Temple

'Some help', Race thought. He lectured in ancient languages - classical and medieval Latin—with a little Spanish and German on the side. He couldn't think of a single thing that he could help DARPA with.

'What sort of help?' he asked.

'Translating a manuscript. A four-hundred Latin manuscript.'

'A manuscript…' Race said. Such a request wasn't unusual.

He was often asked to translate medieval manuscripts. It was unusual, however, when it was asked in the presence of armed commandos.

'Professor Race,' Nash said, 'the translation of the document in question is a matter of extreme urgency. In fact, the document itself is not even in the United States yet. It is ... What we would require of you is to meet document at Newark and translate it in transit to our...'

'In transit?' Race said. 'To where?'

'I'm afraid that is something I am unable tell you at this moment...'

Race was about to argue when suddenly the door to the office opened and another Green Beret entered. He carried a pack on his back and he walked quickly over to Nash, whispered softly in his ear. Race caught the words: '—been ordered to mobilise.'

'When?' Nash said.

'Ten minutes ago, sir,' the soldier whispered back.

Nash looked down quickly at his watch. 'Damn it.'

He swung back to face Race.

'Professor Race, we don't have much time, so I'm going to give this to you straight. This is a very important mission, a mission that seriously affects the national security of the United States. But it is a mission that has a very short window of opportunity. We must act now. But in order to do that, I need a translator. A medieval Latin translator.

You.'

'How soon?'

'I have a car waiting out front.'

Race swallowed. 'I don't know…'

He could feel everyone's eyes on him. He felt suddenly nervous at the prospect of travelling to destination unknown with Frank Nash and a team of fully armed Green Berets. He felt like he was being railroaded.

'What about Ed Devereux at Harvard?' he said. 'He's a lot better at med-Latin than I am. He'd be faster.'

Nash said, 'I don't need the best and I don't have the time to travel up to Boston. Your brother mentioned your name to us. He said you were good and that you were in New York and quite frankly, that's all I need. I need someone close who can do the job now.'

Race bit his lip.

Nash said, 'You'll have a bodyguard assigned to you for the entire mission. We'll pick up the manuscript at Newark in about thirty minutes and get on the plane a few minutes after that. If all goes well, you'll have the document translated by the time we land. You won't even have to get off the plane. And if you do, you'll have a team of Green Berets looking after you.'

Race frowned at that.

'Professor Race, you won't be the only academic on this mission. Walter Chambers from Stanford will be there; Gabriela Lopez from Princeton; and also Lauren O'Connor from—'

Lauren O'Connor, Race thought.

He hadn't heard that name in years.

Race had known Lauren back in his college days at USE.

While he had studied languages, she had majored in science-theoretical physics. They'd dated, but it had ended badly. Last he heard, she'd been working at the Livermore Labs in their nuclear physics department.

Race looked at Nash. He wondered just how much Frank Nash knew about Lauren and himself—wondered if he had dropped her name deliberately.

The thing was, if he had, then it worked.

If Lauren was anything, she was street-smart. She wouldn't go on a mission like this without a good reason.

In fact that she had agreed to be a part of Nash's adventure - gave it instant credibility.

you will be amply compensated for your

. not that—'

is also part of the mission team,” Nash said,

Race by surprise. 'He won't be coming with us, but be working with the technical team at our offices in

. Race thought. He hadn't seen him in a long time since their parents had got divorced nine years ago. But

if was also involved, then maybe…

Race, I'm sorry, but we have to go. We have to now. I need an answer from you..'

'Will,' John Bernstein said, 'this is could be a tremendous

for the university—'

Race frowned at Bernstein, cutting him off. Then to Nash:

'You say it's a matter of national security?'

'That's right.'

'And you can't tell me where we'll be going.'

'Not until we get on the plane. Then I can tell you every-

And I'm going to have a bodyguard, Race thought. You usually only need a bodyguard when somebody wants to kill you.

The office was silent.

Race could feel everyone waiting for his response. Nash.

The three Green Berets.

He sighed. He couldn't believe what he was about to say.

'All right,' he said. 'I'll do it.'

Race walked quickly down the corridor behind Nash, still dressed in his jacket and tie.

It was a cold and wet winter's day in New York and as they made their way through the maze of corridors toward the westernmost gate of the university, Race caught the occasional glimpse of the heavy rain falling outside.