.”

No doubt.

Gray knew the reason why.

After failing to secure the astrolabe, the enemy wasn’t taking any chances with it.

If they couldn’t have it, they were making damned sure no one else could.

Gray rejoined the others and got them moving. “Grab the map, anything else you can think of.” He pointed toward the tunnel farthest from the dome collapse. “We need to get