n which university scholars belittle spirituality； scorn religion； and bow deeply to the altar of science。 We live in a time when so many spurn the church and the synagogue； where radio mentators are shock jocks spewing hatred and vulgarity； where televised entertainment consists of Real Sex and Celebrity Fear Factor。 We live in a time of suicide bombing； terrorism run amok； and nuclear blackmail。〃
The room fell silent； save for the faint beep of the recorder。 At last； Von Menck stirred； spoke again。
〃The ancients believed nature to be prised of four elements： earth； air； fire； and water。 Some talked of floods； others of earthquakes or mighty winds； others of the devil。 When Atlantis had betrayed its niche in the moral order of nature； it was consumed by water。 The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah came by fire。 The plague that struck Venice came by air。 Like the golden ratio； it follows a cyclical pattern。 I've charted it here。〃
He took out another diagram； very plex； covered with lines； charts； and numbers。 All the lines seemed to converge on a central pentagram in which was written：
2004 A。D 。…New York City…Fire
〃So you think New York City will burn？〃
〃Not in any normal way。 It will be consumed by a firewithin ； like Grove and Cutforth。〃
〃You think this can be avoided if people turn back to God？〃
Von Menck shook his head。 〃It's too late for that。 And please note； Mr。 Harriman； I have not used the wordGod 。 What I'm talking about here is not necessarily God but a force of nature： a moral law of the universe as fixed as any physical law。 We've created an imbalance that needs to be corrected。 The year 2004。〃 He tapped the pile of charts。 〃It's the big one。 It's the one Nostradamus predicted； Edgar Cayce predicted； Revelation predicted。〃
Harriman nodded。 He felt a crawling sensation along his spine。 This was powerful stuff。 But was it all claptrap？ 〃Dr。 Von Menck； you've devoted a great deal of time and research on this。〃
〃It has been my overwhelming obsession。 For over fifteen years； I've known the significance of the year 2004。 I've beenwaiting 。〃
〃Are you really convinced； or is this just a theory？〃
〃I will answer by telling you this： I am leaving New York tomorrow。〃
〃Leaving？〃
〃For the Galápagos Islands。〃
〃Why the Galápagos？〃
〃As Darwin could tell you； they arefamous for their isolation。〃 Von Menck gestured at the recorder。 〃This time there will be no documentary。 The story is all yours； Mr。 Harriman。〃
〃No documentary？〃 Harriman repeated； stupefied。
〃If I'm the least bit right in my suspicions； Mr。 Harriman； when this is over； there won't be much of an audience for a documentary…will there？〃 And； for the first time since Harriman had entered the room； Dr。 Von Menck smiled…a small； sad smile utterly devoid of humor。
30
D'Agosta gazed at the miserable…looking thing on his plate…long； thin； unidentifiable； swimming in a puddle of sauce。 It smelled vaguely like fish。 At least； he thought； it would help his diet。 It had been ten days since Grove's death； and he'd lost five pounds already； what with the new weight routine and jogging regimens he'd instituted； not to mention the hours he'd put in at the shooting range； which were adding bulk and steadiness to his forearms and shoulders。 Another two months； and he'd be back to his old NYPD condition。
Proctor flitted about in the background； presenting and whisking away plates with the least amount of warning gentility would allow。 Pendergast sat at the head of the table； Constance to his left。 She looked a little less pale than before： some sun； perhaps； from yesterday's outing。 But the dining room of the ancient Riverside Drive mansion remained a dreary place； with its dark green wallpaper and equally dark oil paintings。 The windows that once must have looked out over the Hudson had been boarded up a long time ago； and it appeared Pendergast was going to leave them that way。 No wonder the guy was so white； living in the dark like some cave creature。 D'Agosta decided he'd trade the whole dinner； and its procession of mysterious dishes； for barbecued ribs and a cooler full of frosties in his sunny Suffolk County backyard。 Even Fosco's exotic picnic basket of the day before had been preferable。 He gave the dish an exploratory poke。
〃Don't you like the cod roe？〃 Pendergast asked him。 〃It's an old Italian recipe。〃
〃My grandmother was from Naples； and she never cooked anything like this in her life。〃
