Professor K- The Final Quest, page 49
part #4 of Jack Rogan Mystery Series
‘Beats working in the lab, I can tell you.’
After Lorenza had opened her new restaurant, she and Tristan had begun the long, difficult process of refurbishing the rest of the family palazzo to turn it into the exclusive boutique hotel it had once been.
By using many of the original furnishings, paintings and antiques that had been in the family for centuries, Lorenza was able to give the hotel a unique, personal touch that became an instant hit and was booked out for months in advance. Osman’s Kitchen and Palazzo da Baggio were a perfect combination. Located on the Canal Grande close to the Rialto Bridge in the historic heart of Venice, the palazzo was a unique time capsule providing a priceless glimpse of the past through the lens of all the luxury trimmings a present-day boutique hotel had to offer, including an award-winning restaurant run by the current Top Chef of Europe.
‘When are you going to do it?’ asked Alexandra, turning to Jack sitting next to her at the dinner table.
‘Later, I think. After all the guests have gone. This is a private matter; you know why ...’
‘Good idea,’ said the countess, ‘but please, keep it short.’
‘I will try.’
After the last of the guests had retired to their rooms or returned to their respective hotels, the family withdrew for a nightcap in the salon to reflect on the momentous events of the day. Feeling exhausted, Anna had gone to her room as well, to put little William to bed.
Jack glanced at Lorenza standing by the open window, watching the last of the guests leave by water taxi. ‘May I have your attention please, for just a moment,’ he said, tapping his glass with a small spoon. Jack paused until the room fell silent and then turned to face Lorenza.
‘This is a day none of us will forget. Much of it is like a fairytale. First, a wedding in the Sistine Chapel officiated by His Holiness, followed by this splendid reception here in Venice, surrounded by your family and friends. It may be late, Lorenza, but it isn’t over yet. There is one more surprise in store for you this evening ...’ Jack paused and looked at Lorenza. ‘Curious?’
Lorenza nodded, smiling.
‘You won’t be disappointed, promise! The surprise is all about one man: Osman, your illustrious ancestor,’ announced Jack with a flourish.
He turned towards da Baggio and pointed to an empty space on the wall behind him. ‘Leonardo, you told me that the only painting of Osman was hanging on the wall right there next to the little portrait of his mother, until it was stolen by the Nazis during the war.’
‘That’s right,’ said da Baggio. ‘But that was well before my time. I have never actually seen the painting, only a couple of photos of it we have in one of the family albums.’
‘Then it’s about time you did,’ said Jack and signalled to the waiter standing by the door.
‘What do you mean?’ asked Lorenza, walking over to Jack.
‘You’ll see in a moment ...’
Alexandra turned to the countess sitting next to her on the lounge. ‘He’s enjoying this,’ she said.
‘The storyteller in full flight; that’s our Jack.’
Moments later, two waiters entered carrying a rectangular object with three legs that looked like an easel covered by a dark blue cloth, and placed it on the floor in front of Jack.
‘Here it comes,’ said Alexandra. ‘Watch.’
‘This is for you, Lorenza, and for you, Leonardo. It is only fitting that something that obviously belongs to your family, should return home on this special day.’
Slowly, Jack leaned forward, carefully lifted the blue cloth off the painting underneath it, and then stepped back.
For a long, tense moment, everyone gazed at the stunning painting, illuminated by flickering candlelight from the large candelabra on the chest next to it, the vibrant colours giving the faces in the picture a warm, lifelike glow. The restorers had done a marvellous job.
‘This is my wedding present to you,’ said Jack quietly, his eyes misting over. ‘History in motion.’
Lorenza wiped away a few tears, walked over to Jack and kissed him tenderly on the cheek. ‘Thank you,’ she whispered. ‘You are a true friend.’ Then the room erupted as everyone crowded around the painting to get a better look.
Alexandra turned to the grandparents, examining the painting. ‘Osman had quite a journey,’ she said. ‘You know the story, of course?’
‘Yes, we do. It’s truly amazing. Stolen by the Germans, and then hidden in a sarcophagus in the Imperial Crypt in Vienna all these years until Jack and Tristan found the painting and had it restored. They told us the story.’
‘Jack and his breadcrumbs of destiny at work,’ said Alexandra. ‘I need another drink.’
‘Me too,’ said the countess.
‘Anna looked lovely today, by the way,’ observed Alexandra. ‘And William is such a cute little boy.’
‘She’s certainly getting better. As you know, she and Tristan have a special bond.’
‘I noticed.’
Da Baggio walked over to Jack and embraced him. ‘I don’t know what to say, Jack.’
‘You’ve said it all already. Words are not the only way …’
‘You are right. So much joy in one day is almost too much, don’t you think? It frightens you.’
‘It’s not our call, Leonardo, but it’s up to us to embrace it all. Life is so short and unpredictable.’
‘Look at those two,’ said the countess and pointed to Leonardo standing next to Jack. ‘I haven’t seen Leonardo looking like this in years. He’s been through a lot, but is no longer grieving.’
