The Lost Book of Wonders

by Chad Brecher

  “This way,” Alex pleaded and pulled her to the right. The wind blew through the archways of the loggia as they sprinted across the arcade. Ahead of them, they could see the statues of Neptune and Mars. They hesitated at the top of the stairs and carefully scaled a security barrier. As the two cleared the barrier, a ping ricocheted next to them, sending shards of marble from Neptune’s beard onto them. Turning back, they could make out a crouched, darkened form on the loggia aiming a gun at them.

  “Someone is shooting at us!” Ellie protested.

  “Duck!” Alex yelled and pushed her head down below the marble railing just as several additional pings rang out. They quickly descended the stairs, careful to remain concealed behind the railing. Alex and Ellie paused at the bottom of the staircase, realizing that the railing would no longer provide any barrier to the gunshots. Another security barrier blocked their exit.

  “If we go any further, we are going to be out in the open. It’s suicide,” Ellie moaned.

  Alex looked ahead at Foscari’s arch, mere feet from where they crouched. If they could pass under it, they would be shielded.

  “We need to get to the arch. It’s our only chance,” Alex replied, trying to catch his breath.

  Ellie stared ahead and nodded. “For the record, if we don’t make it, thanks for coming back for me.”

  “It’s either this or getting hit by a meteor, right?” Alex smiled.

  They ducked under the security barrier and tensely ran to the arch, expecting to hear the bang of a gunshot, which never came. They made their way towards the Porta della Carta, the main exit to the Piazzetta San Marco. Ellie could feel her lungs burn as they reached the massive iron door. They lunged for the door and removed a long metal locking rod and sent it clanging to the ground. Taking hold of two large rings, they pulled with all their might. With a creak, the door reluctantly swung open a small amount. It was large enough for them to slip their bodies through. As they exited the palace grounds, Ellie looked back a final time and could see the darkened form of a man standing between the statues of Neptune and Mars, looking menacingly towards them.

  24

  A sudden sense of relief swept across Ellie as they squeezed through the Porta della Carta and fled into the piazzetta. The piazzetta was crowded with pedestrians enjoying a nighttime stroll, and Alex and Ellie took advantage of this opportunity to blend into the mass of people. The music of Vivaldi filled the square from hidden speakers producing a surreal environment as they turned towards the San Marco bell-tower and the piazza beyond it.

  “We should go to the police,” Ellie concluded as her heart rate slowly returned to normal.

  “I don’t know. That Inspector seems to be wrapped up in it…” Alex’s voice trailed off as he scanned the square ahead. He could see two men on either side of the Piazza tilt their heads against their shoulders as if to hear something more closely, speak into the air, and begin to anxiously look through the crowd.

  Alex grabbed Ellie’s elbow and in one swift motion quickly turned her around. He wove them through the crowd.

  “Ouch,” she protested and pulled her elbow away from Alex’s grip. “What are you doing?”

  “Don’t look back but there are two guys searching through the crowd. I think they’re looking for us,” Alex muttered through the side of his mouth.

  “I don’t want to head back towards the palace,” Ellie complained. She could not resist taking a peak and nonchalantly brought her chin against her shoulder in order to glance backwards. At first, all she saw was a throng of tourists. Suddenly she could see a man wearing a dark sweatshirt and jeans begin to move rapidly through the crowd towards them. He raised his hand above the crowd and pointed in their direction.

  “Crap. I think they spotted us,” Ellie spat out. They began to quicken their pace and rapidly made their way towards the quay. As they approached the large columns of Venice’s patrons, San Marco and Saint Teodoro of Amasea, Alex began to frantically debate which way they should travel along the waterfront. He nervously peered up at the southern façade of the Doge’s Palace, which appeared ominous after the most recent events within its halls. A line of gondolas bobbed up and down at the Ponte della Paglia.

  Finally making up his mind, Alex maneuvered them to the left along the Riva Degli Schiavoni beside the basin. Just then, Ellie was startled by a gondolier who jumped in front of them, blocking their path.

