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hrome surfaces sparkled。 The people were at peace。
Even standing still at the end of the line； Miranda was a whirlwind。 Everyone seemed to know her。 People approached with requests and small emergencies。 Her cell phone rang。 She gave her attention in short； laser bursts。 He tried to guess her age under the cap brim。 Late twenties； early thirties？ She was necessary to them all somehow。 And now she was necessary to him。 He was baffled。
She handed him a tray and plowed into the buffet。 They took a table away from the noise。 Her fingers were polished bright orange from laboratory chemicals。 Her cheeseburger disappeared in five bites。
Nathan Lee ate sparingly。 His hands trembled。 Peas spilled from his fork。
〃The clinic can treat your malaria；〃 she said。
〃I've got malaria？〃
〃We're careful up here。 The blood test screens for everything。〃 The green eyes studied him。 〃Which jungle did you pick that up in？〃
He gave up on the peas。 〃It started in Kansas。 I wondered about that。〃
〃Kansas？〃 She thought。 〃Malaria？ Can you remember； did the mosquitos have a tilted resting position？ ClassicAnopheles。〃
〃I just slapped the little bastards。〃
〃Bitches； actually；〃 she corrected him。 〃The disease barriers are crashing。〃 Her eyes drifted away from him。
He noticed； on the wall behind her； a large puterized display of the planet。 Red signified plague zones； and blue the untouched land regions。 Great ragged holes maimed the South and Northeast。 The Pacific Coast states were a single bright red arc。 Washington； D。C。； was no more。 The plague had been so close at his heels？
〃I had the map put in here to keep people focused；〃 she said。 〃But it only ruined their appetites。〃
〃I guess so。〃 Somewhere in that creeping mass of color was his daughter。
〃That was for about ten minutes。 Then they got over it。 Now no one looks up there anymore； except for the office pools。 They bet on where the virus will peak next。 It's my fault。 I jaded them。〃
〃How much time is left？〃 he asked。
〃That's the hundred…dollar question。 New strains keep jumping up。 It's difficult。〃
〃Difficult？〃 He pulled his attention from the map。 Sweat beaded his forehead。 He wiped it with a paper napkin。 They had everything here。 And the best they could e up with was 〃difficult。〃 Not that he cared。 He had his own needs； starting with Ochs。。。and a sharp knife。 He had the knife now； a steak knife； up his sleeve。 That was a start。
〃Do you know who we are？〃 she demanded。
It sounded like a trick question。 〃The good guys；〃 he said。
〃The greatest concentration of genius in history；〃 she declared。 〃Forget the Manhattan Project。 Forget the race for the moon。 Forget the cancer wars。 There's never been so much intelligence gathered in one place focused on one goal as right here； right now。〃
After all the poverty and mean highways； this place did seem different。 They were clean and unguarded。 Laughter echoed in the sunbeams。 For the first time in memory； he didn't smell rank sweat or fear。 Probably not one carried a weapon。 They didn't hunch defensively over their plates。 No one wolfed their food。。。except for this living hurricane across the table。 It came to him。 They were gods and goddesses in Patagonia shorts； Bolle sunglasses； and； here and there； the inevitable argyle socks。 Their eyes were the greatest proof。 They were free。 Free of looking over their shoulders； of scouring the ground； of measuring their neighbor。 They had faraway eyes。
〃And I'm losing them；〃 Miranda stated。 〃Experiments start； but never finish；〃 she said。 〃Labs are mired。 Morale is plunging。 The research proposals get more bizarre by the day。 We're not scientists anymore； just alchemists。 There's no peer review； no time for tiered testing； no publishing。 I have no idea what most of these people are doing anymore。 Chasing after white rabbits。〃
Worry lines sprang across her forehead； and for a minute she looked very old。 But her face could not hold the age。 Suddenly he saw through the circles under her eyes and the bowed shoulders。 This woman…this mother to a people…was barely more than a teenager。 It jarred him。
〃We're falling behind；〃 she said。 〃Giving up。 I've tried everything I know。 I even brought in a group of medicine men to purify us。 Navajo and Zuni shamen。 Nothing works。〃 She rapped her knuckles on the table。
〃People pray for you；〃 he said。
〃What？〃 She seemed to e awake。
〃On my way across America； at their meals； when they say grace； when it's time to put the kids to bed； they add a little blessing for Los Alamos。〃
She frowned。 〃They shouldn't do that。〃
