The Midas Legacy

32

Eddie ran after her, catching up in the long hallway. ‘Whoa, Nina! Hold on. It’s okay.’

‘It’s anything but goddamn okay, Eddie!’ she said. ‘I just found out that — Jesus, I can hardly even think about it without wanting to throw up!’ They entered the lobby, Nina going to a set of couches facing the hotel’s front windows and dropping despairingly on to one. ‘The only reason I even exist is because my grandmother was so greedy for gold that she forced my mother to go on a date with my dad!’

He sat close beside her. ‘Did she really force her?’

‘Does it matter? The end result’s the same. What would you think if when Macy was older I told her to date a particular guy because there was money in it for me?’

‘I wouldn’t be happy, no. But you wouldn’t do that.’

‘So what does that say about Olivia? My own grandmother — my own family? She lied and manipulated, my mom did the same… and if you go further back, Tobias Garde was a goddamn arms dealer! That’s right up there with “slave trader” and “Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan” as things not to be proud of in your family tree.’ She leaned back, looking despairingly up at the ceiling. ‘Everything I thought I knew about my family is a lie.’

‘Your mum did love your dad, though,’ said Eddie, trying to comfort her. ‘And she loved you too.’

‘I don’t know. I don’t know any more…’ She put a hand over her eyes, wanting to shut out the world. ‘Money. That’s what everything comes down to, isn’t it? Fucking money. And the people who deserve it the least are not only the ones who have the most, but will do whatever it takes to get more.’

‘Way things are, I’m afraid. I mean, how many evil billionaires have we met?’

‘Have we ever met a nice billionaire? Is there even such a thing?’ She wearily shook her head, then sat up again. ‘But those people back there,’ she jerked a thumb at the lounge, ‘they aren’t even billionaires. Sure, they’ve got money, but it’s not a massive amount. And yet they’re still fighting and lying and plotting against each other even for that. This is…’ She let out a deep, gloomy breath. ‘This is humanity, isn’t it? People just fucking each other over for that little scrap more than anyone around them. And Macy’s growing up into their world. She might even end up as one of them.’

‘She won’t,’ Eddie said firmly. ‘Not with us as parents.’

‘You think?’

‘Yeah. She might end up as an obsessive, passive-aggressive gobshite who makes crap puns and has a weird accent that’s halfway between New York and actual York, but she won’t be the sort to screw people over for a few extra quid.’

‘Who’s passive-aggressive?’ Nina demanded, but with a very small smile. Eddie grinned. ‘Oh God,’ she said, the upward curl fading from her lips. ‘I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what to think.’

‘About what? Olivia, or…’

‘Olivia, my mom — anything. It feels like a big part of my past has suddenly been taken away. I always thought my parents got together because they both believed in the legend of Atlantis. That’s what they told me: that the first thing my mom ever said to Dad was “I believe you.” But did she really? I don’t know any more. Maybe it was another lie, all part of Olivia’s scheme…’ She wiped away a tear, slumping back in despondency once more. ‘It wasn’t about Atlantis. It was about gold. Just money.’

‘If that was true, though,’ Eddie said quietly, ‘she would never have married your dad, would she? He didn’t have any money, and she gave it up to be with him. You were never exactly rolling in cash as a kid. But your mum and dad still went looking for Atlantis anyway. She wouldn’t have done any of that if she hadn’t genuinely believed in it.’

Nina knew he had a very good point, but in her current frame of mind she didn’t want to accept it. ‘I don’t know,’ was all she said. Eddie recognised her need for silent contemplation and added nothing more, simply sitting with her as she stared unhappily out at the stark landscape.

They stayed like that for some time, watching the sun fall towards the horizon. Squalls of snow occasionally obscured the view, but the darkening sky slowly cleared of clouds. ‘Be a good night for seeing the Northern Lights,’ Eddie said at last.

‘Great,’ Nina replied. ‘That means there’ll be a traffic jam of tourist buses blocking the road back.’ She straightened. ‘I want to go home.’

