The Book of Time

Chapter 14

"This is it," Zahir said. He took down a metal box from the top of the bookshelf in his office and limped back to the conference table where Thomas and Shay were eating. Well, Thomas was eating. Shay hadn't touched her plate.

Zahir opened the box and held up the page. "It was torn out of the Book."

"Where did you get it?" Shay asked.

"It's best you don't know."

"You killed him and that's why I have the tattoo now," Thomas said. He knew how this story went.

"No. He was already dead by the time I 'acquired' it."

Shay took the page from him. She ran her finger along the jagged edge. "And you think that everything went south because this page was torn out?"

"I don't see how it could be anything else."

"What language is that?" Thomas asked. He finished the last bit of scrambled eggs and strawberry milk. Shay slid her plate towards him.

"I'm not sure," Zahir said. "I've sent pictures to linguists and historians. The best they could tell me is that it's most likely an extinct language."

"What do you mean? This is written in English," Shay said.

"No it isn't," Thomas said.

"Yes. It is. Look." She pointed at a line in the center of the page. "'Seventy percent of animals present at this time couldn't handle the rapid changes of the Earth's climate and they became extinct within a few years. These animals included, dinosaurs, mammoths, some species of birds...' It lists some more after that and talks about the climate settling into four seasons in most areas and two in others after a few decades."

Zahir took the page from her. He held it up to the light. "I still can't read it."

"Must be the key," Thomas said. His stomach finally felt somewhat satisfied.

"In any case, if the missing page is why animals that are supposed to be extinct are alive and the climate is so messed up then all we have to do is find the Book and put it back."

"How?" Thomas asked.

Shay shrugged. "Tape?"

He rolled his eyes. "Not that. How do we find the Book? We followed the map and it wasn't there."

"I have a theory about that," Shay said. She glanced at Zahir. "I need to do some more thinking first."

"I have my guys working on it," Zahir said.

"Guys that couldn't do in months what Shay did in hours," Thomas said. Zahir narrowed his eyes but said nothing.

"We'll take care of it," Zahir said. "It might be best if the two of you stay here until we figure out the location."

Thomas almost fell out of his chair. Was Zahir giving him the option of leaving?

"Don't look at me like that. Brennan and Luca have been harassing me to see you ever since they heard you were here."

That didn't answer the question. Zahir liked to be in control of everything. He didn't give options.

"I would have preferred if you hadn't told them I was alive," Thomas said. "I don't want to see them."

"Not even Luca?" Zahir asked.

"None of them."

Shay was watching him out of the corner of her eye. "It might be quicker if I help them," she said. He was grateful for the subject change.