〃I believe this dish es from Liguria。 But never mind： cod roe is not to everyone's taste。〃 He signaled to Proctor； who whisked the plate away and； a few moments later； returned with a steak and a small silver beaker brimming with wonderful…smelling sauce。 In his other hand was a can of Budweiser； still dripping chips of ice。
D'Agosta tucked in； then glanced up to see Pendergast smiling with amusement。 〃Constance cooks a sublimetournedos bordelaise 。 I had it waiting in the wings； just in case。 Along with the； ah； iced beer。〃
〃That was decent of you。〃
〃Is the steak to your liking？〃 Constance asked from across the table。 〃I prepared itsaignant ； as the French prefer。〃
〃I don't know aboutsaignant； but it's rare； just the way I like it。〃
Constance smiled； pleased。
D'Agosta speared another forkful； washed it down with a swig。 〃So what's next？〃 he asked Pendergast。
〃After dinner； Constance will indulge us by playing a few of Bach's partitas。 She is a rather acplished violinist； though I fear I'm a poor judge of such things。 And I think you'll find the violin she plays interesting。 It was part of my great…uncle's collections； an old Amati； in fairly decent shape； though its tone has gone off somewhat。〃
〃Sounds great。〃 D'Agosta coughed delicately。 〃But what I meant was； what's next for the investigation？〃
〃Ah！ I see。 Our next move； actually； has two fronts。 We track down this Ranier Beckmann； and we do more background research on the strange nature of our two deaths。 I have somebody already at work on the former。 And Constance is about to fill us in on the latter。〃
Constance dabbed primly at her mouth with a napkin。 〃Aloysius has asked me to look into historical precedents for SHC。〃
〃Spontaneous human bustion；〃 said D'Agosta。 〃As in the Mary Reeser case you mentioned to the M。E。 at the Cutforth homicide？〃
〃Exactly。〃
〃You don't really believe in that； do you？〃
〃The case of Mary Reeser is only the most famous of many； and it is well documented。 Isn't that right； Constance？〃
〃Famous； impeccably documented； and very curious。〃 She consulted some notes that lay at her elbow。 〃On July 1； 1951； Mrs。 Reeser； a widow； went to sleep in an easy chair in her apartment in St。 Petersburg； Florida。 She was found the next morning by a friend who smelled smoke。 When they broke down the door； they found that the chair Mary Reeser had sat in was now just a heap of charred coil springs。 As for Mary Reeser herself； her one hundred and seventy pounds had been reduced to less than ten pounds of ash and bone。 Only her left foot remained intact； still wearing a slipper； burned off at the ankle but otherwise undamaged。 Also found were her liver and her skull； cracked and splintered by the intense heat。 And yet the rest of the apartment was intact。 The only burning occurred in the small circular area enpassing the remains of Mrs。 Reeser； her chair； and a plastic electric wall outlet which had melted； stopping her clock at 4：20A。M。 When the clock was plugged into another outlet； it worked perfectly。〃
〃You gotta be kidding。〃
〃The Bureau was called in immediately； and their documentation was impeccable；〃 said Pendergast。 〃Photographs； tests； analysis…it ran to more than a thousand pages。 Our experts determined that a temperature of at least three thousand degrees would be necessary to cremate a body that thoroughly。 A cigarette igniting her clothing would never have produced that temperature； and besides； Mary Reeser didn't smoke。 There were no traces of gasoline or other accelerants。 No short circuit。 Even lightning was ruled out。 The case was never officially closed。〃
D'Agosta shook his head in disbelief。
〃And it's not just a recent phenomenon；〃 Constance said。 〃Dickens wrote an account of spontaneous bustion into his novelBleak House 。 He was roundly criticized by reviewers for it； so he later defended himself by recounting a real case of SHC in the preface to the 1853 edition。〃
D'Agosta； who had been about to take another bite of steak； put down his fork。
〃On the evening of April 4； 1731； Dickens tells us； the countess Cornelia Zangari de' Bandi of Cesena； in Italy； plained of feeling 'dull and heavy。' A maid helped her to bed； and they spent several hours praying and talking together。 The next morning； when the countess did not arise at her usual time； the maid called at the door。 There was no answer…just a foul smell。
〃The maid opened the door to a scene of horror。 The air was full of bits of floating soot。 The countess； or what remained of her； was lying on the stone floor about four feet from the bed。 Her entire torso had burned to ashes； even the bones reduced to crumbled piles。 Only her legs remained； from the knees down； a fe