Cleary reached the front row, paused, then sat in a chair reserved for witnesses. He looked up at Nichols. “It all comes full circle. Did you meet with Hutch Hardin?”

“Of course.”

“And?”

“Hutch assures me that the delay at the attorney general’s office is only temporary, until the upcoming hearings are over. We should be able to hold out until then. I’m informed that Professor Daniels came alone to the mental hospital, looking for Ray.”

“And?”

“A dead end. All they have are dead ends.” Nichols leaned forward and assumed a tone of mock seriousness. “The subcommittee wishes to thank the witness for his work in tracking Abigail Caldwell and Creighton Daniels these many weeks. I believe we are in a position to abstain from further action and let events take their course.” He smiled with self-satisfaction.

“It’s too late for that, Nichols.”

The smile disappeared. “What do you mean, it’s too late?”

“By this time Ms. Caldwell and the professor have been taken care of.”

A concerned look formed on Nichols’s face. “Taken care of—by whom?”

“By us. You said we’d have to take drastic measures if the AG didn’t get her out of the country quickly. He did not.”

“I said we might. What have you done?”

Cleary remained expressionless. “The two of them have by now contracted a rare brain disorder. An irreversible one.”

Nichols rose from his seat, processing what Cleary had just told him. It took only seconds to connect the dots. “You killed that tribal village in New Guinea. You were experimenting with our nanites.”

He traversed the raised row of congressmen’s seats and walked onto the committee room floor, never taking his eyes off his associate. “You had the doctor killed when she began to uncover the cause. You sent your man after Abby Caldwell in Dallas. And now you’ve murdered her. Because of your impatience, you forced this woman out of the jungle, you brought her down upon our heads, and now you’ve tied both of us to her murder.”

“The nanites aren’t traceable to us, Nichols.”

“And whom do you think they’re traceable to? How many companies even have the capacity for their manufacture?”

“Several. And we can plant evidence implicating one of them if the need arises. I don’t think it will.”

Nichols walked over to Cleary, who stood and faced him. “I’ve done what was necessary, Nichols. Necessary for us. Necessary for the advancement of humankind. Do you dispute that?”

Nichols glared at him in silence. Slowly he willed away his anger. Cleary was still essential to the success of his long-term plan. “I appreciate your intent, Damien. I simply disagree with your tactics. When I indicated drastic measures might be needed, I didn’t mean to imply ones this draconian. I realize I should have clarified.”

Cleary nodded. “Perhaps you should have.”