‘Same here.’ He looked towards the lounge. Nobody had yet emerged from it. ‘We should tell ’em we’re done here so we can go. If they’re still not finished arguing, I’ll take one of those bloody jeeps myself. I always wanted to drive a monster truck.’

‘We should, but I really don’t want to have to deal with any of those people again. Especially not Olivia.’ The mere thought of her grandmother produced a groan of disgust. ‘Ugh, God. You know, if you’d just left the Secret Codex in that chamber when the ceiling collapsed, none of this would have happened.’

‘Oh, this is all my fault, is it?’ But the words were said with humour.

‘Of course it is!’ She managed a smile. ‘That’s what I always tell Macy. When something goes wrong, it’s Daddy’s fault. Every time. Page one of the Secret Codex for moms.’

‘Mums.’

‘Moms.’ They both laughed a little.

‘Thank you.’

‘For what?’

‘For being you. For always being there when I need you the most.’

‘Keep the missus happy and life’s about a million times easier,’ he said, grinning. ‘Page one of the Secret Codex for dads.’

A sound from behind made them both turn. The door of one of the elevators flanking the entrance to the power station opened and De Klerx stepped out. He had changed his clothes and was now wearing a dark suit. Some of his men had travelled from the upper floor with him, remaining in the lift. The Dutchman issued a quiet command, then the doors closed. He headed for the lounge as the elevator continued downwards.

Eddie watched until he passed out of sight. Nina felt him tense. ‘What is it?’

‘He had a gun under his jacket.’

‘You sure?’

‘Yeah. I know how to spot a shoulder holster. And where are all his goons off to?’

Nina glanced out of the windows. The snowy landscape was turning a deep and beautiful shade of blue as dusk fell, but there was no sign of vehicle lights or any movement that might have prompted the hotel’s security detail to investigate. ‘Y’know, I’m thinking it’s really time that we left.’

‘Yeah.’ Eddie stood and crossed the lobby to a position where he could see down both the long corridors. De Klerx was entering the lounge, while at the opposite end of the building a guard emerged from a side door and started down the stairs of the eastern entrance. Light briefly gleamed on metal as he descended. The man had a gun slung over his shoulder. ‘Definitely.’

They made their way briskly down the hall after De Klerx. The sounds of an ongoing argument reached them as they opened the door. ‘I don’t really see that we have a choice,’ said Lonmore plaintively.

‘Well, you would say that, wouldn’t you?’ snapped Olivia. ‘You were willing to hand over a quarter of everything to Augustine, so I can’t say I’m surprised that you’d try to make a deal with someone else.’

‘So what would you do?’ demanded Petra. ‘Build our own particle accelerator? That would probably cost more than the gold we could make from it.’

‘We’re not cutting in someone else just because they have the facilities we need. That leaves us open to blackmail — or a renegotiation.’ The word dripped sarcasm. ‘Why would someone settle for a quarter of the gold when they could have a third? Or half? And as for your idea of simply selling the Crucibles outright, Ana, that’s every bit as bad, if not worse. A one-off payment in exchange for something of potentially limitless value? That isn’t any kind of legacy; it’s the same short-term thinking that’s ruining the world.’

Anastasia leaned forward in forceful refutation. ‘We’d be in exactly the same position as before. No, we’d be better off, because we wouldn’t just have the Legacy, we’d also have tens of millions more dollars!’

‘Thank you for proving my point. You’re talking about millions, when the Crucibles used properly could make billions! Yes, it would require a capital investment, but—’ Olivia looked around as she realised that someone had entered the room, seeing first De Klerx lurking near the bar, the Dutchman having entered silently, then Nina and Eddie passing the fountain. ‘Nina!’ she said, standing and going to meet them. ‘You came back. I’m so glad. I wanted to apologise for—’

‘We’re not staying,’ Nina interrupted coldly. She deliberately bypassed her grandmother to address Mikkelsson. ‘You said the plane would take us back to New York when we wanted. Now we want.’

