Petrified Read Free Page B

figure that had led Nathan’s son Denver to ask if he could help out in the laboratory after school, even if it meant sweeping up.
    It was Kavita’s job to filter and analyze the airborne chemical residue that resulted from this experiment. Then she had to produce a computer model of exactly what had happened during combustion – even if it turned out to be a disaster.
    â€˜OK, Kavita, that’s great,’ Nathan told her. ‘Just give me a moment and then we’ll be good to go.’
    He went through to his office, picked up his phone, and punched out his home number. As he waited for Grace to answer, he could see his reflection in the office window, in his white lab coat. Forty-five years old, but very young-looking for his age. Nobody ever believed that he and Grace had a son of nineteen.
    Grace sounded out of breath when she answered him.
    â€˜Sorry,’ she panted. ‘The rain eased off so I went out for my run.’
    â€˜I’ve decided to start the test right now,’ Nathan told her. ‘I guess I could have waited until tomorrow morning but I’m worried that the nematode might have grown too mature to metamorphose by then. So – listen, I don’t know what time I’m going to get home, if I get home at all.’
    â€˜I’m beginning to suspect that you’ve got yourself another woman, not a worm. I miss you.’
    â€˜I miss you, too, sweetheart. But tonight’s the night. Wish me luck, won’t you?’
    â€˜You don’t need luck , Nathan. You’re the best there ever was. Oh, before I forget – you had three phone calls today. A young man, by the sound of it. He was very persistent. I think he must have been German, by his accent. Or maybe Russian, or Polish. Something like that.’
    â€˜Did he leave his name?’
    â€˜No, but he said he’d be sure to call back tomorrow.’
    â€˜What did he want?’
    â€˜He said he had something very important to discuss with you. He kept saying, “ I vont to leave no stone unturned, tell Professor Underhill that .”’
    â€˜Hey. Very convincing accent.’
    â€˜Well, it wasn’t quite as thick as that. But he must have repeated it five times at least. “ I vont to leave no stone unturned . He vill understand .”’
    â€˜Sounds like a nut job to me. Just hang up on him if he calls again. Listen – I have to go. It’s T minus two minutes.’
    â€˜I love you, Nathan.’
    â€˜I love you, too.’
    He hesitated for a moment. He felt like saying something more, like telling Grace that she was more important to him than all of the scientific breakthroughs he had ever made, or ever would. But he knew she understood that, and he hung up.
    When he came out of his office, Aarif said, ‘Everything is ready, Professor! We are all prepared! Video running, infrared running, ultraviolet running, audio on!’
    Nathan took one last look at the phoenix-worm lying at the bottom of its glass case. Aarif had constructed its nest exactly in accordance with J ā bir’s description in The Book of Stones – out of oak branches, cinnamon sticks, frankincense, spikenard and twigs of Yemeni myrrh. The myrrh twigs were clustered with thorns, but they didn’t seem to cause the phoenix-worm any discomfort. Its skin-surface was gently rippling, and the two glistening sensors just above its mouth were repeatedly rolling and unrolling like a snail’s eyes.
    â€˜Look at you, Grubby,’ said Nathan. ‘Only a mother could love an ugly bastard like you. That’s if you had a mother, which you don’t. If anybody’s your mother, it’s me .’
    He paused, and then he turned to Aarif and Kavita and said, ‘Hard to believe that Grubby cost upward of eight and a half million dollars, isn’t it? Let’s hope we’re not about to watch all of that investment going up in smoke.’
    Aarif swung open a