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“Imagine knowing how to reduce the toxicity in the environment. That is what the book contains, and that is what I believe our good friend Greene here really wants it for. He doesn’t want to learn from the lessons of history so much as be the savior of the world.”
Greene shrugged. “Sure, I could stand with being called a savior. Who wouldn’t enjoy that?”
“You could be so much more than just a savior,” Fairclough said. “Provided you knew what to do.”
Annja cleared her throat. “How do you solve the codex?”
Fairclough shrugged. “I haven’t been able to crack that yet. It’s one reason I opted for retirement, so I could work on just that. It would have been nice to give the secret back to the world.”
Greene sighed. “All right, enough of this. Tell her where the book is so we can get it and leave this place. It makes me sick just thinking how much money it must’ve taken to buy this joint.”
Fairclough gripped Annja’s hand tighter. “You know as well as I do that he’ll never let either one of us out of here alive.”
“I was thinking about that.”
Greene frowned.
“Having seen what I saw today,” Annja continued, “I don’t doubt you’d kill us as soon as you could.”
Greene did his best to hide a smirk. But he failed and looked away. Annja frowned. She looked back at Fairclough. “I think we can take that as an indicator of what we’re in for.”
Fairclough nodded. “Exactly. So you can see that I really have no reason to reveal the book’s hiding place.”
“I’m still not sure why you asked to see me, but—” Annja lowered her voice “—I might be able to do something about this situation. However, I’d need to get to the book first if we have any hope of nullifying the poison in your veins.”
Fairclough looked at her hard. “Are you sure?”
Annja nodded. “Yes.”
“It won’t be easy. I took steps to protect the book and make sure it wouldn’t ever be stolen from me.”
“A security system?”
“Something like that,” Fairclough said. “I’d rather hoped never to have to use it, but when they broke into my house the other day, I had no choice. I was barely able to get it protected before they took me hostage.”
“All right,” said Annja. “So how do I disarm it?”
Fairclough waggled his eyebrows. “It’s not really something you can decode. You have to find your way through the maze.”
“Maze?”
“Yes,” he said. “The book is hidden at the center of a maze I designed under my estate.”

Chapter 6
     
Greene started laughing. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
Fairclough looked at him and sighed. “I’d expect nothing less from someone like you. It always amazes me how little those who claim to stand for ideals actually think.”
“You’re telling me there’s a maze underneath this house?” Greene shook his head. “How in the world did you manage to construct that?”
“I hired people to excavate the area and build it to my precise specifications.”
“But what’s the point?” Annja asked. “I mean, no offense, but if you wanted some elaborate security system, there are plenty to choose from. You could hire someone to design you a completely unique system.”
“I’ll tell you why,” Greene said. “Because he’s gotten too much into the pages of some of his books apparently.”
Fairclough regarded him. “I had the maze built because I didn’t trust the security systems everyone else uses. Electronics can be defeated. Ciphers and codes don’t matter a whit to me. But genuine ingenuity is a prize I value above all else. Needless to say, most of the ruffians who would steal the book don’t possess even a fraction of it.”
Greene started forward. “Keep the insults up, old man, and I’ll—”
“Kill me?” Fairclough laughed. “Seems to me you’re already doing that, you ignorant pup. Now be quiet while I talk to this wonderful woman here.”
Greene looked as if he might be tempted to hit Fairclough.
Annja held up her