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'There's one more thing, Max,' Isabella said. 'Joachim's Tag Vector gives Venus a brilliant final twist that I'm sure delights your father.'

'What?'

'First, you've got to remember that the key difference between the temporary Sixty-nine and the lifetime Seventy-two of the conventional NiL drug lies in the type of cells they target. Sixty-nine uses a vector that targets the somatic or body cells, which have a finite life. Once these cells die, the drug and its effects die with it. In the case of NiL Sixty-nine that takes about forty-eight hours.

'The Seventy-two vector not only targets the somatic cells but also the stem cells, which are constant throughout a person's life. Seventy-two and its effects stay with the subject until they die.' She sipped her drink. 'Venus, however, takes it to a whole new level.'

Max groaned. He knew what was coming. 'Go on.'

'Venus uses the Tag Vector, which doesn't only target the somatic cells or the stem cells but the sex cells responsible for reproduction. The Tag Vector was designed not only to pass gene-therapy cures from patient to patient, but from generation to generation. Once the second stage is triggered, the Tag Vector worms its DNA into either the man's testes or the woman's ovaries. Venus goes beyond permanent - it's eternal. Your father got Joachim to use his vector to make humanity adore him for ever. Even after he's dead people will still adore him, their descendants too.'

Max thought of the planned mausoleum, complete with preserved corpse, and he paled at the enormity of his father's effrontery. 'I've got to stop him,' he said. 'I've got to stop them all.'

'What if they've already released Venus? They might have put it in the milk at breakfast.' She reached for the bottle of mineral water on the sideboard. 'The staff put one of these in the rooms every day. Only a few of the guests need to be affected for Venus to spread.'

'In that case I've got to find out if they've administered it yet. If they haven't, I'll do what's necessary to stop it. If they have . . .' his eyes were dark with dread '. . . I can't let anyone leave this island.'

ISABELLAFELT SOME SYMPATHY FOR MAX. HE APPEARED TO BE taking full responsibility for what Helmut Kappel had done, as though his father's sins were his own. She thought then that she understood Max. He saw his mother as being all that was good in him and his father as all that was bad. After her death, for which he had blamed himself, he had allowed his father's values to dominate his life. Now, for whatever reason, he was committed to defying his family and everything that until now had defined him - by destroying them if necessary. Like her, he was alone.

'Even killing your father won't stop its effects. The world will still worship his image. The drug makes him immortal. We've got to stop the drug.'

'But how do we stop it? Is there an antidote to Venus?'

'No.' She checked through her notes. Even the Zero Substitution Effect only applied to later versions of her father's drug. Then an idea came to her. 'There is one approach that might work,' she said. 'According to the files, Joachim's Tag Vector has an Achilles heel' She told him about the tablets she had brought from Milan and unsuccessfully tried to give Phoebe. As she explained her plan, his eyes lit with fresh resolve.

'The problem,' she said, 'is how to administer the tablets secretly to everyone.'

That's easy,' he said. We won't do it secretly. We'll do it openly. I'll tell everyone to drink whatever you give them.'

'I don't understand.'

'I'm the best man. If I propose a toast to the bride and groom everyone has to drink it.' His eyes flashed her a challenge. 'The real problem is getting the tablets into the toast.'

She saw the light in his eyes and a glimmer of hope sparked within her. At last there was something she could do. 'I think I know a way,' she said, 'but I can't do it alone.'

'Isabella, we're in this together,' he said, 'so you're not alone. Not any more.'

THAT EVENING

TRADITIONSTIPULATES THAT ON THE EVE OF THEIR WEDDING THE bride and groom should not see each other, and although Helmut sat beside Phoebe during the New Year's Eve dinner, the rule was not breached. Everyone wore a mask. The women's represented Freya's face and the men's the god Odin's. No one was recognizable. Even the waitresses, attired in their breastplates, leather skirts, boots and helmets, wore gilded face visors.