Mikkelsson nodded. ‘Of course. If you will allow us to conclude our discussion, I will make the arrangements.’

‘It doesn’t sound as if you’re going to reach an agreement any time soon, so just get someone to drive us.’

‘Give me the keys if you like,’ added Eddie.

‘It would be preferable if you stayed until we are finished.’ The Icelander was as calm as ever, but something in his tone served notice that he was not open to negotiation. ‘This also concerns you, after all.’

‘I don’t see how,’ Nina replied, growing annoyed. ‘I kept telling you that I don’t want to be a part of the Midas Legacy, and after everything I’ve seen, I’m more certain of it than ever. Keep your gold, spend it on particle accelerators or Lamborghinis or even do some good with it; I don’t care. What I do care about is getting home to my daughter, and also making sure that the Crucibles end up with the right people.’

Anastasia gave her an unfriendly look. ‘And you don’t think we are the right people.’

‘That’s kind of an understatement, yeah.’

Spencer chuckled. ‘See?’ he said. ‘This is what happens when you treat your own family like shit.’ He was addressing Olivia, but the statement was obviously meant for the Legacy as a whole. ‘You shouldn’t be surprised when they get pissed off at you.’

‘I never treated you badly,’ protested Lonmore. ‘I supported you even after the others voted to kick you out! You’re my son, what else could I do?’

‘Not let them. And not let someone else take my place.’

‘Spencer. Nobody ever could.’

The younger man seemed about to make some retort, but his father’s unexpectedly heartfelt words had clearly affected him. ‘I… appreciate that, Dad.’

‘This is all very lovely,’ said Anastasia impatiently, ‘but we need to make a decision.’

‘We do,’ said Mikkelsson. ‘As chair, I am going to call a vote. That is entirely my prerogative,’ he went on as both Olivia and Lonmore objected. ‘There are three proposals. Olivia, you wish to keep the Crucibles and use the Legacy’s remaining funds to construct a particle accelerator in order to produce our own gold. Spencer,’ he turned towards Lonmore, ‘you suggest a similar deal to the one you offered Augustine Trakas, whereby we come to an arrangement with an as yet undetermined third party for use of their particle accelerator. And Ana, you propose selling the Crucibles to an entity or nation state for a large sum of money. Is that correct?’

Nods of assent. ‘Very well,’ said Mikkelsson. ‘First we will vote on Olivia’s suggestion. All in favour?’ Olivia raised her hand, glowering when no one joined her. ‘All against?’ Four other hands went up. Since it was not a tie, Mikkelsson, as chairperson, did not get to vote. ‘The motion is rejected. Next, Spencer’s suggestion. All in favour?’ Predictably, the result was two for and three against. ‘The motion is rejected,’ the Icelander went on. ‘And now, Anastasia’s plan?’

This time, it was again three against two, Olivia and the Lonmores versus Anastasia and Sarah. ‘And no decision is reached,’ said Olivia. ‘As usual.’

‘Democracy in action,’ Eddie joked.

‘Since you can’t decide what to do with the Crucibles,’ said Nina, ‘I’d say that puts the matter in my hands. They’re going to the IHA. Where I should have taken them to start with.’

‘Nina, please,’ said Olivia. ‘There must be something that can persuade you to do what’s best for your family. For Macy, and her future.’

Nina bristled. ‘The best thing I can do for Macy is to set a good example — and that means not lying to her, and not trying to manipulate her!’ She looked past her grandmother at Mikkelsson. ‘Okay, you had your vote. I’m done here. We’re going.’

‘Actually,’ said Mikkelsson, ‘there is one more matter. I have a proposal of my own.’

Lonmore frowned. ‘Anastasia made your family’s proposal. You can’t just pitch another one.’

‘I am making this proposal in my role as chair of the Legacy, not as a representative of my family. It is within the rules.’

‘At a stretch,’ complained Olivia.

‘But still permissible. My proposal is actually very similar to Anastasia’s, but I chose to hold it back in the hope it would not be necessary.’

‘You want to sell the Crucibles?’ asked Lonmore dubiously. ‘We just said no to that.’

