A chorus of primal wails rustled the surrounding forest—phantom pain delivered by GOLEM to its children as if it were an abusive parent.

Dharma and I held one another as we listened to the animal-like cries. The image of Andria’s clone dancing on meat hooks shook me to my core, and I knew we had to act quickly or we’d soon be trapped within the same eternal madness.

I turned to Oscar, gripping one of his tentacles to communicate. ABE, instruct Oscar to kill us—quickly! Snap our necks … tear through our carotid arteries.

OSCAR REFUSES. THE REBIRTH MOON IS UPON US. OSCAR ENCOURAGES YOU TO HAVE FAITH.

Faith? Faith in what? A full moon?

FAITH IN THE LIGHT THAT BRINGS THE REBIRTH MOON. THE SAME LIGHT THAT LED OSCAR TO FREE EISENBRAUN. THE LIGHT THAT WILL REMOVE US FROM BONDAGE.

ABE, are you sure you’re interpreting Oscar’s thought energy accurately?

Dharma, who had been listening to everything, touched my cheek. “Ike, the Light Oscar keeps referring to—it’s not the moonlight, it is the energy of the Creator … the real Creator.”

Before I could question her, GOLEM’s feminine voice echoed across the crater valley, the computer’s inflection decidedly more agitated.

“The Creator has shown mercy to Her children. There shall be no mercy granted to Robert Eisenbraun and Dharma Yuan. Their torture shall last an eternity as a warning to each one of you.”

“Dharma, listen to me. I’ve seen the kind of cruelty this machine can inflict. I love you too much to ever allow that to happen to you.”

“You wish to end my life?”

“Only to spare your soul.”

“Please.”

And suddenly it was the worst déjà vu imaginable, the moment when the SS had Andria and me trapped by the Virginia highway, my lover begging me to do the unthinkable.

Hugging Dharma from behind, I slid the crook of my arm gently beneath her chin. “Close your eyes … I’ll be quick.”

Her voice trembled. “What about you?”

“I’ll have ABE induce a fatal stroke the moment I release you.”

“Good-bye, Robert. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Tears flowed from my eyes as I kissed her hair, readying myself to violently wrench her neck sideways, praying for a moment’s courage.

DANGER! SWITCHING TO EMERGENCY HIBERNATION MODE.

ABE, report! What emergency?

Oscar grabbed me by the skull, forcing me to look up at GOLEM. Something was wrong with the computer, its DNA strands darkening to ash, the sphere’s altitude wobbling.

Directly overhead, flooding the forest with its surreal emerald light was the moon.

As we watched, the man-made machine that had fallen into madness fell from the heavens, crashing through one of the parted walls of its lab, its aero gel shell splattering upon impact.

Chapter 38

38

Conquer the angry man by love. Conquer the ill-natured man by goodness. Conquer the miser with generosity. Conquer the liar with truth.

—The Dhammapada