Fifteen minutes later, Harris arrived wheeling in their splendid meal on the usual silver cart. Famished, Kazimi ate. A hunger strike would not do him nor the rest of the world any good. As they dined, he came close several times to bringing up Miller’s name. Each time, though, he resisted. If his next trials failed, if this new batch of mice died, and if he found no escape from Red Cliff, he would have little recourse but to share Miller’s name with Bacon. Then, having witnessed Alexander Burke’s guile, he had little doubt the society would find him.

After lunch, Kazimi decided to remain in the lab for Asr prayers. In the short corridor connecting the Great Room with his lab, he passed the other of Bacon’s bodyguards—the white, acne-pocked, bull-necked thug named Costello, who was carrying a large carton that had probably contained lab supplies, but now appeared to be empty. Kazimi intentionally averted his gaze. He saw no reason to look the man in the eye.

“I left the mice and some other stuff in the animal room, doctor,” Costello said, his voice rough as new sandpaper. “I’ll be back after dinner to clean out the cages.”

“Good enough. Thank you.”

Kazimi paused to watch as the giant lumbered past him, down the connecting corridor, and into the Great Room.

But instead of turning back and heading into his lab, he remained transfixed, staring at the Great Room door. Something did not make sense.

Had Costello gone into the lab while he was having lunch with Bacon? Not possible. The giant would have had to pass right by them. Could Kazimi have fallen asleep by the fire and missed the man entering with large cartons and boxes of mice? Again, no way.

But if Costello had not come through the Great Room to get from the boathouse to the lab, how had he gotten there? Bacon had been clear that there was only one way to get to the lab, and that was via the Great Room.

It surely wasn’t the first time, and most definitely would not be the last, but the master of Red Cliff had lied.

Chapter 29

CHAPTER 29

Social insurance puts at risk America’s economic stability and therefore should be viewed not as a path forward, but rather as an assault on our very liberty.

—LANCASTER R. HILL, ADDRESS TO JOHN BIRCH SOCIETY CONVENTION, MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE, SEPTEMBER 21, 1962