But it wasn't a joke, and Ann was terrified at the thought of what was still going to happen. 'What are you going to do?' she asked in a hushed voice, a voice quivering with fear.

***

Damien was dancing with the governor's daughter, and doing beautifully. The girl seemed to be having the time of her life. All of the boys watched them in awe, and most of the girls were filled with jealousy. The two of them really did make a wonderfully attractive young couple.

After a turn around the dance floor, Damien finally noticed Neff and Murray, deep in conversation on the far side of the room. The chauffeur caught Damien's eye.

'Excuse me,' Damien said very politely, 'I'll be right back.' He walked the governor's daughter back to her escorts and then went over to join Murray and Neff.

As he approached them, Neff stepped toward him and said very quietly, 'Be careful.’

Damien looked at him with cold disdain and replied, 'You forget who I am.'

Neff bowed his head as though in respectful apology.

Damien turned on his heel and left, following Murray to the limousine waiting outside.

***

When Richard finally found the key he was looking for and unlocked the door to Warren's office, he burst into the room, switched on the light, and immediately started to search frantically, opening and shutting drawers, cabinets, looking under objects, under tables.

'What are you doing?' asked Ann, standing in the doorway.

Richard looked up and said very distinctly, 'The daggers are here. They must be.'

Ann rushed into the room. 'Richard, no!' she cried. 'Don't! I won't let you-'

Richard pushed her away. 'Get away!' he said. 'I know they're here somewhere.'

Ann was now growing wild with fear. ‘You're going to kill him!'

Richard kept looking. 'He's got to be—'

'No!’

'Ann, the boy isn't human!' He finally came upon the locked drawer and fiercely tugged at it.

'He's your brother's son!' Ann said, starting to cry. 'You've loved him for seven years as if he were your own!'

But Richard wasn't listening to her. He was determined to get the drawer open, and he couldn't. He glanced desperately around for some kind of tool and caught sight of a tray filled with archaeological digging equipment. He grabbed the chisel and turned back toward the drawer.

***

Outside the limousine pulled to a stop in front of the museum. Damien let himself out, leaned back in to say something quickly to Murray, and then jogged up the steps, taking them two at a time.

Chapter Fifteen

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

'Wait, Richard!' Ann pleaded. 'Please, for me, wait!'

But her words fell upon deaf ears, because Richard had finally wrenched open the drawer; he stood there gazing with a strange perverse satisfaction at the daggers, all seven of them, gleaming in the cold overhead light.