Wayward Son (59 page)

“It’s more complicated than that. Actually, you must take great caution
not
to touch the tile with your bare hands. The pendant is so powerful that it will induce delirium—or even death. You must bring it to me so I can safely invoke its effects for you.”

Giovanni took a step toward Luc and lowered his voice slightly. “And you should know, since Amanda has touched it, she is almost certain to be suffering from severe delusions. Do not trust what she says about the tile, or anything else.”

Silence filled the air for a few moments. Then Luc nodded. “Fine—the pendant in exchange for my cure. But I expect you to uphold your side of the bargain immediately, once I bring you the tile.”

“Va bene, Luca,”
smiled the devil. “Now let’s get a breath of air.” He gestured toward the rooftop balcony. The ornate doors swung open and the two strolled into the night.

From several blocks away, they could hear the singing in St. Peter’s Square, which was now fully illuminated for the Pope’s scheduled speech.

“Do their songs bother you?” Luc asked the older man.

“Not in the least, my friend! Their praise of folly simply shows that my work on Earth is never done.”

Luc surveyed the scene in silence. His mind was already far from this balcony in Rome. Giovanni had not directly answered his question. Why, he pondered, would the devil not simply repossess the tile from Amanda? Surely the tile’s creator would be immune to its negative effects. Perhaps the object had other powers that Genoa was concealing from him. If the devil didn’t want Luc to know about them, they must be worth having.

As he gazed out at The Eternal City, Luc Renard promised himself those powers would soon be his.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Tom Pollack (C), Jim Alves (L) and John Loftus (R) are longtime friends, all with professional backgrounds in the investment business. When Tom shared his original idea for
Wayward Son
, Jim and John eagerly jumped on board to assist in crafting the novel. The three reside with their families in Orange County, California.

For more resources, including a book club/small group discussion guide, trivia quiz, and much more, please visit 
www.waywardsonnovel.com
.

Tell your friends about Wayward Son!  "Like" the Facebook page from the website or at
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READERPEDIA®

Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus
was the father-in-law of Julius Caesar. While serving as consul (58 BC), he helped banish Cicero. Piso later killed himself when it was discovered that he was conspiring against Nero.
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Roman Emperor Julius Caesar
(100 – 44 BC) overthrew the Roman Republic and instituted the Julian calendar.  Caesar’s perpetual dictatorship of Rome displeased many. On March 15 (the Ides of March), 44 BC, Caesar was murdered by a group of senators, including his best friend Marcus Brutus. Upon realizing that Brutus was part of the crowd, it’s believed that he uttered the famous last words, “Et tu, Brute?” 
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Nicknamed
“The Governator,”
Austrian-born Arnold Schwarzenegger was the 38th Governor of California from 2003 to 2011. In earlier years, he made a name for himself as a bodybuilder and then went on to an acting career, starring in such films as Pumping Iron, Total Recall, and The Terminator series. 
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What we know of
Socrates
(469 - 399 BC), a classical Greek Athenian philosopher and one of the founders of Western philosophy, is gleaned from the writings of his students, Plato and Xenophon.  Through Plato’s dialogues, Socrates contributed to the field of ethics, epistemology and logic, including the commonly used tools of Socratic irony and Socratic method. 
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King Xerxes
(519 – 465 BC), was also known as Xerxes the Great. He took the throne at the age of 36, succeeding his father in 486 BC.  Two years later, Xerxes’ decision to melt down the golden statue of Bel lead to a revolt by the Babylonians and Xerxes’ refusal to take his father’s title, King of Babylon. Instead, he became known as the King of Persia. 
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As the fifth Roman Emperor,
Nero
(37 – 68 AD) reigned from 54 to 68 and his rule was full of tyranny and executions, including his mother and stepbrother. Though not proven, many believed him to be responsible for the burning of Rome in 64. He was also known for his persecution of Christians.
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Homer
is the author of ancient Greek epic poems, the Iliad and the Odyssey. These works were influential in shaping Western culture, and they’re still greatly read today in literature classes around the world. When he lived is a bit of a controversy, but it’s generally believed to have been during the 8th century BC.
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The Greek writer and philosopher,
Plutarch
(46 - 120 AD) was best known for his literary works.  In Parallel Lives, the moral character of famous Greeks and Romans were paired together in a series of biographies.  An English translation served as the source for Shakespeare’s Roman plays.  A second book, Moralia, consists of essays and dialogues of literary, historical and ethical topics.
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Believed to have unified upper and lower Egypt into a centralized monarchy,
Menes
was the first pharaoh of the dynastic period.  In unifying Egypt, a new capital city was established at Memphis.
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Cain
is the brother of Abel and son to Adam and Eve, according to the first book of the Bible, Genesis.  Cain was a farmer, Abel a shepherd.  When God accepted Abel’s sacrifice of the best of the first fruits of his flock but rejected Cain’s crop sacrifice, Cain became jealous and killed his brother. This is the first known murder.
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The second son born to Adam and Eve,
Abel
was a shepherd. His older brother Cain was jealous and killed him.  Abel’s murder is the first recorded (Genesis, Chapter 4).
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Lamech
is from Biblical times.  His story can be found in the book of Genesis (Chapter 4), and he is from the 5th generation of Cain (son of Adam and Eve).
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A descendant of Cain the first-known murderer,
Jubal
was the son of Lamech and Adah in Biblical times (Genesis, Chapter 4).  He is known as the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe.
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Noah
lived in early Biblical times (Genesis, Chapters 6–9).  He was known as a righteous and blameless man, one who walked with God. Saddened by how corrupt the world had become, God decided to destroy humanity.  He tasked Noah with building an ark (boat), which would rescue his family and two of each living thing from the flood.
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