The Nostradamus File

CHAPTER SIX

The pages of the Nostradamus file were spread out on a work table in Selena's luxurious Washington condo. Nick spent a lot of time here, but he'd kept his apartment. Every time he thought about moving in with her, something held him back. Selena hadn't pushed for something more permanent. Whether that was because she was afraid of what would happen if she did or if she was as wary as he was, he didn't know. They didn't talk about it.

Lately, it felt as if something was changing between them. A sense of distance. He couldn't put his finger on what it was, exactly. Just a feeling. Sometimes he thought being with her was like being one of those rubber balls on a paddle that kept bouncing away and coming back again.

He looked at the manuscript pages on the table. Someone had tried to stick a knife in him on a Paris street because of them. Selena's friend was dead, because of them. What made them worth killing for?

"Do you think Nostradamus could really see the future?"

She brushed her hand across her forehead. "People have argued about that since the prophecies were published in 1555. A few seem to predict real events. Listen to these two."

She read from her notes.

"So?" Nick said.

"The bear is a symbol of Russia. It was like that even back then. I think this is about the Cuban Missile crisis in 1962. The eagle and the bear could be America and Russia. Thunder over the waters could be jets. And shadows beneath the sea could refer to submarines."

"You think he predicted an event 400 years in the future?"

"It's possible. He predicted the rise and fall of Hitler and the Nazis. If he got Hitler right, why not Cuba and the Russians?"

"Maybe. You said two. What's the other one?"

"There's only one flower throne," she said, "the Chrysanthemum throne in Japan. That would make this about Hiroshima. You could make a case that the Japanese people were unheeded by the Emperor after the bomb was dropped. It took the second one before Hirohito gave up."

She looked at the pages. "I've translated two more but they don't make much sense." She picked up a piece of paper covered with notes and handed it to him.

"None of these make any sense," Nick said. "A dark prince. He could be talking about Darth Vader, for all we know. You can interpret these any way you like."

Selena smiled. "That's always been a problem with the good doctor."

"Nostradamus was a doctor?"

"Sort of. He never graduated from medical school. He was famous for treating the plague, but his cures didn't work very well."

"You look like you're enjoying this," he said.

She nodded. "It's exciting. Do you realize what it's like for me, having this to work with?"

"Do you realize what it's like for me, to have you wrapped up in a 16th Century manuscript?"

She laughed. "Maybe I should take a break."

"How about dinner at that new Indian restaurant?"

"I'm not very hungry."

"We could do something to work up an appetite before we go out."

"What did you have in mind?"

"I have to show you."

He led her into the bedroom. They kissed. Selena started to unbutton her blouse. She stopped.

"Oh," she said.

Nick was about to take off his shirt. He stopped, his hand on his belt. "What?"

"I just thought of something."

She left the bedroom, doing up buttons.

Nick stood by the empty bed for a moment. There was a downside to living with Selena's mind. He sighed and followed her into the other room. She went to a bookcase and pulled out a Bible and walked over to the table with the manuscript. She sat down and began turning pages in the Bible.

"What are you doing?"

"I had an idea about what Jean-Paul meant when he wrote EX 25. It could be a biblical reference."

She found Exodus and turned pages to Chapter 25. "Oh, my," she said.