But no matter how many times his clients asked him and no matter how many times he analyzed, reanalyzed, checked and re-checked, he was not yet ready to tell his clients what the spectrometer was telling him. Yes, he had found elements that were not only unknown, but ones that he was fairly certain were not even contained in the makeup of the first coin.
All three of them remained silent when they returned to Borceau’s office. When he was finally seated behind Borceau’s desk, he placed the tiny coin back into the jewel box and snapped the lid shut.
“This isn’t the same coin,” he said at last. Freich and Beekman did not appear surprised.
“It isn’t?” asked Freich evenly.
“It isn’t,” repeated Caine. He watched their faces carefully.
“I don’t understand, Montaro. What do you mean?” Colette asked.
Caine stood up, leaned forward on Borceau’s desk, and looked from Freich to Beekman before speaking in a clear, firm voice. “I remember every detail. This is not the coin I worked on at M.I.T. It is not the coin we discussed yesterday in my office.”
Freich and Beekman exchanged looks. “Are you sure?” Colette asked.
“I’m certain of it, and so are you. So, no games please. Now, please tell me, what is the point of all this?”
Colette’s only reply was an enigmatic smile before she looked down, pulling Caine’s attention to Freich. “Bottom line, Herman,” Caine said. “Get right to it or let’s call it a day. I’m a busy man; let’s not waste each other’s time.”
Freich stood up and took a step toward Caine. “Our apologies for misleading you. It is not the same coin,” he said.
“Where’s the other one, if you don’t mind my asking?” Caine asked.
“First, Montaro,” Colette interrupted, “can you tell us if there is a relationship between the composition of the two coins?”
Montaro disliked having a question answered by a question. He weighed his answer before he spoke.
“Yes,” he said.
“Are they of the same nature?” Colette asked.
“In terms of their strength, yes,” said Caine.
“Are they of two different compositions?” Colette pressed further.
“Both contain some elements that are in the other,” Caine responded, trying to keep his answer as vague as he could.
“Then both are composed of some additional elements that are not to be found in the other?” Freich asked.
“Where is the first one?” asked Caine. He, too, could play the game of answering a question with a question.
“In a minute,” said Freich. “One last question—given your expertise as a scientist and given what you wrote in your memo twenty-six years ago, do you know of any civilization in which these objects could have been constructed?”
“I don’t,” Caine replied. He thought he caught Freich’s eyes dancing for a moment.
“Which is not to say that such a civilization did not exist, does it?” Freich continued. For emphasis, he shifted his body weight to his right foot, moving him inches nearer to Caine.
Caine remained silent until Colette interrupted his thoughts. “Is it possible they could have been made by a culture that might have existed some time in human history of which we presently have no knowledge?” she asked.
“Maybe. A very, very long time ago,” Caine answered as he took a seat.
“Thank you, Montaro,” Colette said with a smile.
“So, what about the other one?” Caine asked. “Do you mind telling me about it?”
With a glance, Colette referred the question to Freich.
“It’s in America someplace,” he said.
Caine was taken aback by the tone of crisp finality in this answer. “Come now, you can do better than that,” he pressed.
“Afraid not. All we know is that it is somewhere here in America. Exactly where and in whose possession, we actually do not know.”
Was that all they were after
, Caine wondered,
a confirmation that the second coin was no less authentic than the first? Or was that simply the impression they
All three of them remained silent when they returned to Borceau’s office. When he was finally seated behind Borceau’s desk, he placed the tiny coin back into the jewel box and snapped the lid shut.
“This isn’t the same coin,” he said at last. Freich and Beekman did not appear surprised.
“It isn’t?” asked Freich evenly.
“It isn’t,” repeated Caine. He watched their faces carefully.
“I don’t understand, Montaro. What do you mean?” Colette asked.
Caine stood up, leaned forward on Borceau’s desk, and looked from Freich to Beekman before speaking in a clear, firm voice. “I remember every detail. This is not the coin I worked on at M.I.T. It is not the coin we discussed yesterday in my office.”
Freich and Beekman exchanged looks. “Are you sure?” Colette asked.
“I’m certain of it, and so are you. So, no games please. Now, please tell me, what is the point of all this?”
Colette’s only reply was an enigmatic smile before she looked down, pulling Caine’s attention to Freich. “Bottom line, Herman,” Caine said. “Get right to it or let’s call it a day. I’m a busy man; let’s not waste each other’s time.”
Freich stood up and took a step toward Caine. “Our apologies for misleading you. It is not the same coin,” he said.
“Where’s the other one, if you don’t mind my asking?” Caine asked.
“First, Montaro,” Colette interrupted, “can you tell us if there is a relationship between the composition of the two coins?”
Montaro disliked having a question answered by a question. He weighed his answer before he spoke.
“Yes,” he said.
“Are they of the same nature?” Colette asked.
“In terms of their strength, yes,” said Caine.
“Are they of two different compositions?” Colette pressed further.
“Both contain some elements that are in the other,” Caine responded, trying to keep his answer as vague as he could.
“Then both are composed of some additional elements that are not to be found in the other?” Freich asked.
“Where is the first one?” asked Caine. He, too, could play the game of answering a question with a question.
“In a minute,” said Freich. “One last question—given your expertise as a scientist and given what you wrote in your memo twenty-six years ago, do you know of any civilization in which these objects could have been constructed?”
“I don’t,” Caine replied. He thought he caught Freich’s eyes dancing for a moment.
“Which is not to say that such a civilization did not exist, does it?” Freich continued. For emphasis, he shifted his body weight to his right foot, moving him inches nearer to Caine.
Caine remained silent until Colette interrupted his thoughts. “Is it possible they could have been made by a culture that might have existed some time in human history of which we presently have no knowledge?” she asked.
“Maybe. A very, very long time ago,” Caine answered as he took a seat.
“Thank you, Montaro,” Colette said with a smile.
“So, what about the other one?” Caine asked. “Do you mind telling me about it?”
With a glance, Colette referred the question to Freich.
“It’s in America someplace,” he said.
Caine was taken aback by the tone of crisp finality in this answer. “Come now, you can do better than that,” he pressed.
“Afraid not. All we know is that it is somewhere here in America. Exactly where and in whose possession, we actually do not know.”
Was that all they were after
, Caine wondered,
a confirmation that the second coin was no less authentic than the first? Or was that simply the impression they
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