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〃Traitor！〃 he barked at her。
And now； right on cue； a phalanx of cops came running through the distant trees toward them。 Rockerhad understood； after all： he'd e through。 They waded into the outer fringes of the crowd； shoving and pushing with their riot shields。 But already； with Buck's exhortations； the people were falling back。
〃Let them pass！〃 Buck was crying； arms spread。
Now the cops were barreling down the open lane； trampling tents； shoving aside stragglers。 As they broke into the open area before Buck's tent； there was a moment of panic and struggle。 Todd raised his rock； fury twisting his features。 〃You did this； youbitch …！〃
And the rock came flying； striking a glancing blow to Hayward's temple。 She staggered back； fell to her knees； feeling the hot trickle of blood。
Suddenly Buck was there； his strong arms around her； raising her up and staying the crowd with his hand。 〃Put up thy swords！ They have e to arrest me； and I will go with them peacefully！ This is the will of God！〃
Dazed； Hayward looked at Buck。 He dabbed at her wound with a snowy handkerchief。 〃Suffer ye thus far；〃 he murmured。 His face was radiant； suffused with light。
Of course；she thought。Even this is part of the script。
There was more confusion。 Someone embraced Buck…the shill at last…she heard Buck saying； 〃Judas； betrayest thou me with a kiss？〃…and then the cops were all around； and he was pulled away from her。 The cut on her head was bleeding freely； and she felt woozy。
〃Captain Hayward？〃 she heard somebody call out。 〃Captain Hayward's been hurt！〃
〃Officer down！ We need a medic！〃
〃Captain Hayward； you all right？ Did he assault you？〃
〃I'm all right；〃 she said； shaking away the wooziness as cops crowded around her； everyone trying to help。 〃It's nothing； just a scratch。 It wasn't Buck。〃
〃She's bleeding！〃
〃Forget it； it's nothing。 Let me go。〃 They released her reluctantly。
〃Who was it？ Who assaulted you？〃
Todd was staring； humanity shocked back into him； horrified at what he'd done。
Hayward looked away。 Another arrest right now could be disastrous。 〃Don't know。 Came out of nowhere。 It doesn't matter。〃
〃Let's get you to an ambulance。〃
〃I'll walk by myself；〃 she said； brushing off yet another proffered arm。 She felt embarrassed。 Itwas nothing： scalp wounds always bled a great deal。 She looked around； blinking her eyes。 An immense silence seemed to have settled on the crowd。 The police had the cuffs on Buck and had formed a semicircle around him； already moving him out。 The crowd looked on； stunned； while Buck exhorted them to remain calm； be peaceful； hurt no one。
〃Forgive them；〃 he said。
All the momentum was gone。 Buck had ordered them to stand down； and they had obeyed。
It was over。
79
Immediately； D'Agosta pulled out his service piece and drewdown on the count。 〃No fucking way；〃 he said。
The count stared at the gun； sighing condescendingly。 〃Put away that gun； you fool。 Pinketts？〃
The manservant； who had left the room； now returned； carrying a large pumpkin in both arms。 He set it down on the hearth before the fireplace。
〃It is true； Sergeant D'Agosta； you would have been a much more effective demonstration。 But it would have caused such amess。 〃 Fosco went back to assembling the device。
D'Agosta moved slowly backward； slipping his gun back into his holster as he did so。 Somehow； the act of drawing his weapon brought fresh resolve。 He and Pendergast were both armed。 At the first indication of trouble； he would have no hesitation about taking out both the count and Pinketts。 Except for some kitchen help； there didn't seem to be any other servants around…but he knew that； with the count； appearances were deceptive。
〃There we go。〃 Fosco hefted the assembled machine； which looked something like a large rifle； made primarily of stainless steel； with a bulbous dish at one end and a barrel sporting half a dozen buttons and dials at the other。 〃As I said； I knew I had to kill Grove and Cutforth in such a way that the police would be utterly baffled。 It had to be done with heat； of course。 But how？ Burning； arson； boiling…much too mon。 It had to be mysterious； unexplainable。 That was when I recalled the phenomenon known as spontaneous human bustion。 You know the first documented case of it was here in Italy？〃
Pendergast nodded。 〃The countess Cornelia。〃
〃Countess Cornelia Zangari de' Bandi di Cesena。 Most dramatic。 How； I wondered； could a similarly devilish effect be duplicated？ Then I thought ofmicrowaves 。〃
〃Microwaves？〃 D'Agosta repeated。
The count smiled patronizingly at him。 〃Yes； Sergeant。 Just like your own microwave oven。 They seemed perfect for my needs。 Microwaves heat from the inside out。 They can be focused； just like light； to…say…burn a body while leaving the rest of the environment intact。 Microwaves heat water far more selectively than dry materials； fats； or oils； so they would burn a wet body before heating the rugs or furnishings。 And they have an ionizing and heating effect on metals with a certain number of valence electrons。〃
Fosco ran a hand over his device； then laid it on the table next to him。 〃As you know； Mr。 Pendergast； I'm a tinkerer。 I love a challenge。 It's quite simple to build a microwave transmitter that would deliver the necessary wattage。 The problem was the power supply。 But I。 G。 Farben； a German pany which my family was connected with during the War； makes a marvelous bination of capacitor and battery capable of delivering the requisite charge。〃
D'Agosta glanced at the microwave device。 It looked almost silly； like a cheap prop to an old science fiction movie。
〃It would never work as a weapon of war： the top theoretical range is less than twenty feet； and it takes time to do its work。 But it suited my purposes perfectly。 I had quite a time working out the kinks。 Many pumpkins were sacrificed； Sergeant D'Agosta。 At last； I tested it on that old pedophile in Pistoia…the one whose tomb you examined。 There was a bit of a meltdown…the human body takes a lot more heating than a pumpkin。 I rebuilt the device with improvements and used it more successfully on the terrorized Grove。 It wasn't quite enough to set the man on fire； but it did the job。 Then I arranged the scene to my satisfaction； packed up； and left； locking everything and turning the alarm back on。 With Cutforth it was even simpler。 As I said； my man Pinketts had rented the apartment next door and was undertaking 'renovations。' He made a marvelous elderly English gentleman； poor man； all bent over and muffled up against the chill。〃
〃That explains why they couldn't identify a suspect from the security video cams；〃 D'Agosta said。
〃Pinketts used to be in the theater； which frequently es in handy for my purposes。 In any case； the weapon works beautifully through walls made of drywall and wooden studs。 Microwaves； my dear Pendergast； have the marvelous property of penetrating drywall like light through glass； as long as there is no moisture or metal。 There could of course be no metal nails in the wall between the two apartments； because metal absorbs microwaves and would heat up and cause a fire。 So Pinketts ope