“I’ll be Mammon. I’ll own the world. I’ll be untouchable.”
“Yeah, but what if you don’t turn into Mammon? You’ll just be some nutcase who killed someone.” I looked over at Rutherford. “You, too.”
Rutherford wiped his hands on his slacks. “Ha-ha! Good one. Very funny. That’s why we’re so fond of you.”
“Take her away and prepare her,” Ammon said.
Prepare me? What did that mean?
I had a man on either side of me, plus Rutherford.
“We have a lovely chapel in the basement,” Rutherford said, guiding me out of Ammon’s office. “We’ll hold the ceremony there. It’s nice and quiet. Very private.”
“So no one will hear me screaming?”
“Oh goodness, you won’t be screaming. It’s a very moving ceremony. You’ll be honored. You’re a lucky young woman. Very lucky.”
“I’m surprised you’re still here,” I said to Rutherford. “It will be even worse for you if he actually turns into Mammon. Imagine how angry he’ll be to learn he’s lost that treasure.”
“Oh no, no. I’m sure he’ll understand. And I’ve taken measures to get the treasure back. It’s only a matter of time.”
We went down a flight of stairs to a short hallway that led to a small vestibule. The floor was marble. There were candles lit in wall niches. Double doors led into a medium-sized room with stained-glass windows. There was an altar and several rows of pews. To one side of the double doors was another single door. Rutherford opened it to a large powder room. A white gown had been draped over an elaborate gilt chair.
“We’re ready to begin,” Rutherford said. “This lovely white gown has been prepared for you.”
“You’re kidding.”
“No, no. We’re quite serious. Mr. Ammon has spared no expense to make this ceremony perfect. And once you’re sacrificed to Mammon you’ll be a queen in his kingdom. It will be fabulous. Just fabulous.”
“I’m not putting the dress on.”
“Oh dear, Mr. Ammon will be disappointed. And there’s no telling what Mammon might think. Honestly, I don’t think you want to make Mammon angry. He is, after all, one of the seven princes of hell.”
So here’s the honest-to-gosh truth. I’m terrified, and all I can think to do is stall. Time is my friend, right? If I’m down here in this loony bin long enough, surely Diesel will find me.
“Okay, I’ll put the dress on, but I need privacy.”
“Of course,” Rutherford said. “Come out when you’re ready.”
After five minutes Rutherford knocked on the door. “How’s it going?”
“I’m almost ready.”
Five minutes more and there was another knock on the door. “Do you need help?”
“No!”
“Everyone is in place.”
“Mammon’s waited this long. He can wait a little longer.”
“Ha-ha, that’s why we love you. Wonderful sense of humor. Seriously, I’m going to have to send some men in to get you.”
I blew out a sigh and dropped the white gown over my head. It looked like a choir robe with a plunging neckline. I stepped out of the powder room and stood in front of Rutherford.
“You have your clothes on under the gown,” he said. “You were supposed to take your clothes off.”
“I don’t want to take my clothes off.”