Meng put the tip of his gun under her chin. “Maybe it’s a good thing you came back.” He turned to the agent in the door. “Take them inside.”

The agent took out his gun and waved Norman and April into the Library of Congress. Meng followed close behind. The Great Hall was bathed in an eerie red glow.

“What happened to the lights?” Norman asked.

“The FBI is running an unscheduled test on the grid tonight. The lights will come back on in a few hours. Long after we’re gone.” Meng grabbed April away. “Well, long after we’re gone, anyway. You might still be hanging around.”

The other agent pointed his gun at Norman. “Stand over by that wall,” he said.

“Hey! I’m the one trying to help, remember?” he said.

Meng dragged April across the massive marble floor, which was inlaid with the signs of the zodiac. They passed over the sign of the ram. “April . . . April . . . let’s see . . . are you an Aries?”

“Taurus.”

“A bull? Really? I never would have pegged you for a bull. You just seem so . . . unbullish.”

They walked through an archway into a room that was empty, save for two massive wooden display cases that stood to the left and to the right. The one to the right contained the Mainz Bible, which was of huge historic value but bore little interest at the moment. The one to the left held the Gutenberg, and as they peered through the glass, April felt her heartbeat quicken.

“Can you get the Gutenberg out?” Meng said.

April noticed that there were five other agents around the perimeter of the room, shrouded in the darkness. “I’m guessing you’ve already tried.”

“There was a security measure we didn’t expect. The Gutenberg Bible is lying on some type of trigger. Do you know how to turn it off?”

“You’ll have to take off my handcuffs,” April said.

“Get that security guard over here,” Meng said to the agent outside the door on the other side of the Great Hall. The agent shuttled Norman over to the display case. “Unlock her cuffs,” Meng told him.

“No problem,” Norman said.

“Without opening your mouth,” Meng said.

“Sure thing,” Norman said, taking out a key and removing the handcuffs.

April rubbed at her wrists. “I need my gloves,” she told Meng.

“Not tonight,” Meng said, flicking his pistol’s safety off.

April put her hand on the glass. It was cold, like touching a refrigerator door at the supermarket. She could see from a gauge positioned next to the Gutenberg that the temperature and humidity controls were still engaged, thanks to a backup power source. Obviously the antitheft controls were similarly wired. “I don’t know anything about the security system.”

“Try to remember,” Meng said.

“You’re just going to shoot me anyway.”