Page 30 of The Godhead Complex
“Don’t move,” he whispered. Not a moment later, an ax flew out of nowhere, thunking into a nearby tree. The very same tree to the right of where Alexandra had been standing. Her ears buzzed, her vision flashed with fire, a vision so real that she couldn’t help but gasp for air. Mannus drew his knife and stated the obvious. “I guess they don’t want visitors.”
An alarm sounded from a two-story building of stone, only slightly louder than the buzzing in her head, and three women emerged from the upper-level balcony doors.
“Show yourself,” the tallest of the three commanded; she held a gun on them, and even from the ground Alexandra could see it was enormous. In New Petersburg, they had banned guns years ago, and when the Evolution was complete there wouldn’t be a need for such weapons. No more Hollowings. No more rituals. Humankind could finally re-advance itself to the builders of old. New technology. New systems. New life.
“I told you it wasn’t a bear.” The shortest of the three women’s voice traveled clearest through the Alaskan air to Alexandra’s ears. Something in the woman’s voice struck her as trustworthy. The mist in the air seemed to amplify the words spoken.
The tallest woman fired the gun in the air as a warning, as if the ax wasn’t enough. She then shouted in an extremely formal manner. “On behalf of the Godhead, we demand that you return to that which you came. This isn’t an area to trespass.”
Nicholas had obviously employed three misfits parading as scientists. Alexandra had no patience for such a show. “Iamthe Godhead!” She pushed Mannus off of her, then climbed to her feet and brushed the snow from her cloak. She’d never been so humiliated and insulted. Apparently, her trip to this remote island was a day of firsts:
The first time she was tackled to the ground by a Pilgrim.
The first time she had been threatened with a gunandan ax.
And the first time that anyone in greater Alaska didn’t recognize that she was indeed one of the Godhead.
“You must recognize me!” She straightened her cloak and forced a smile. She had only ever been idolized and recognized as she walked through the crowds of Pilgrims. They not only recognized her but begged to touch her. The three women on the balcony exchanged nervous, doubtful looks between themselves and Alexandra grew impatient. “Well?”
“Forgive us, but we do not.” The shortest of the three had answered.
Alexandra tried to remain stoic but the buzzing in her ears increased and her head spun.MADNESS!She couldn’t lose it, not now, not when she was this close. She recited the digits within her mind. “Tell them, Mannus.”
“You’re speaking to the Godhead.” He motioned to Alexandra with the slightest bow.
The three women didn’t move. They didn’t say anything. Alexandra couldn’t blame them for wanting proof. In fact, it encouraged her. The Godhead’s cloak would speak to her royalty once she cleared it of mud and wet snow.
She spoke in a careful but commanding voice. “Please, make us some tea, and I’ll show you.”
After the short one made Alexandra a cup of lukewarm green tea, she displayed her Godhead “powers” by opening a door in the Villa with a wave of her arm. She knew Nicholas would have used the same Godhead technology as the security doors in New Alexander and the chip in his hand matched that of hers. Had, anyway.
Alexandra was once naive enough to think the red-leather Coffin that held Newt’s blood could only be opened by the three Pillars of the Godhead when they were all three present, but Nicholas and Mikhail had opened it without her. Opening one of Nicholas’ doors without him there now brought a smile to her face. “You’ll assist us now, I presume?”
The three supposed scientists looked at Mannus and each of his horns as if something didn’t make sense. They exchanged glances before the tallest one asked, “Is this Mikhail?”
Alexandra wondered for just a moment if she should lie and say yes.Perhaps the presence of two members of the Godhead would be more persuasive. But one look at Mannus and anyone could see he was nothing more than the bottom rung of society. The way he breathed. The way he smelled. The way he stood right now in the presence of so many women but didn’t bend to show the slightest respect.
“I’m Mannus. The horns were a bad idea.”
The fact that they’d asked about Mannus meant that Mikhail had never made it to the Villa either, at least not this one. Whatever his plans were that took him on pilgrimages hopefully had nothing to do with her plan of the Evolution. She didn’t really care what the man busied himself with. It was probably just killing season for him when he left. The Cure that reverted his DNA could only change Mikhail so much; it couldn’t patch up the cracks in his soul or tame the madness he housed within.
Alexandra walked around the room and carefully traced her finger along the glassware of pipettes stored there, test tubes, petri dishes, beakers, until her eyes found a unit which she could only assume held what she came for. The Cure Nicholas had used on her.
“Goddess . . . ,” the tallest woman stuttered, “we’re sorry for the confusion, but Nicholas did not tell us of your arrival. We’re not—”
“You needn’t worry about Nicholas.” Alexandra gently placed the red-leather box Mannus had brought onto a stainless-steel lab table. “We’re here on a separate accord.” She opened the Coffin. “Five vials of Newt’s blood. You’ll use this for a new batch of the Cure.”
Surely, they’d be elated at this discovery, but instead she watched as their faces morphed into confusion. They asked for a moment and huddled, whispering fiercely . . .
“Say it. What’s going on?” Alexandra demanded.
The short one answered. “These . . . these can’t be Newt’s vials. We already have those placed in the safe . . . the ones Nicholas sent over not that long ago.” Her voice was suddenly coated with a condescending tone. As if she knew Alexandra had made a huge mistake and could not go back.
How could she have known these weren’t Newt’s?How could Nicholas have replaced them?She pivoted to Mannus. She looked back to the Coffin; the scientists had to be mistaken. They didn’t even look that closely at them. How could they know?
Time to recover the situation. “No. You’re wrong. Nicholas instructed me that these vials, Newt’s blood, would be needed.”
Alexandra watched the tall scientist pick up each vial and examine the labels. Alexandra wondered if Nicholas had ever trusted her with any truth, or if Newt’s blood being the Cure was just yet another lie. But itfelttrue, known to her the way other information came through her senses, through her cells. Everything in her body vibrated at this confusion, and the three women stood just as confused in front of her. Alexandra wanted to scream and toss the Coffin against the glass window, but she restrained herself, embracing the Flaring Discipline and the Principles. She recited the digits in her mind.
