“This is the ‘blue flower, ’ ” he said. “The blue stone: the sangreal. The formula for the making of it was given to me by a paynim magician in the Holy City. It was the ransom for his life. First, the ingredients are heated together, and then allowed to cool and crystallize. Then, a bit of the crystal is dissolved again in water—just the littlest bit. And this creates a medicinal fluid. Immersion in that fluid once every six months so restores the natural substances of the flesh that it forestalls the process of ageing. The body—this body—your body—can be made essentially … deathless.”

I stood up with such violence that the bench I had been sitting on overbalanced and fell to the floor behind me. Even in the cold of night, I felt the sweat break out all over my skin. I felt my heart beating powerfully against my ribs.

“This is the devil’s work,” I said. “Why have you brought this to me?” My mind raced in search of an answer, found none.” Why have you brought this to me?

“Sit down, sit down,” Anselm muttered. He leaned over, righted the bench that had fallen.

Slowly I sank into my seat again.

The red light of the coals seemed to grow brighter on William’s features as he smiled. His eyes shifted to Anselm once and Anselm nodded.

“The stone is only part of the elixir,” William said, so softly I had to lean closer to hear him. “In order for us to test its efficacy—we require one ingredient more.”

One ingredient more.

I will not attempt to mitigate my crime by detailing the struggle with my conscience that followed that conversation. The truth is, no matter what pangs I suffered, no matter what qualms arose, one thought from the beginning burned uppermost in my mind. Life! Eternal life! Eternal youth! With such a gift on offer, what did conscience matter? What was conscience in any event but the fear of punishment after death? The threat of death removed, the threat of Hell postponed forever, what power had conscience? What power had God? With life and youth guaranteed, I would be as a God myself, able to shrug off the petty fears and limitations of humanity. I would be free to indulge whatever desires, seize whatever prizes appealed to me, without terror or remorse.

All this—an eternity of pleasure—in exchange for just one ingredient more.

And so I went to see mad Annie.