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seemed far-fetched. On the other hand, I was chasing after a magical ring that once belonged to King Solomon from the Bible and I didn’t seem to have trouble believing that.
    The door swung open and a tall, tanned blonde with blue eyes about the size of quarters walked in, dressed in the standard-issue OIPEP jumpsuit. I stood up and we didn’t say anything for a minute. Then she reached out and hugged me. Ashley smelled good, like lilacs, only I wasn’t sure what lilacs smelled like; it was just the first word that popped into my head. She hugged me and I thought, Lilacs.
    â€œI wanted to thank you,” she said. “For saving my life.”
    â€œOkay,” I said, because I didn’t know what else to say.
    â€œAnd I wanted to apologize.”
    â€œFor what?”
    â€œTricking you like that in Knoxville.”
    â€œWell, that’s sort of your job, isn’t it?”
    She nodded. “I guess.”
    â€œWhat’s in the Holy Vessel?” I figured if anyone would tell me, it would be Ashley.
    â€œI can’t tell you.”
    â€œDo you know why Mike was trying to kill me?”
    She looked away.
    â€œCan you tell me why he stole the Seals?”
    â€œWe don’t know why.”
    I was feeling light-headed again, so I sank back onto the bed.
    â€œIs there a doctor on board?” I asked.
    â€œWhy, are you sick?”
    â€œI feel really dizzy. Plus I found this sore under my . . .” I didn’t feel comfortable for some reason using the word “armpit.” “On my skin. I wouldn’t care, you know, I’m a pretty tough guy, played football and everything, plus I’ve had my share of rough scrapes over the past year, including being killed, but my mom’s cancer started with a sore spot and you know that runs in families. Not sore spots. Cancer. Well, I guess sore spots could run in families too . . .”
    â€œYes,” she said. She was smiling for some reason.
    â€œThere’s a doctor on board. You want me to get him?”
    â€œMaybe in a little while. It’s better when I sit down.”
    She sat down next to me as if she needed to feel better too. Her hair fell across her cheek as she leaned forward, swinging her long legs against the bunk.
    â€œI’ve been thinking about my mom a lot lately,” I said.
    â€œAfter she died, things got really weird.”
    She nodded. She hooked a thick strand of her hair around her left ear and looked at me out of the corner of her eye.
    â€œYou probably know all about my mom,” I said. “I bet OIPEP has a file on me and you had to read that when they, um, attached you to me. That’s how you knew my blood had the power to heal.”
    â€œThat’s pretty smart of you, Alfred.”
    â€œSo there is a file.”
    â€œThe Company keeps files on a lot of people.”
    â€œHow many people?”
    â€œPractically everybody.”
    â€œWhy practically everybody?”
    â€œBecause practically everybody has the potential to be important.” “Well, I never saw myself that way. I mean, I know I’m the last living descendent of Lancelot, and my dad was pretty rich and important, but it was mostly dumb luck how I saved the world.”
    She reached over and put her hand on the top of my hand.
    â€œYou’re very special, Alfred. You have a very unique gift; don’t ever forget that.”
    â€œI don’t have any gifts.”
    That was sort of an invitation for her to list my gifts, but she didn’t. For a tiny second I thought about putting my other hand on top of hers, but the second passed. She took her hand away.
    â€œI have to go.”
    â€œYou’re on the team going in, aren’t you?”
    She nodded. Her expression told me she wasn’t exactly thrilled she was on the team.
    â€œCan I go too?”
    She looked at me sharply. “Didn’t they tell you? You don’t have a choice.”

14
    At that