  “Gondola ride. Only eighty euro. You take the lady. It very romantic at night,” the gondolier offered, extending his hands widely to prevent them from walking on. The man wore the standard black and white striped shirt and black pants of all the gondoliers. He pointed to a black gondola with a red satin seat cushion at the back of the craft.

  Alex pushed the man’s hand aside, annoyed to be suddenly distracted. He looked back towards the piazzetta with alarm. The two men were rapidly making ground. “No, we are in a rush,” Alex barked. The gondolier appeared to feint backwards but suddenly sprung forward. Reaching out with his right hand, he grabbed a handful of Alex’s shirt and drew his face close to Alex’s.

  “Look, Mr. Stone, listen to me and listen carefully. You do not have much time. Those men chasing you are going to catch you and when they do they will take the items your girlfriend has and then they will kill you. You have a choice. Get in the gondola now and live or you can walk away and…who knows? If I were you, I’d get in the goddamn boat.”

  Alex looked at Ellie for some guidance and then at the boat. The man released Alex’s shirt and backed away towards the gondola.

  The gondolier stopped and looked back. “Are you coming?” he asked.

  Ellie reluctantly nodded to Alex and they silently boarded the gondola as if in a daze. The gondolier sprung into the boat and maneuvered to the back of the vessel. Alex and Ellie slumped into the seat and waited as the gondolier stood behind them and pushed off with a long wooden pole, sending the boat floating away from the pier. They searched the crowd on the waterfront and could no longer see the men pursuing them. Suddenly they could see the crowd part as one of their pursuers roughly pushed aside a pedestrian who glared at him with disapproval.

  The gondolier leaned over them. “This is romantic. It would help if you are two lovers. You may want to kiss,” the gondolier muttered as he struggled to send the gondola further away from the pier.

  Ellie looked at Alex with uncertainty and leaned in just as the gondolier swept a black blanket over them. Alex peered out from behind the blanket and could see the two men unite by the edge of the water. They searched the pier, running along it for a short distance. After consulting with each other, they split up, each traveling down the waterfront in an opposite direction.

  “That was close, my friends.”

  The boat rocked side to side as they drifted further into the basin.

  “Not romantic? That is too bad. This is Venice.” The gondolier frowned and then laughed.

  “Who are you?” Alex asked.

  “Who I am is not important. I am here to help you. That is all you need to know now. All will be revealed in time.”

  The night grew dark the further they drifted away from San Marco. They could see Isola Di San Giogio Maggiore grow closer. The sound of a motorized engine broke the unnerving silence of the night, and they turned to see a boat dock alongside the gondola.

  “I’m afraid there is only so far I can push this gondola. If you please, we will be transferring to another boat. The helicopter is waiting on Isola di San Giorgio Maggiore and then a plane flight.”

  Alex attempted to stand up but toppled backwards. “Helicopter? Plane flight? What is this all about? We’re not going anywhere with you?”

  The gondolier shook his head back and forth and looked at the pilot of the motorized boat. “Not very grateful, I’m afraid. I can understand your reluctance but…” Ellie watched as the gondolier withdrew a pistol and kept it by his side. “…I must insist that you come with us. It is imperative. I was hoping I wouldn’t have to do this.”
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  “Do what?” Ellie asked, as she turned towards the gondolier. He suddenly crouched down, withdrew a canister from his pocket, and with one quick motion sprayed Alex and Ellie in their faces.

  Ellie looked at Alex with horror as the bitter taste of the spray stung the back of her tongue and burned her throat. She could see Alex’s face twist as he coughed desperately. Ellie pulled her satchel and Dr. Gozzi’s items protectively against her chest and reached out for Alex’s hand. She struggled to focus but found her vision blur and dim. Ellie tried to speak but found her jaw locked in place. The stars above began to swirl wildly as she tried to stand up but felt completely disconnected from her body. She flopped onto her back and stared up at the sky. She struggled to keep her eyes open. The world went black.

  25

  The muffled sound of knocking echoed through her head as if she was submerged underwater. Her eyelids slowly parted revealing a fuzzy image. As her eyes gradually focused, she could make out the blades of a ceiling fan slicing through the air above her. Ellie struggled to raise her head but found it unbearably heavy. Where am I? she wondered, hoping to escape from the fog that filled her head. She groaned and pulled herself up to a sitting position on the bed.