‘There is one vital difference. I have already found a buyer.’

The response was vocal disbelief and outrage. ‘You can’t do that!’ cried Lonmore.

‘You took a decision like that without consulting the rest of us?’ Olivia added.

Anastasia huffed sarcastically. ‘You’re in no position to complain about anyone taking unilateral action, Olivia.’

Petra had a different question. ‘For how much?’

‘The agreement is for thirty million dollars in hard currency, and sixty million dollars in gold,’ Mikkelsson told the room, as casually as if he were reciting prices on a menu.

She gasped. ‘Ninety million dollars?’

‘Oh, you can add up at least,’ scoffed Spencer, but he was as taken aback as the others.

‘Thirty million dollars for each family,’ continued Mikkelsson. ‘If you agree to the deal.’

Lonmore appeared shell-shocked. ‘That, ah… that would more than rebuild the Legacy’s funds. But you really shouldn’t have made a deal without the approval of the rest of us.’

‘You were going to make a deal with Trakas,’ said Anastasia.

‘I proposed one — but I would still have brought it to a vote before it was finalised.’

‘And so shall I,’ Mikkelsson said. ‘This arrangement has been agreed in principle, but it will not go ahead until the other members of the Legacy have cast their votes.’

‘Agreed with whom?’ demanded Nina.

He gave the tiniest shrug of amusement. ‘That does not concern you. As you have made clear, you are not a member of the Midas Legacy.’

‘It concerns me in every sense of the word,’ she shot back. ‘The Crucibles aren’t yours to sell — and who’s willing to pay ninety million dollars for them in the first place? Especially when they’re giving you sixty million of it in gold. Who would need to make gold if they’ve already got that much going spare?’

‘That’s a very good point,’ said Olivia. ‘I think we need to know all the details before we make any decisions.’

Lonmore exchanged whispered words with his wife, then nodded. ‘Agreed.’

Anastasia was angered, Sarah worried, but Mikkelsson merely gave another little shrug. ‘As you wish. The client is a nation state with which I have dealt on a diplomatic level for some time. In the process of doing so, I made personal connections with senior officials. As soon as the prospect of finding the Midas Cave became a reality — even before you left for Nepal, Nina — I approached them in secret. Given what the Crucibles could provide them with, they were eager to accept my proposal in principle.’

‘Who was eager to accept?’ said Nina.

Mikkelsson fixed her with an unblinking stare. ‘North Korea.’

There was an uncomfortable silence, finally broken by Eddie’s disbelieving ‘What?’

‘You made a deal with North Korea?’ said Olivia, equally shocked. ‘Are you mad?’

‘Quite the contrary,’ Mikkelsson replied. ‘As I discovered during my negotiation of the nuclear treaty, they have the technical capabilities to make use of the Crucibles, as well as the urgent desire to obtain what they can produce.’

‘But they obviously already have gold if they’re willing to pay us in it,’ said Lonmore, confused.

‘They are not interested in gold. Well, that is not strictly accurate — like any nation, they maintain reserves, though in their case it is to make purchases on the black market rather than to support their currency. But the Crucibles can be used to produce something far more valuable. Gold is not the only element they can create by nuclear transmutation. They can also make plutonium.’

Again, the Icelander’s statement was so matter-of-fact that it took a moment to sink in. ‘Plutonium?’ Nina said, horrified. ‘You mean they can use it to make nukes?’

Mikkelsson nodded. ‘I realised long ago that the same process that creates gold from mercury can also create plutonium — in this case, from uranium. North Korea has plentiful reserves of uranium-238. This is non-fissile, so useless for military purposes, but it can be transmuted into plutonium-239. Doing so in a nuclear breeder reactor would produce large amounts of the unwanted contaminant plutonium-240. The Crucibles, however, would create almost entirely pure plutonium-239: “supergrade” plutonium.’

‘You mean weapons-grade,’ said Eddie.

