go down the list? One, yes, I am rich, and I did have an interlude with Zahra that might prove beneficial to us. Two, the reason I’m here is that Novak knew that when Eve agreed to do the reconstruction, it wasn’t going to work unless we brought you into the mix ASAP. So he immediately sent me here to put myself at your disposal. Three, it took me seven hours and thirty minutes to get here from Maldara today, and I believe I can guarantee to get you back in the same time. Anything else?”
“Novak sent you? Then he owns you?”
“Was that meant to insult me?” Gideon smiled. “I have many talents, but I’m new to this game Novak knows so well. Yes, I let Novak own me because he’s an expert at what he does. I’d let you own me if you show me you’re better than Novak.” His smile faded. “I’d let the devil himself own me if it meant that he could deliver Varak to me. Is that clear?”
Joe studied him. “It seems to be. I’ll have to give it time to verify whether you’re being honest or just telling me what I’d consider acceptable.” He turned on his heel. “In the meantime, get me to Maldara. And seven hours and thirty minutes is not what I wanted to hear. So be prepared to spend that time filling me in on every phase of what you and Novak have been doing regarding that damn skull. Eve might be a major part of this, but I know Novak isn’t waiting for verification or permission from his director. He’s already on the move, isn’t he?”
“You’d have to ask him.”
“No, I’m asking you.” Joe’s smile was tiger bright. “And by the time we reach Maldara, I’ll have answers. I believe we’ll start with the DNA…”
* * *
Robaku
“Hey, you said you were going to nap for a while. Isn’t it time you stopped working?”
Eve looked up from the reconstruction to see Jill standing beside her. She realized she hadn’t heard her leave her cot on the other side of the room. But then she had been so absorbed that she hadn’t been aware of anything but the reconstruction in front of her. “Soon.” She stretched her stiff neck around in a circle. “I got carried away with doing Varak’s repairs. It took awhile. But I have a clean slate now. I can start with the measuring.”
“He doesn’t look clean to me.” Jill was gazing at the blackened skull. “He still looks like something from a horror film.” Her glance shifted to Eve. “And you’re calling him Varak. I know you told me that you always have to name your reconstructions so that you can connect, but this is different, isn’t it? You’re assuming he is Varak?”
“No.” Eve shrugged. “I didn’t know what to name him, so I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. If he is Varak, then I’ll have it right; if he’s not, then I still might be close.” Her lips tightened. “Because it would be almost certain that he’s a Varak victim, maybe even one of his butchers who was on that helicopter. Either way, this is a Varak entity.”
“Complicated. Sort of a reconstruction with a split personality. But what else could we expect from Varak?” She asked curiously, “How does that affect you in making a connection with him?”
Eve felt herself stiffening. She quickly looked back at the skull. “I won’t have to worry about that yet. There’s a lot to do first. The measuring, the initial sculpting.”
“And you’d prefer not to dwell on it,” Jill said softly, reading her expression. “Have you ever done a reconstruction before on someone…like Varak?”
“You mean an evil son of a bitch who scared the hell out of me?” She moistened her lips. “Once. Several years ago. I hoped I’d never have to do it again. Call me crazy. But when a soul is that evil…it seems to linger…And I imagine Varak would be a million times worse.” She straightened her shoulders. “I’ll face that when it comes. Now I have work to do.”
“After you sleep a few hours,” Jill said. “You said soon.”
“This isn’t soon,” Eve said flatly. “I let you stay with me, but I won’t have you ordering me around.”
“I’ll back off. I just didn’t want you to get too tired.” Jill paused. “I was wondering after Joe Quinn called back and told you that he was on his way whether you might be