  She caught her reflection in a large mirror positioned above a dresser across from her. A skirt and blouse was carefully laid out upon the dresser top. She looked down and found herself clothed in fine, white and blue toile pajamas. Ellie forced herself to her feet and stood unsteady for a moment by the side of the bed, her hand gripping the edge of the mattress in order to right herself. Her toes curled against the cold, rust-colored tiles. She stumbled over to the window, her head throbbing with pain. Drawing aside the wooden shutters, she looked out of the window upon a lush landscape of rolling hills. Below her was a stonewalled courtyard and beyond that a large vineyard and garden.

  As she stared out of the window trying to collect her thoughts, she realized that the pounding in her head was coming from the wooden door of her room. She staggered over to the door and tried to turn the knob but found it locked. She could make out voices arguing beyond the door. Ellie could hear a key roughly being inserted into the lock and feel the doorknob twist in her hand. She released the knob and apprehensively backed away.

  The door swung open. Alex stood in front of the doorway dressed in light blue pajamas next to a man carrying a ring of keys. As she stared at the man, she realized it was the gondolier that had “saved” them. The memories from the events in Venice suddenly began to stream back to her.

  “Are you O.K?” Alex asked with concern.

  “She’s alright, see,” muttered the man beside him. “Our intention was never to hurt you. But, you didn’t give me much choice. We had to move quickly. Time was of the essence. Now that you have been reacquainted, breakfast is being served downstairs. Unfortunately, your luggage had to be left behind in Venice. Our staff has left out clothes for you. Dr. Clay is eagerly awaiting your arrival.” The man bowed slightly and disappeared down the hallway.

  Ellie looked at Alex with confusion. “Alex, what is going on?” Ellie asked as she rolled the ball of her hand against her temple. “I have a splitting headache.”

  “I think we were drugged or gassed, or something,” Alex replied, glancing down the now empty hallway.

  “Where are we?” Ellie asked as she smoothed out the front of her shirt.

  “I’m not sure. Not Venice,” Alex answered and modestly averted his eyes from Ellie’s low cut pajama top.

  Ellie suddenly hugged herself. A look of panic flashed across her face. She glanced around the room. She had an odd feeling of nakedness. “My bag! The stuff Bernardo hid behind the Doge’s portrait, they’re gone! What do we do now?”

  Alex was silent for a moment as he leaned heavily against the doorframe. He had wished for a life of adventure and intrigue and now that he was in the midst of it, he felt overwhelmed and unsure. The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Dr. Graham seemed to be distant memories.

  “I don’t know if we really have much choice. I say we change and see what this Dr. Clay wants from us. My guess is that if he wanted to get rid of us, he probably would have done so already.”

  Alex and Ellie walked single file down the stairs. Ellie’s pants and blouse fit perfectly and were clearly an expensive make. She watched Alex descend the stairs dressed in a linen, blue dress shirt and khaki pants. She could not help but notice how nicely he could clean up.

  At the bottom of the stairs, they were greeted by a servant who politely directed them through white-trimmed French doors onto a large flagstone patio. Men in dark suits hovered around the perimeter of the patio, silently monitoring the area. A long rustic wooden table was in the center of the patio under a wood-framed canopy. There was a wide assortment of foods on the table. There was a large cheese plate with fruit elegantly arranged along the edges. Carafes of different juices and milk poked out from an immense stainless steel ice bucket. There was a pitcher of coffee. A basket of freshly baked breads and cakes rested beside the cheese and fruit platter. Alex and Ellie could feel their stomachs twist in response to the bounty in front of them. One thing was clear, they were famished.

  “Please, help yourself. Everything is organic here. Our chef is preparing fresh eggs as we speak. I hope poached eggs will be acceptable. Dr. Clay will be along shortly. He wishes you bon appetite,” said the servant who bowed and left them to eat.