As the hundred guests took their seats around the long trestle tables in the great hall, Helmut relished the irony that although tonight no one could recognize him soon everyone would. Tomorrow he would stand in the ice chapel beside the most beautiful woman in the world, and every pair of eyes, including Phoebe's, would be fixed on him. In a matter of days the world would look to him for leadership and direction.

He had once read that the most ubiquitous profile in the world was that of the Queen of England. Her image appeared on stamps and currency in Britain and many Commonwealth nations around the globe. But he would eclipse all royalty, presidents and film stars. Religious messiahs and prophets would fade from view. The Beatles had once joked that they were bigger than Jesus. He would be bigger than Jesus. Everyone, however exalted or powerful, would seek his counsel. He would bring order and strength to a weak, chaotic world.

He sat back in his chair and basked in the promise of the future. Everything was in place. Ilium had met its objectives: an hour ago Lysenko had gone the way of the others and authorized the movement of a billion euros to an escrow account. But Venus would bring far more.

Phoebe tapped his arm. 'I still can't believe Isabella left. What did she say?

'Forget about her,' he said. 'You've got three other bridesmaids.'

'But what did she say?'

'I told you. She was so ashamed of lying to you last night that she couldn't face you. She still doesn't agree with our marriage, and couldn't watch you make a huge mistake in marrying me.'

'She said that?'

'She's entitled to her opinion and I respect her candour. I'm sure that when she's had time to get used to the idea you'll be friends again. Now, concentrate on enjoying the evening.'

Explaining away Isabella's disappearance had been less of a problem with Phoebe than it had been with Hudsucker. When Helmut had explained to him that Isabella had returned home, the senator had been inconsolable.

The exquisite food and drink were served on silver plates and in crystal glasses that sparkled like diamonds in the lights. The toast would be drunk after the main course, venison, and Helmut watched Joachim reach into his jacket and extract a small key, ready to pass round the drinks he had so painstakingly prepared. But before he could move, Max stood up.

Where are you going?' Joachim asked.

'To prepare the toast.'

'But I've already arranged the moulded-ice glasses.'

'Leave it to me.'

'But--'

'I'm the best man. I should do it.'

Joachim glanced at his father and Helmut nodded. Max's change of attitude and renewed loyalty should be encouraged. Joachim frowned, but he handed Max the key. 'They're in the first freezer room next to the kitchens. The drinks are poured and laid out on trays. Just unlock the room, and tell the waitresses to serve them.'

Helmut watched Max walk through the great hall to die swing door that led to the kitchens. Then he saw two of Stein's Stasi enter from the reception hall. Both wore full Arctic gear with thick boots. They came into the room, walked over to him and one bent down to whisper, 'Herr Kappel, the dogs have found something you should see.'

When Helmut saw what the man held, his euphoria was replaced with anger. 'Come with me.'

MAX STRODE CASUALLY THROUGH THE GREAT HALL, SMILING AT THE guests as he passed them. He wanted desperately to hurry because there wasn't much time, but he knew either Joachim or his father might be watching. He walked into the kitchens and asked the way to the freezers. He followed the directions, passing numerous waitresses.

There was a tap on his shoulder. 'Can I help you, sir?'

He turned and hesitated for only a second. 'Yes. It's time to serve the drinks for the toast,' he told the waitress.

'Where are they?'

'This way.'

He led her to the freezer room, unlocked the door and stepped inside. There were two rooms: an outer cold room, which the temperature gauge told Max was kept at four degrees Celsius, and an inner freezer kept at minus twenty-three. In the cold room, carcasses hung from hooks and large salmon lay in stainless-steel trays. He opened the inner door to the smaller freezer, which contained joints of meat hanging on hooks. A stainless-steel table stood in the middle with four square transparent trays set on it. Each held five rows of five ice glasses, moulded with the embossed face's of Helmut and Phoebe. Each had been filled with a shot of clear liquid.

'Are these for the toast?' the woman said.

He nodded and turned to close the door.

But a man was standing there. Even before he pulled off his mask Max knew it was his father. 'Please step outside, Max.'

Max frowned behind his mask. Why?'

