Book of Days_ A Novel - James L. Rubart [95]
Leaning back in his chair he took a sip of his coffee and gave Ann a little smile. "We know the seven spots on this map are the only seven spots in the world where I'd find a certain kind of stone."
"Right."
He looked from the map of the world, to the map of the night sky, back to the map of the world. "Unbelievable." He rapped his knuckles on his forehead and grinned at Ann.
"What is?"
His hands shook as he drew lines between the dots.
"What's unbelievable?" she repeated.
He looked up and her eyes told him she already knew the answer. "That I didn't think about doing this earlier."
After he finished connecting all the dots, Cameron held up the map and studied the pattern.
"You've already done this exercise, haven't you?"
"Yes. But I thought you'd like the rush of doing it yourself." She smiled.
"Now we look for the constellation that matches the pattern of the stones."
"Go on."
"And once we figure out which constellation it matches, it gives a major clue as to where we're going to find the Book of Days."
"Congratulations, Cameron, you've just won the daily double."
He smiled and compared the pattern to the picture of the night sky. Five minutes later he looked at Ann. "I'm not seeing it."
She had a smug look on her face.
"You're already ahead of me on this, aren't you?"
"Miles."
"And you've enjoyed the last five minutes of me flaying about, yes?"
"Immensely."
"So now that the fun is over, you're going to tell me what you've known for the past twenty-four hours."
"Past fourteen." Ann slid an acetate drawing of the pattern of the stones and laid it over the map of the night sky. "Do you see the pattern of the stones matching any of the constellations?"
"No, that's what I'm saying. There's no match."
"So what's your next guess?"
"Maybe it's not a constellation. Maybe it's latitude and longitude, maybe—"
Ann shook her head. "No, I took three astronomy classes in college, I actually did okay in them and if you—"
"Great idea. I'm clueless when it comes to astronomy, but I have a friend at UW in the astronomy department. I can e-mail him this pattern. He'll probably get back to me within half a day with the possible constellations this pattern could represent. If he can't give us anything, we'll move on to the latitude-longitude theory." He kept his eyes riveted on the map.
"Cameron."
"Because it might even be a combination of constellations we're not seeing."
"Cameron."
"Have you tried—?"
He was interrupted by a rolled-up newspaper hitting him in the head.
"Ow!"
"You're making me feel like I'm in a Three Stooges movie. Didn't you hear me? Now be quiet and listen."
He rolled his eyes.
"Buddy, you roll your pupils at me again and I'll whack-smack you so hard, you won't remember tomorrow." Ann looked like she was trying to keep the grin off her face but failed.
Cameron gasped. The exact words Jessie used to use when they were bantering back and forth and she wanted to make a point stick. His stomach roiled. "I have to get out of here for a moment."
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
"Where are you going, Cameron?"
"Be right back."
He walked down Main Street to the end of the block and stood staring at the summit of Broken Top, feeling like its jagged ridge was a picture of his mind. Maybe his heart as well. A heart in no condition to be opened up to anyone. But Ann was blowing up his steel-enforced walls with everything she said and did. He'd hardly slept last night as he wrestled his emotions for Ann into submission. Until a moment ago they'd laid dormant, but now they swam through his head like a school of maniac dolphins.
No. It wouldn't happen. He would reconstruct the walls. For Ann's sake. For Jessie's. He drilled his fingers into the back of his neck, trying to massage the ropes of tension into surrender.
He took two strides back toward Java Jump Start, then did a 360 and clipped back the way he had just come. A few seconds later