  Ellie grabbed a white plate and began to pile on food. She buttered a piece of bread and popped it into her mouth. “I’m starving,” she mumbled with a full mouth. Alex joined her and began to feast on the offerings. They sat across from each other as the servant returned with two plates of poached eggs. Ellie reach for the salt and pepper and flicked a fine coating of each upon the egg. She slid the egg onto a piece of toasted country bread. She smiled as she began to chomp on it, the yolk dribbling down her chin. “So good.” She nearly laughed.

  “Please, continue to enjoy your meal.” They turned to see a man walk up to the patio from a large garden at the edge of the vineyard. He appeared to be in his mid to late sixties, fit, with faded blue eyes that complemented his gray hair. He was dressed in casual khaki pants and a loose-fitting white linen shirt. Gardening gloves hung from a back pocket of his pants. He approached the head of the table, reached for a crystal pitcher of water, and filled a glass halfway. He looked at each one of them for a moment with an air of amusement before sitting down.

  The man held up a brown-gray ball and passed it to Ellie. She cupped it delicately in the palm of her hands. The ball appeared to be composed of a tangle of withered and brittle branches.

  “You have to excuse me, but I was just gardening. I find that it allows me to reach an inner peace. You are holding Anastatica hierochuntica. It is also known as the Rose of Jericho or as I prefer, the Resurrection Plant. After the rainy season has passed, this plant has an unusual survival mechanism. It shrivels up and dries into the odd structure you are holding. It can stay that way in a state of hibernation until it is finally awakened by the drops of life-sustaining water. It’s almost poetic.”

  Ellie passed the plant to Alex who juggled it briefly in his hands before returning it to the man. The man took the plant, dropped it into the glass of water he had just poured, and pushed it aside.

  “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Redmund Clay, and you are guests at my estate here in Tuscany.”

  Redmund Clay? Ellie wondered. The reclusive pharmaceutical mogul. He was one of the richest men in the world. He had estates across the globe.

  “Do you drug all your guests?” Alex asked sarcastically. He could see a guard walking towards a security booth beside the long driveway stretching away from the property. A sleek, black submachine gun was tightly slung over his shoulder.

  “I have to apologize for that. Jonas is a loyal employee, but he is admittedly heavy-handed at times. He always completes his job, at any cost. I can assure you that you are not prisoners here. You are free to leave at any time y
ou choose. I can have a car take you to the airport or train station or wherever you choose to go.”

  “Where is the wooden box I had and Bernardo’s items?” Ellie questioned, unwilling to consider leaving without them.

  “Safe, I assure you.” Clay smiled at her in a grandfatherly way. “Dr. Griffin, you are a very impressive young lady. I expect great things from you. It was why I requested that Gordon recruit you for MART in the first place and sponsored the endeavor. Gordon’s loss was, well, devastating. He was a great scholar and loyal employee.”

  Hearing Gordon’s name filled her with foreboding. MART? What does this have to do with MART? Ellie wondered. Gordon never discussed his relationship with Clay. ‘Loyal employee?’ What else did Gordon not tell me about? she wondered. Her mind frantically replayed conversations she had with Gordon for any clue to the veracity of Clay’s claim. Ellie found herself running her fingertips across the smooth skin grafts on her palms.

  “Before you get too jealous, Mr. Stone, you are also quite a marvel yourself. You are a precocious graduate student. You have a bright future ahead of you.”

  Alex could feel himself self-consciously blush.

  “Before you decide to leave this estate, I would like to tell you about a passion of mine. My company, Clay Pharmaceuticals, has created many drugs that have prolonged and improved the quality of life for millions of people. Our new class of lipid lowering drugs provides for the most dramatic and sustained decrease in death from a cardiovascular incident. New compounds we are currently working on will someday eradicate the beta-amyloid plaques that are deposited in the brains of Alzheimer’s disease patients. Our new anti-malaria cocktail promises to decrease the death toll on the African continent by nearly twenty-five percent over the next decade. We have developed a new class of antimicrobials that will treat increasingly resistant bacterial strains and have made considerable inroads into the treatment of HIV. My company is in the business of saving lives, but it is not enough. Science can only go so far.”