‘That’s just it, I haven’t told him anything. He’s been sneaking on the Internet, reading about himself. He’s totally engrossed in the Mayan legend.’

‘What about his brother?’

‘Manny’s more like a normal toddler. He could care less about Mayan legends, which really bothers Jake. Unfortunately, it seems like the gap between their genetic gifts grows wider with each passing day. God only knows how I’ll be able to handle Jake as he gets older.’

Evelyn looks over Dominique’s shoulder. ‘Child, what is that you’re working on?’

‘It’s a program that charts births. Did you know there were 723,891 babies born on September 22, 2013?’

‘You’re searching for the Abomination?’

‘By segregating out all of the blue-eyed babies, I’ve reduced the list to just under three hundred thousand names. Of course, this program only accounts for about 68 percent of the world, but it’s a start.’

‘A start to what? Murder?’

‘Beware the child born on the day of the twins’ birth, you said. The Abomination imprisons Mick and disrupts the space-time continuum. If I can kill it in this time period—’

‘Stop it.’ Evelyn leans over and shuts down the computer. ‘You’ll never find the one you seek this way, Dominique, and even if you did, what would you do? Murder an innocent child?’

‘What am I supposed to do, Evelyn? Sit back and allow some freak of nature to stalk my sons?’

‘Unlike your sons, who will be prepared, the Hunahpu child born on the twins’ birthday has no idea what it is or what lies ahead. Like all newborns, it is an innocent being—God’s clay, ready to be molded. It is the influences throughout the child’s journey that will lead it to become the Abomination my sister warned us about. Your mission, First-Mother, is to prepare your sons for battle, not to play God.’

PART 4
CHILDHOOD

The Earth is the cradle of mankind,
but one cannot stay in the cradle forever.

—KONSTANTIN TSIOLKOVSKY

And Jacob called to his sons, and said,
‘Gather yourselves together that I may tell you
that which shall befall you in the End of Days.’

—GENESIS 49:1

8
FOUR YEARS LATER

SEPTEMBER 22, 2020: GABRIEL COMPOUND, LONGBOAT KEY, FLORIDA

Dawn backlights seven-year-old Immanuel Gabriel’s bedroom in bronze shades of gray. The dark-haired, ebony-eyed boy snores softly.

Jacob stands over him, grinning mischievously. ‘Get up, you lazy sonuva bitch!’

Manny sits up with a start, his heart pounding. ‘Huh!’

‘You shut your alarm off. Now get up, we have to train.’

‘Go away!’ Immanuel pulls the sheet over his head.

Jacob reaches beneath the blanket and shoulder presses his twin up and over his head.

‘Help! Ma—’

‘You’re falling behind, Manny. You’re supposed to be my equal, but you’re not—’

‘Get off me, freak!’

‘—you’re nothing but a lightweight.’

‘Ma! Ma, he’s doing it again!’

The bodyguards arrive first, still in their bathrobes. ‘Again?’ Salt shakes his head. Holsters his weapon.