Back at SD-6, Sydney arrived at her next regular morning briefing. On hand were Marcus Dixon and Marshall Flinkman, with Arvin Sloane presiding.
Sloane projected a slide of a peculiar statue that looked positively prehistoric. It was a female figure, though the head was totally obscured by some veil of hood. The body was dominated, if not effectively squashed and pinned, by breasts of staggering size.
"This is an artifact known as the Venus of Wellendaud," said Sloane. "We were studying it in Paris. Inscriptions on its base may well constitute the oldest written language on Earth. Recently we began to suspect that the inscriptions are more than random or artistic, but may tell a specific message -- and then this vanished."
"Excuse me, sir, but isn't this more a matter of archeology or art, than SD-6 business?" Sydney wondered.
"An excellent question. The best interpretation we had going for us was one in which the inscriptions may well reveal some complex biochemical formula with an afrodisiac effect. We know from his fascination with running prostitutes that Petrenko has sex on the brain. If anyone can turn sex into some sort of weapon, it's Petrenko ... and the Wellendaud formula may well be the key to that.
"Sydney ... I'm going to leave retrieval of the Venus primarily up to you." |