〃It sounds like you can use some extra help。〃
〃How about you。 Do you pray for us？〃
〃No。〃
〃Me either；〃 she said。 〃We have enough voodoo up here。〃
〃They're with you； that's what I meant。〃
His eyes flickered to the doomsday map。 Tendrils of plague dangled from Chicago； a crimson man o'war。
〃Keep working at that；〃 she said； pointing at his hamburger。 〃I have a meeting。 I'll have someone in the office get you settled。 Take the afternoon off。〃
〃I want to thank you；〃 he started。
〃I know；〃 she said。 〃You're much obliged。 You owe me a life。 Don't worry； you'll work it off。〃
〃You have work for me？〃
〃I'm going to have to justify you somehow；〃 she said。 〃Is it true you were an anthropologist？〃
〃That was the plan。〃
〃You looted the Golgotha site？〃
Ochs； he thought。 No sense fudging it。 〃Bones。 Bits of wood。 Metal splinters。〃
〃And you were a prisoner？〃 She had him cold。
〃Yes。〃
〃Perfect；〃 she said； and left。
THEY ISSUED HIMa tiny apartment in the city and gave him a clearance badge for Alpha Lab。 Everything else was free to any citizen： food； clothing； a bicycle。 His first evening he stood by the window for hours； bewitched； and shy。 It was a city of light。
This was Georgia O'Keeffe country。 The sunset was fire。 On the rooftops of surrounding apartment buildings； families and friends gathered to barbecue； drink microbrews； and watch the close of day。 In the far distance； the Sangre de Christo mountains lived up to their name； running bloody with light。
Darkness never truly descended。 Los Alamos had patched together its own nuclear power plant with spare parts and surplus plutonium。 The city was brighter than an amusement park。 The streets were brilliant。 Music played on stereos。 He left his window open； and the mountain air was cool。 Across the way； a young couple danced。 It was lovely。 At last he drew the curtains and went to sleep。
Miranda woke him at three in the morning。 He thought it was a dream。 He hadn't heard a telephone ring in three years。 〃They found your saddlebags right where you said；〃 she said。 〃We've had a look。 Most of the specimens were worthless。 Two or three might have some promise。 I thought you might want to see。〃
〃Tomorrow？〃 he said。
〃Today is tomorrow；〃 she said。
〃You mean right now？〃
〃Aren't you curious to see what you begat？〃
SHE GAVE HIMa running tour of Alpha Lab's buried parts。 It was； he prehended； less an introduction to the building and work； than to an idea。 They paused at one window； and his saddlebags were in one corner； with the contents of the Smithsonian packet spread out on a work table； cut to pieces； and neatly tagged。 They entered a hallway lined with freezers。 〃Our database。〃 She opened a big freezer door。 Frost poured out like smoke。 The thermometer read minus…70 degrees。 She took the lid off a Styrofoam packet numbered with magic marker； and hundreds of thin vials of yellow fluid stood nested in holes。
She ran her fingers along the freezers。 〃Jerusalem；〃 she said。 〃Four hundred and twenty…three souls from the first century。 Or at least their DNA。 Which is the same thing； in a way。〃
〃These e from the bones？〃
〃Bones； teeth； hard tissue。 Dried blood chips from wood and metal fragments。〃
〃That's not possible；〃 he said。 He wasn't pletely unfamiliar with genetic archaeology。 〃You can only extract DNA from soft tissue。 It has to be preserved。〃
〃You've been out of the loop a few years。〃 She patted his arm condescendingly。
〃Stem cells；〃 he stated。 He wanted to sound knowing； or at least not pletely benighted。 Intellectual pride？ he wondered to himself。 What pride？ Was he trying to impress this woman？ He scoffed at himself。
〃Stem cells are too primitive for what we're doing；〃 she said。 〃Too generic。 They'll grow into anything you want； and we tried them in the beginning。 But what we needed were clones who might be carrying immune responses to the virus。 That meant selecting a more developed cell from the samples。 Lymphocytes。 T…cells。 B…cells； C…cells。 The whole family。 Memory cells。〃
〃I could have used a few more of those back in grade school；〃 joked Nathan Lee。 He'd forgotten。 This was the No Humor zone。
〃Wrong kind of memory；〃 she said。 〃T…cells memorize immune responses and store them away for a rainy day。 Take chicken pox。 Over the centuries； our ancestors were exposed to it； and with time they co…evolved with the parasite。 A killer gradually became a benign gradeschool disease。 Now whenever you're exposed to chicken pox； your memory cells remember its protein configuration and tell your body to manufacture the exact antivirus to destroy it。 The memory cells are like ancient l