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〃It's not suicide；〃 Miranda protested。 〃There are survivors out there。 They could hold the answer。 But it will take time to find them； and we have to be up here in the open to do it。 The vaccine gives us a shield。〃
〃Then kills you。 Three years；〃 he said。 〃I'm offering them thirty years。 Fifty。 A hundred。 We don't have to dose ourselves with poison。 If there are survivors； we'll find them。 Or our children's children will。〃
〃Buried a half mile deep？〃
Abbot abruptly disengaged。 He smiled。 〃There you have it；〃 he said to Nathan Lee。 〃My rebel daughter。〃
As if noticing it for the first time； Abbot picked up the little jade nude。 It was a magical thing。 She could be lascivious； or imperial； or restful； depending on who held her。 Abbot turned the statue this way and that in the sun； and she became Miranda； undressed in Nathan Lee's arms。 Miranda's eyes shifted away。 Abbot set the statue back in its sunbeam。 He looked at Nathan Lee。
〃I thought we should have a little man…to…man talk；〃 he said。 〃Let's go for a walk。 Outside。〃
Miranda started to object。
〃We'll be back in a few minutes；〃 her father said。 Nathan Lee stepped outside。 Abbot slid the door shut behind them。
Miranda's butterflies had died in the cold。 Her cage was empty。 All that remained were a few pinches of color on the dirt。 Abbot walked toward the rim of the mesa。 Then he turned； deliberately； ten feet from the edge。
〃Close enough；〃 he said to Nathan Lee。 〃I don't have your mountain climber's footing。〃 It was neither an excuse nor a pliment。
Nathan Lee waited。
〃I've studied your file；〃 Abbot said。 〃It reads like a high…wire act。 You fall； but you recover。 You've made an art of landing on your feet。 You always survive。〃 His voice turned austere。 Dark and hard。 〃That is why I spared your life。〃
The bluntness forted Nathan Lee。 He had not been summoned for brunch with Dad。 They were driving to the heart of the matter； and quickly。 Abbot had a bargain in mind。
Abbot took a letter from an inner pocket； and unfolded it。 〃Have you ever seen a deportation order？〃 he asked。
〃I've only heard about them。〃 Deport orders were like arrows that turned to serpents once their victim was gone。 They killed you； then vanished。
〃I hadn't either； until this。〃 Abbot tapped the letter。 〃It has your name on it。〃
He handed the letter to Nathan Lee。 It was formal…looking； with language about quarantine and instructions to the bearer to arrest and transport Nathan Lee Swift to the next city or location targeted for a deck sweep。 The warrant had been filled out by Ochs。 A notary public had even stamped the box at the bottom。 It was dated one day after Nathan Lee's return from Denver。 No sooner had Nathan Lee been plucked from death； than Ochs had condemned him to die again。
But someone had drawn a neat line through Nathan Lee's name。 Above it was writtenDavid Ochs。 It now read so that Ochs had signed his own death warrant。 Nathan Lee looked more carefully at the initials in the margin； and then the hasty signature at the bottom。P。A。； it said。Paul Abbot。
〃A memento；〃 said Abbot。 〃Miranda called me。 She begged me。 You have no idea how extraordinary that is。 She was sure Ochs might try something。 My agents intercepted it。〃
Nathan Lee could see the hatred in the ink。 〃Ochs；〃 he said aloud。
〃Ochs is gone；〃 said Abbot。 〃But he will return。 Count on it。〃
〃Here？〃
〃Salt Lake City was the next deck sweep。 Five hundred miles as the bird flies。 But that was too far away for my purposes。 So I had a discussion with Dr。 Ochs。 He seemed perfectly happy to leave Los Alamos on his own。〃
Nathan Lee heard the edges of deeper cunning。 Abbot had spared not one life； but two； both for some larger； hidden design。 By sharing this further secret； Abbot was preparing Nathan Lee。 A service was going to be required of him。
〃Tell me；〃 said Abbot； 〃was Ochs always such a lunatic？〃
〃What do you mean？〃
〃This messianic fever。 It's like a disease。 Or was he like that before？〃
〃I don't know what you're talking about。〃
〃The miracle。〃
〃What miracle？〃
〃Never mind；〃 said Abbot。 〃It's all in motion now。〃
Nathan Lee could practically feel invisible wheels turning around him。 He had already been inserted into the clockwork。 Whatever his part was； it would be revealed in due time。
〃Your role is simple；〃 Abbot said。 〃For the time being； do whatever it is you do up here。 Talk to God。 Smell the roses。 Sleep with my daughter。 Make her happy。 Keep her in love。 No matter what； keep close to her。〃
Abbot handed him one of his cellphones。
〃The day is ing；〃 he said。 〃E…Day。 And I know Miranda。 She'll argue to stay up here。 You've heard her。 But you will bring her to me。 She'll fight you。 She may hate you until the end of time。 But you will bring her down into the sanctuary。〃
Abbot looked over Nathan Lee's shoulder into the rising sun。 His eyes cut to a thin slit。 He brought them back to Nathan Lee。 〃If anyone can understand； it is you；〃 he finished。 〃I must not lose my daughter。〃
31
The Siege
OCTOBERENDS
Her father departed； leaving Miranda to guide them back into the sunlight。 With a stroke of her pen； she destroyed Cavendish's culture of secrecy； declassifying all of their research； and scheduling seminars and conferences。 From now on the labs were to cooperate； not pete。 Like some antique torture device； Cavendish's notorious deportation order became a thing of the past。 Reason； not fear； would rule。
The change that stirred the most controversy was her moratorium on human testing。 Miranda suspended the deck sweeps； and announced that no more clones would be grown for medical experimentation。 The moratorium upended researchers who had grown used to human guinea pigs。 They railed that without human testing； the cure would surely elude them。
Miranda held her ground。 〃The cure has eluded uswith human testing；〃 she told them。 〃The end no longer justifies the means。 Keep searching。 Everything will be fine。〃 They adapted to her edicts。 Human ash no longer sprinkled down when the wind blew the wrong way。
Los Alamos settled into its traditions of hard work； hard play； dinner conversations that could be brilliant or mundane； high school Bach concerts； jazz sessions in garages； and petty office politics。 Kids got up in the morning； went to class； played video games。 The world seemed further away than ever。 No storm clouds brewed。 The sky stayed relentlessly blue。 During lunch hour； beautiful homemade kites of every shape and color climbed up from the labs； drifting back and forth above the forest and the tan and white canyons。
Every morning； Miranda seemed slightly different to Nathan Lee from yesterday。 Her green eyes no longer burned from dark recesses in her face。 The stubbornness in her jawline softened。 Nathan Lee watched her sleeping； or moving about in the kitchen； and tried to put words to it。 She was more and more beautiful to him。 But the change was something larger than that。 He watched her touching the young widow's shoulder； listening to the impassioned bench worker； or bulling her way with stubborn Council members。 They looked up to her。 He had seen it in Alpha Lab。 Now it was the whole city； giving allegiance to a