‘Every moment of happiness is precious,’ said Alexandra. ‘We have to hold onto it the best we can, with both hands!’
‘Yes, you’re right.’
Jack held up his hand. ‘My friends, there is more ...’ he said, sounding almost theatrical as he began to tap his glass again with the spoon, like a magician introducing his next act.
‘Here he goes again,’ said the countess, laughing. ‘He can’t help himself.’
‘A little too much champagne, you think?’ suggested Alexandra.
‘Not sure ...’
Tristan turned towards to Jack. ‘What do you mean?’ he said, surprised.
Jack put his arm around him. ‘Can you feel something, mate? Any ideas?’ he teased.
‘None at all.’
‘Serious?’
‘Absolutely.’
‘It seems I’ve succeeded at last. It would appear that this time, I will be able to surprise you all, and that includes Tristan here, who can usually sense what’s coming, which can be quite deflating.’
Jack turned towards the painting and pointed to the book Osman was holding in his hand. ‘In a way, the real mystery and importance of the painting all comes down to this book here – Ibn Sina’s famous al-Qanun – and how Osman had tapped into some ancient knowledge and used Ottoman recipes to prepare dishes to cure his patients. Isn’t that right, Alexandra?’
Alexandra nodded.
‘In fact, it was only after we discovered Osman’s original book in the Vatican archives and Alexandra made the connection between his case notes and the Ottoman recipes, that the true significance of what this book was all about became apparent.’
‘Correct,’ said Alexandra. ‘And that’s when it became clear to me why Professor K was so interested in it. The book was the missing link.’
‘The original recipes have now safely returned home as well. You saw them earlier, prominently displayed on the walls of the restaurant,’ continued Jack. ‘After our audience with His Holiness yesterday, Cardinal Borromeo asked me to come back later in the day. He wanted to talk to me privately. You will remember I couldn’t join you for lunch in the Piazza Navona. I went to see the cardinal instead.’
‘Do you know what this is all about?’ whispered the countess.
‘No idea,’ replied Alexandra, ‘but I think we are about to find out.’
Jack paused and looked around the room, letting the suspense grow.
‘The reason the cardinal wanted to see me was this ...’ Jack turned towards the painting and pointed to the book in Osman’s hand. Al-Qanun.’
Jack walked over to a sideboard under one of the windows and picked up a small wooden box he had put there earlier. ‘This is the final surprise for the day,’ he said and handed the box to da Baggio. ‘It’s a gift from Cardinal Borromeo he entrusted into my care. He asked me to hand it over when the time was right. I believe the right time is now. Please, Leonardo, open it.’
Da Baggio opened the lid of the little box and gasped. Then he held it up so that everyone could see what was inside. It was Osman’s annotated copy of Ibn Sina’s al-Qanun, which had been presented by the Inquisition as evidence of witchcraft at Osman’s trial four hundred years earlier, and would have remained buried in the Vatican archives forever, if Jack and Father Connor hadn’t discovered it and brought it to light so it could shine again and improve the journey of man.
Afterword
Dietary repression of Alexandra’s newly discovered POMAX 16 gene resulted in the development of a new drug – Osdabio – based on certain ingredients in Osman’s ancient Ottoman recipes. Osdabio was a breakthrough because it successfully addressed the chronic inflammatory bowel disease that had been such a serious side effect in patients treated with new cancer drugs, like the hugely successful Yervoy used in cancer patients to block CTLA-4.
Autoimmunity against other critical organs like the pituitary gland or liver was another serious side effect of cancer drugs like Yervoy. Alexandra, together with her team at the Gordon, were able to demonstrate that inducing KALM 30 – Professor K’s first ‘hidden gene’ – with Demexilyn, a drug based on a Mexican jungle plant, could focus the immunity on the cancer cells and not on healthy organs. This turned out to be the ‘complete package’ for cancer treatment, releasing an immune attack on cancer, but not the gut.
This was the lasting legacy of Professor K’s final quest.
More Books by the Author
The Empress Holds the Key
The Disappearance of Anna Popov
The Hidden Genes of Professor K
In 2013, I released my first adventure thriller–The Empress Holds the Key.
The Empress Holds the Key
A disturbing, edge-of-your-seat historical mystery thriller
Jack Rogan Mysteries Book 1
Journalist Jack Rogan knows a great story when he finds one. A charred old photograph found in the ruins of a burnt-out Blue Mountains cottage hints at dark secrets, and he unwittingly reignites an ancient and deadly quest for a holy relic mysteriously erased from the pages of history.
In pursuit of a suspected Nazi war criminal, Federal Police officer Jana Gonski joins forces with Rogan, barrister and amateur archaeologist Marcus Carrington QC, and celebrated composer Benjamin Krakowski. Together they uncover a murky web of intrigue and greed, hoards of Nazi gold, and hidden Swiss bank accounts. All of these implicate wealthy banker Sir Eric Newman. When Newman goes on trial, unexpected clues are discovered that point the way to a mystery that has haunted the Catholic Church for centuries.