Two of the ex-Stasi, in full Arctic gear, appeared behind Helmut. 'Just do it, Max.'

Max stepped out, leaving the waitress alone in the freezer room with the drinks. What's wrong?'

'These men have just returned from an excursion to find Stein. Their dogs followed a trail across the ice to an inlet on the fjord side of the lake. His father extended a hand and opened it. Stein's torn eyepatch lay on the palm. 'I assume his body's in the lake. And I'm guessing that Isabella Bacci is alive.'

Max's first instinct was to fight, but when he considered his main objective, he decided against it. His father stared at him. 'I'm disappointed in you, Max,' he said eventually. Where's Isabella?'

'She's gone. I helped her escape. She told me all about Venus and she's got all the evidence on disk. She's taking it to the authorities.'

Helmut's jaw muscles clenched. 'Even if she reached civili2ation, it won't matter after tomorrow -- because everyone here will have drunk that toast.' His eyes hardened. 'What concerns me is that you betrayed me again. Why?'

'Because you're insane and someone has to stop you.'

Helmut glared at him, apparently incredulous that anyone, especially his heir, could speak to him in such a way. 'You're like your mother. I could never reason with her. When you betrayed me in Milan, I forgave you, Max. I thought you were misguided. I see now that I was the one who was misguided.'

Another man appeared in a mask. 'Is the toast okay?'

'It's fine, Joachim. He could not have known we were going to deliver the drug in the toast, but please check.'

Joachim removed his mask and smiled malevolently at his brother. He disappeared into the freezer room. 'Wait outside,' Max heard him order the waitress.

She stepped out and stood a discreet distance away.

'So, you're using the toast to deliver Venus,' Max said. 'You won't get away with it.'

Helmut ignored him. Joachim reappeared less than a minute later and replaced his mask. 'You can serve them now, he said to the waitress. I'll help you.'

Max's father waited until the woman and Joachim had left with the first two of the trays, then turned to the guards. 'I must get back for the toast. You know where to take him -- somewhere we won't be disturbed when I talk to him later. He killed your boss, so I'll understand if you're not too gentle with him.'

'FOLLOW ME,' JOACHIM ORDERED.'TAKE YOUR TRAY TO THAT TABLE and make sure everyone has a glass. Serve the next tray when you've finished. I'll pass round the last one.'

Isabella tried to stop her hands trembling as she followed Joachim into the great hall. She had to force herself not to look back at Max, or to think about the fact that she was the sole dark-haired waitress among Odin's flaxen-haired Valkyries. She only hoped the mask and helmet proved adequate disguise.

The plan had been relatively simple. Since the Kappels had the run of Valhalla, Max had easily procured the mask and staff uniform from Housekeeping. In her disguise Isabella had to hang around in the kitchen until the toast was due and Max came out to her. Once they had located the glasses she was to drop one of her tablets into each drink before she rushed back to the security of his room.

Even if the plan had gone smoothly, the chances of stopping Venus were fifty-fifty at best. But now the odds of" success had dramatically decreased. It had been a shock when Max was taken, but she had just had time to drop the tablets into the glasses while she was alone in the freezer. But when Max had said, 'So you're using the toast to deliver Venus,' her heart had sunk. It hadn't occurred to her that the guests would have to take the drugs together. She had no idea what the effect would be.

Then anger overcame fear. She or Max should have guessed that Helmut Kappel would use the toast to deliver Venus. Now, her plan was in jeopardy -- and she was actually helping to serve his drug. She had no choice, though. She passed round the first tray without incident, although she felt a surge of anxiety when she recognized the Australia-shaped birthmark on the masked Warren Hudsucker's hand. He barely noticed her. Waitresses were ignored at the best of times. Masked waitresses were invisible.

She collected the second tray, and Joachim told her to serve the top table. She looked down to avoid even the possibility of eye-contact. First she served Klaus Kappel and his wife. As she placed a drink by Max Kappel's unoccupied chair, she heard Delphine Chevalier ask where Max had gone.