“Calling it a mess seems so provincial, considering the enormity of the situation, but the simple answer is yes. Only something went dreadfully wrong. The Order of the Dragon shouldn’t have had any idea what the Orphans were up to.”

“I’m only telling you this because I want to save my son,” April said cautiously. “The men at the library were FBI agents. Is that possible?”

“Entirely,” Dr. Winter said. “The Order of the Dragon has always existed right under the authority of unaware governing bodies. Emperor Sigismund instituted his Order inside the Holy Roman Empire. Hitler formed his Order at the core of the Nazi Party. So it doesn’t surprise me that the FBI would be a perfect hiding place for the Order today. They’ve always emerged where the power is. Think of the things they can get away with.”

“Like breaking into the Library of Congress?”

“Precisely.”

“So what about my son?” April asked. “And my mother? And what about August? Can’t we help them now that the Orphans’ plans have failed?”

“There might still be time to save the Gutenberg secret from the hands of the Order,” Dr. Winter said.

“The only thing I care about now is saving my family,” April said. “If the Order knew about the plan involving me, then they probably know everything else. My family could be in terrible danger.” She set the Styrofoam cup down and took out her cell phone. “I want you to call it off.”

“I can’t.”

“You can and you will,” April said.

“No, you see, the Orphans exist worldwide. I was the primary contact, but there are others who can step in, others who have probably already taken my place to make sure the plan is carried out.”

“But it’s too late. I told you, the Order took the Gutenberg Bibles from the library!”

“It’s not my decision anymore.”

April held the cell phone limply in her hand. “I don’t care,” she said. “I want to talk to the man holding my son hostage.”

Dr. Winter gave her Joe Radford’s number. April dialed. A man answered, and she put the cell on speakerphone, holding it out in front of Dr. Winter.

“Hello?”

“Joe, it’s Dr. Winter. Our plans have been disrupted,” Dr. Winter said. “The mission is off.”

“Sir?”

“You heard what I said. The mission is off.” Dr. Winter looked at April and shook his head. This won’t work.

“I’ll leave right away.”

April hung up the phone. “Sounds like you have more power than you’re letting on,” she said.

“No!” Dr. Winter said, his face twisted in dismay. “Something is wrong. He never should have just blindly accepted an order like that!”

“Right. Now talk to the woman on the plane.”