On a dangerous journey to find the relic, Rogan and his companions trace links back as far as the reign of Akhenaten, the heretic pharaoh of ancient Egypt, and King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. What is this dark secret guarded by the Knights Templar, and so feared by the Vatican? Will religious fanatics foil the quest, which could destroy the very foundations of their Church and challenge Christianity itself?
Download Free Chapters Here
The Empress Holds the Key is now available on Amazon
Encouraged by the reception of The Empress Holds the Key, I released my next thriller–The Disappearance of Anna Popov—in 2014.
The Disappearance of Anna Popov
A dark, page-turning psychological thriller
Jack Rogan Mysteries Book 2
When Jack Rogan, celebrated author and journalist, stumbles on a mysterious clue pointing to the tragic disappearance of two girls from Alice Springs, he can’t resist investigating.
Rogan is joined by three friends: Rebecca Armstrong, his New York literary agent; Andrew Simpson, a retired Aboriginal police officer; and Cassandra, an enigmatic psychic, as he follows the trail of the missing girls into the remote Dreamtime wilderness of outback Australia.
Soon past the point of no return, they enter a dark web of superstition and are drawn into the upside-down-world of an outlaw bikie gang where the ruler is an evil master, outcasts are heroes, and cruelty and violence is admired and rewarded.
Cassandra, though, has a secret agenda of her own. Using her occult powers to avenge an old, deep wrong, she sets the scene for an epic showdown where the stakes are high and the loser faces death and oblivion.
Will Rogan succeed? Will a desperate mother’s prayers be answered? Will a lost daughter be found? Or will the forces of evil crush all their hopes and dreams?
Download Free Chapters Here
The Disappearance of Anna Popov is now available on Amazon
My next book, The Hidden Genes of Professor K, was released in 2016. Here’s a short sample to pique your interest:
The Hidden Genes of Professor K
A dark, disturbing and nail-biting medical thriller
Jack Rogan Mysteries Book 3
World-renowned scientist, Professor K knows he’s close to a groundbreaking discovery. He also knows he’s dying. With his last breath he anoints Dr Alexandra Delacroix as his successor and pleads with her to carry on his work. Delacroix unwittingly enters a dangerous world of unbridled ambition and greed that threatens to destroy her. Desperate and alone, she turns to celebrated author and journalist, Jack Rogan.
Alistair Macbeth, self-made billionaire and enigmatic founder of Blackburn Pharmaceuticals, has a murky past. He knows he must secure Professor K’s discovery for his empire, or perish. Powerful and ruthless, he will stop at nothing to achieve his black and deep desires.
Meanwhile, when the parents of a famous rock star, Isis, are brutally murdered, Jack Rogan is asked to investigate.
On a perilous journey of discovery that takes them around the globe, Jack and Lola Rodriguez—Isis’ resourceful PA—join forces with Jana Gonski, a former police officer; Dr Bettany Rosen, a tireless campaigner for the destitute and forgotten; and Tristan, a gifted boy with psychic powers. Together, they expose a complex web of fiercely guarded secrets and heinous crimes of the past that can ruin them all, and change history.
Will Rogan succeed? Will the dreams of a visionary scientist with the power to change the future of medicine fall into the wrong hands, or will his genius benefit mankind and prevent untold misery and suffering for generations to come?
Download Free Chapters Here
The Hidden Genes of Professor K is now available on Amazon
The Jack Rogan Mysteries Box Set is now available on Amazon
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Gabriel Farago
About the Author
Gabriel Farago is the international, bestselling award-winning Australian author of the Jack Rogan mysteries and thrillers series for the thinking reader.
As a lawyer with a passion for history and archaeology, Gabriel Farago had to wait for many years before being able to pursue another passion—writing—in earnest. However, his love of books and storytelling started long before that.
‘I remember as a young boy reading biographies and history books with a torch under the bed covers,’ he recalls, ‘and then writing stories about archaeologists and explorers the next day, instead of doing homework. While I regularly got into trouble for this, I believe we can only do well in our endeavours if we are passionate about the things we love. For me, writing has become a passion.’
Born in Budapest, Gabriel grew up in post-war Europe and, after fleeing Hungary with his parents during the Revolution in 1956, he went to school in Austria before arriving in Australia as a teenager. This allowed him to become multi-lingual and feel ‘at home’ in different countries and diverse cultures.
Shaped by a long legal career and experiences spanning several decades and continents, his is a mature voice that speaks in many tongues. Gabriel holds degrees in literature and law, speaks several languages and takes research and authenticity very seriously. Inquisitive by nature, he studied Egyptology and learned to read the hieroglyphs. He travels extensively and visits all of the locations mentioned in his books.
‘I try to weave fact and fiction into a seamless storyline’, he explains. ‘By blurring the boundaries between the two, the reader is never quite sure where one ends, and the other begins. This is of course quite deliberate as it creates the illusion of authenticity and reality in a work that is pure fiction. A successful work of fiction is a balancing act: reality must rub shoulders with imagination in a way that is both entertaining and plausible.’
