again. He could see the
diagrams in his mind, the mathematical equations that directed the
conclusions, but what it meant to him, he had no clue. “Yep, still
got nothing.”
Jodis tried again.
“The theory is that the circle which passes through the feet of the
altitudes of a triangle is tangent to all four circles, which in
turn are tangent to the three sides of the triangle, giving nine
points.”
Alec stared at her, then looked at
Eiji and Cronin. “Okay, Jodis is speaking in tongues.”
Eiji laughed, but Cronin simplified the nine point circle
thing. Thank
God . “Each circle
circumference has nine points which, given geometrical and
mathematical methods, form a triangle.”
“ Okaaaaay,” Alec said cautiously.
“ The nine points in the
circumference are not equal, like a pizza,” Eiji said with a smile.
“Imagine a pizza cut with uneven slices.”
Alec nodded. That he understood.
“Nine-point circles with pepperoni, that I understand.”
Eiji and Cronin laughed, and even Alec
laughed at his own joke. Jodis sighed at them, but turned around
and looked at the nine standing stones in the main pit. “There are
nine. I am certain if we could see a bird’s eye view of this area,
each stone would mark one of the nine points that made the
pyramidal mound we’re standing on.”
Cronin nodded. “It’s very
interesting.”
“ Yes,” Alec cried. “But
what does it mean?”
“ The source of power is what opened the portal, Alec,”
Cronin said. “The geometrical studies of how a nine-point circle
related to a triangle was only discovered by mankind in the
nineteenth century. This”—he waved his hand around the dirt
pit—“was built using that exact theorem over ten thousand years
ago.”
Alec took a
deep breath as he realized what this meant. “So, twelve thousand
years ago, someone or some thing , was building a geometrical
energy source to create portals for strange creatures to
use?”
Cronin gave a hard nod.
“Yes.”
Alec ran his hand through
his hair. “Willem said these Zoan creatures must be old for them to
use the oldest portal. But twelve thousand years…. How the hell can
we beat something that has ten millennia of intelligence on
us?”
No one
answered.
Alec sighed.
“All geometry and talk of energy sources to open portals aside,” he
said, “the bottom line is, if they’ve been killed before, we can kill them again. We need
to find out how.”
Eiji clapped his hands together and did a weird kind of
dance. “Yes! And we have
ourselves another mystery to solve.”
“ Settle down Scooby Doo,” Alec deadpanned. “This one kinda
feels bigger than the others.”
Alec could see in Eiji’s mind that he had no idea who
Scooby Doo was, but he still
smiled. “I seem to recall you saying the same thing last
time.”
Cronin firmly put both arms around Alec and a growly-purr
rumbled in his chest. “If no
one objects, I’d like some more time alone with Alec.”
Of course no one did,
though Eiji rolled his eyes.
“ Alec, can you leap them back to New York?” Cronin
asked.
“ Of course.”
Alec saw flashes of Cronin’s intentions in his
mind , and with a chuckle, he
waggled his eyebrows to Eiji, and they disappeared.
* * * *
Alec found himself on his back in a strange, plush
hotel bed with Cronin lying
over him, nestled between his legs. It was an executive suite of
some fancy hotel that wasn’t in use. The doors were locked; the
voices he heard beyond them were speaking Italian.
“Venice?”
Cronin smiled down at him. “It is a beautiful
city. ”
“ Don’t you think we should
be back in New York, helping with research or
something?”
Cronin shook his head slowly and pushed Alec’s hair from
his forehead. “The talk of wars reminds me of what is important.
And that is you. It might be selfish and unfair to the others, but
I want time with you, fear-cèile .”
My husband .
“ I love it when you call
me that,” Alec whispered, his heart too big for his
diagrams in his mind, the mathematical equations that directed the
conclusions, but what it meant to him, he had no clue. “Yep, still
got nothing.”
Jodis tried again.
“The theory is that the circle which passes through the feet of the
altitudes of a triangle is tangent to all four circles, which in
turn are tangent to the three sides of the triangle, giving nine
points.”
Alec stared at her, then looked at
Eiji and Cronin. “Okay, Jodis is speaking in tongues.”
Eiji laughed, but Cronin simplified the nine point circle
thing. Thank
God . “Each circle
circumference has nine points which, given geometrical and
mathematical methods, form a triangle.”
“ Okaaaaay,” Alec said cautiously.
“ The nine points in the
circumference are not equal, like a pizza,” Eiji said with a smile.
“Imagine a pizza cut with uneven slices.”
Alec nodded. That he understood.
“Nine-point circles with pepperoni, that I understand.”
Eiji and Cronin laughed, and even Alec
laughed at his own joke. Jodis sighed at them, but turned around
and looked at the nine standing stones in the main pit. “There are
nine. I am certain if we could see a bird’s eye view of this area,
each stone would mark one of the nine points that made the
pyramidal mound we’re standing on.”
Cronin nodded. “It’s very
interesting.”
“ Yes,” Alec cried. “But
what does it mean?”
“ The source of power is what opened the portal, Alec,”
Cronin said. “The geometrical studies of how a nine-point circle
related to a triangle was only discovered by mankind in the
nineteenth century. This”—he waved his hand around the dirt
pit—“was built using that exact theorem over ten thousand years
ago.”
Alec took a
deep breath as he realized what this meant. “So, twelve thousand
years ago, someone or some thing , was building a geometrical
energy source to create portals for strange creatures to
use?”
Cronin gave a hard nod.
“Yes.”
Alec ran his hand through
his hair. “Willem said these Zoan creatures must be old for them to
use the oldest portal. But twelve thousand years…. How the hell can
we beat something that has ten millennia of intelligence on
us?”
No one
answered.
Alec sighed.
“All geometry and talk of energy sources to open portals aside,” he
said, “the bottom line is, if they’ve been killed before, we can kill them again. We need
to find out how.”
Eiji clapped his hands together and did a weird kind of
dance. “Yes! And we have
ourselves another mystery to solve.”
“ Settle down Scooby Doo,” Alec deadpanned. “This one kinda
feels bigger than the others.”
Alec could see in Eiji’s mind that he had no idea who
Scooby Doo was, but he still
smiled. “I seem to recall you saying the same thing last
time.”
Cronin firmly put both arms around Alec and a growly-purr
rumbled in his chest. “If no
one objects, I’d like some more time alone with Alec.”
Of course no one did,
though Eiji rolled his eyes.
“ Alec, can you leap them back to New York?” Cronin
asked.
“ Of course.”
Alec saw flashes of Cronin’s intentions in his
mind , and with a chuckle, he
waggled his eyebrows to Eiji, and they disappeared.
* * * *
Alec found himself on his back in a strange, plush
hotel bed with Cronin lying
over him, nestled between his legs. It was an executive suite of
some fancy hotel that wasn’t in use. The doors were locked; the
voices he heard beyond them were speaking Italian.
“Venice?”
Cronin smiled down at him. “It is a beautiful
city. ”
“ Don’t you think we should
be back in New York, helping with research or
something?”
Cronin shook his head slowly and pushed Alec’s hair from
his forehead. “The talk of wars reminds me of what is important.
And that is you. It might be selfish and unfair to the others, but
I want time with you, fear-cèile .”
My husband .
“ I love it when you call
me that,” Alec whispered, his heart too big for his
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