pencils here, and Monte and Strong are my pencils at the compound. Of course, Monte won’t be back there for a while, if ever.”
Jacquie stood, straightening her jacket over her jeans.
“I’m going to notify my pencils of your arrival, and we’ll be sure you’re all treated with good ole fashioned Zurich hospitality.”
“That’s it?” Carlin asked. “We don’t have anything else to do?”
“Two things, actually,” Jacquie said, collecting the tea cups. “Take some of this before I eat it all, and stay near your rooms until I send word otherwise. You’re staying on the fifth floor, and that’s our area for Chosen guests who aren’t in residence. Give me a little while to spread the word, let people know who you are. We’ll talk soon.”
Meredith raised her hand. “I have a question if that’s cool?”
“Of course it is.”
“Do you know where they are now? The other Chosen? I don’t want to talk to them or anything, it’s just…”
“You have friends there,” Jacquie said kindly. “According to our information, they were heading toward their Egypt compound. It’s near Alexandria. In fact, it’s under a pyramid.” She wrinkled her nose, then gave a half-hearted little laugh. “That was rude, wasn’t it? I just can’t imagine… underground. You poor things.”
There was a split second when Julia felt like she could finally breathe—and then Jacquie said, “Be sure to let me know if you have any problems, or if any of you get sick.”
She said it as an afterthought, like it hardly even mattered, but Julia felt a prick of fear. She nodded, grateful that everybody else was nodding with her.
Jacquie glanced at the rest of them, still looking slightly shell-shocked. “Why don’t we talk again soon? When you have some time to form more questions.”
After encouraging everyone to take some pumpkin bread, Jacquie waved them over to the door, where she had a parting word for everyone—and a handshake.
“Thank you again, Cayne,” she said as he moved through the door, “and Julia.” Her hand clasped Julia’s wrist, a gentle warmth that moved into a light handshake. “I’m going to enjoy getting to know you.”
Her eyes were warm, but still, Julia couldn’t get her hand back soon enough.
CHAPTER TEN
Two hours later, the group sat around the electric fireplace eating s’mores off a heated tray Monte had brought, and filling pretty crystal glasses with cider from a barrel hauled into their room by Krista, a tall, busty brunette who reminded Julia of a high school principal.
“Jacquie had me bring it to you from the cellars,” she’d said, hoisting it onto the counter and brushing her hands off on her khakis. Over them, she’d worn a cream turtleneck and a hunter green fleece vest. She was one of those people whose age was impossible for Julia to guess, but whatever age she was, she’d seemed very particular. Like she appreciated order and didn’t like surprises.
She opened a canvas bag on her shoulder and pulled out a handful of crisp white clipboards, topped with resort pens. Julia wondered if she was responsible for the House’s finances. Dwight and Dirk’s mom had worked at H&R Block; people that organized had a certain gathered-ness about them that always made Julia feel like a pupil who hadn’t handed in her homework.
“Please fill these out and I’ll be by tomorrow morning to get them,” Krista said.
Julia was probably imagining it, but she’d thought the woman’s eyes had lingered a second too long on hers.
“Wonder what this is?” Mer mumbled when the woman left.
Julia scanned the first page; it looked kind of like something you’d fill out for school or an after school job.
“Name, birthday, home address. Family,” she said, although the paperwork said parents . “Phone and e-mail…” Nothing looked out of the ordinary until the back of the page, which was marked ‘CONFIDENTIAL’ and filled with questions like: Do
Jacquie stood, straightening her jacket over her jeans.
“I’m going to notify my pencils of your arrival, and we’ll be sure you’re all treated with good ole fashioned Zurich hospitality.”
“That’s it?” Carlin asked. “We don’t have anything else to do?”
“Two things, actually,” Jacquie said, collecting the tea cups. “Take some of this before I eat it all, and stay near your rooms until I send word otherwise. You’re staying on the fifth floor, and that’s our area for Chosen guests who aren’t in residence. Give me a little while to spread the word, let people know who you are. We’ll talk soon.”
Meredith raised her hand. “I have a question if that’s cool?”
“Of course it is.”
“Do you know where they are now? The other Chosen? I don’t want to talk to them or anything, it’s just…”
“You have friends there,” Jacquie said kindly. “According to our information, they were heading toward their Egypt compound. It’s near Alexandria. In fact, it’s under a pyramid.” She wrinkled her nose, then gave a half-hearted little laugh. “That was rude, wasn’t it? I just can’t imagine… underground. You poor things.”
There was a split second when Julia felt like she could finally breathe—and then Jacquie said, “Be sure to let me know if you have any problems, or if any of you get sick.”
She said it as an afterthought, like it hardly even mattered, but Julia felt a prick of fear. She nodded, grateful that everybody else was nodding with her.
Jacquie glanced at the rest of them, still looking slightly shell-shocked. “Why don’t we talk again soon? When you have some time to form more questions.”
After encouraging everyone to take some pumpkin bread, Jacquie waved them over to the door, where she had a parting word for everyone—and a handshake.
“Thank you again, Cayne,” she said as he moved through the door, “and Julia.” Her hand clasped Julia’s wrist, a gentle warmth that moved into a light handshake. “I’m going to enjoy getting to know you.”
Her eyes were warm, but still, Julia couldn’t get her hand back soon enough.
CHAPTER TEN
Two hours later, the group sat around the electric fireplace eating s’mores off a heated tray Monte had brought, and filling pretty crystal glasses with cider from a barrel hauled into their room by Krista, a tall, busty brunette who reminded Julia of a high school principal.
“Jacquie had me bring it to you from the cellars,” she’d said, hoisting it onto the counter and brushing her hands off on her khakis. Over them, she’d worn a cream turtleneck and a hunter green fleece vest. She was one of those people whose age was impossible for Julia to guess, but whatever age she was, she’d seemed very particular. Like she appreciated order and didn’t like surprises.
She opened a canvas bag on her shoulder and pulled out a handful of crisp white clipboards, topped with resort pens. Julia wondered if she was responsible for the House’s finances. Dwight and Dirk’s mom had worked at H&R Block; people that organized had a certain gathered-ness about them that always made Julia feel like a pupil who hadn’t handed in her homework.
“Please fill these out and I’ll be by tomorrow morning to get them,” Krista said.
Julia was probably imagining it, but she’d thought the woman’s eyes had lingered a second too long on hers.
“Wonder what this is?” Mer mumbled when the woman left.
Julia scanned the first page; it looked kind of like something you’d fill out for school or an after school job.
“Name, birthday, home address. Family,” she said, although the paperwork said parents . “Phone and e-mail…” Nothing looked out of the ordinary until the back of the page, which was marked ‘CONFIDENTIAL’ and filled with questions like: Do
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