‘Exactly. The more pure the plutonium, the smaller the amount needed to create a nuclear weapon. And the smaller the weapon, the easier it is to mount upon a ballistic missile.’

Nina shook her head, struggling to accept what she was hearing. ‘Did I step into a mirror universe this morning? You’re the UN’s senior nuclear negotiator — your whole job’s supposed to be about stopping countries from building nukes!’

‘I have my reasons,’ Mikkelsson replied, still as calm as ever. ‘But I do not wish to get into a political debate.’ His gaze flicked between the members of the other families. ‘First we must put it to a vote.’

‘I’d think you were joking, but I know you too well,’ said Lonmore. ‘You’re actually serious about this, aren’t you?’

‘I am, yes.’

‘This is lunacy,’ said Olivia. ‘Sheer lunacy! Do you know what would happen if you broke a nuclear arms embargo? Ninety million dollars is no use if you spend the rest of your life in jail!’

‘I know very well what would happen,’ said Mikkelsson. ‘I helped draft the treaty that set the penalties. But the risks are minimal, and I have contingency plans should the sale be exposed.’ He straightened, setting both hands firmly upon the table to either side of the small Crucible. ‘Now. The vote. My proposal is to sell both Crucibles to North Korea, for a total sum of ninety million US dollars. All in favour?’

Anastasia and Sarah raised their hands. There was a marked lack of movement from the others. ‘I see,’ he said. ‘All against?’

Lonmore hesitantly lifted his hand, followed by Petra. Still standing with Nina, Olivia raised hers more firmly. ‘The motion is defeated,’ she said. ‘Thankfully.’

Mikkelsson shook his head slowly. ‘That is most disappointing,’ he said. ‘Of all people, Olivia, I thought your greed would lead you to make the right choice.’

‘She did make the right choice,’ said Lonmore. ‘Making a deal with an insane dictatorship? You must be mad yourself, Fenrir! How could you possibly think we’d go along with it?’

‘I had sincerely hoped you might,’ he replied, ‘but I suspected you would not. Which is why I prepared for this outcome.’

He gestured to De Klerx — and the Dutchman advanced, drawing a gun from inside his jacket.

‘Shit!’ Eddie gasped, hurriedly moving to shield Nina. ‘I fucking knew it!’

‘What the hell are you doing?’ gasped Lonmore, jumping up from his chair. Petra squealed in fear, grabbing his hand. Behind them, Spencer half rose from his own seat before freezing as the muzzle flicked towards him.

‘The Legacy has lost its ability to function,’ said Mikkelsson, standing. Sarah looked on with apprehension; Anastasia with anticipation. ‘It has lost its purpose. If it cannot fulfil its purpose, then it must be replaced.’

‘Fenrir, please!’ cried Lonmore, wide-eyed. ‘We — we can talk about this, we can reconsider! We’ll take another vote!’

‘You have already cast your ballots,’ the Icelander said. ‘Now we will cast our bullets.’

‘No, wait—’

Another gesture — and De Klerx opened fire.

The first rounds tore bloodily into Lonmore’s chest. Petra screamed and tried to run, but only made a single step before another rapid-fire fusillade cut her down. Behind them, Spencer leapt from his chair and sprinted in panic across the room—

De Klerx tracked him. A couple of bullets narrowly missed the running man, one of the panoramic windows exploding — but another hit him in the shoulder, shattering bone. Overcome by blind agony, Spencer collided with a chair and fell to the floor. De Klerx rounded the table and closed on him. Before the young man could recover, a last bullet hit him in the side of his head, an exit wound bursting open on the other side of his skull and spraying its contents across the pale wood floor.

Eddie saw that the gun’s slide had locked back: the magazine was empty. ‘Nina, run!’ he yelled, but the Dutchman was already replacing it with a new mag from the strap of his shoulder holster and bringing his weapon to bear.

Nina, Eddie and Olivia froze by the fountain. An ice-spiked wind blew in through the broken window as De Klerx looked to Mikkelsson for instructions. ‘What are you waiting for?’ the Icelander snapped. ‘Shoot them!’