Qaphsiel frowned. “I know angels aren’t supposed to lie, but I think you might be doing it right now.”

“Nope. That’s exactly what he said.”

Qaphsiel’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t believe you.”

“Who cares? I have the box. It’s over.”

It wasn’t over.

Qaphsiel threw himself at Raphael, knocking the box from the angel’s hand. It spun in the air, turning, somersaulting, and twirling, before smashing into the floor and breaking into a hundred pieces.

Nothing happened. There were no earthquakes. No volcanoes. No tidal waves. No one even got indigestion. The world remained very much intact. Raphael and Qaphsiel looked at Coop.

“Did I mention that’s not the real box?” he said.

“But that’s the box. I know it is,” said Qaphsiel.

“Maybe your memory is a little shaky after four thousand years.”

Raphael got to his feet. “Where is the real one?” said Raphael.

“I forget.”

“Maybe this’ll help,” said a familiar voice.

Coop turned as the gun went off. He twisted and fell to the ground. Someone screamed. He hoped it was someone he knew and not one of the idiots. It meant someone liked him enough to care when he croaked.

Nelson walked over to him, moving the gun back and forth, keeping everyone covered. “Where’s Salzman?” he said.

“Dead,” said Bayliss. “How did you find us?”

“He called me, you nitwit. The moment your pal here called him. But now he’s dead. Boo-hoo. I guess the box is mine. Where is it?”

“Gosh, Mr. Wizard. I just can’t remember,” said Coop as it gradually occurred to him that he wasn’t dead and merely shot painfully in the arm.

Nelson put the muzzle of his gun to Coop’s head. “I couldn’t hear you. Where did you say it is?”

“Here,” shouted Bayliss. She took something out of Coop’s bag and brought it over. Nelson snatched it from her.

“Oh, right. That’s it,” said Qaphsiel. “I remember now.”

“Thanks for the confirmation, whoever the hell you are,” Nelson said. He turned back to Coop. “As for you, you pain in the ass . . .” His finger tightened on the trigger. But that’s all it did, because a fraction of a second later, there was a bang and a large, bloody hole appeared in Nelson’s chest. He looked over at Bayliss, who kept her gun pointed at him. “I’m going to give you such a lousy review,” he said. And collapsed next to Coop. The box skittered from his hand across the floor.

Qaphsiel and Raphael dove for it. Qaphsiel was faster. “It’s mine again,” he said. “After all these years.”

“Stop for one second and listen to me,” said Raphael.

“No more lies,” said Qaphsiel.

Raphael held up his hands. “Just the truth from here on. I didn’t want to tell you the real reason you can’t destroy the world.”

“Why?”