They needed to drive back to the museum. If they were going to get Matthew back alive, they would need that book. Peter knocked on the curator's door, and walked in.
"Hello, sir." He said. "We were wondering if we could borrow that book we gave you - the one from the Abbey of Orval."
The curator looked surprised. "I don't have it. I'm sorry, we shipped it to the British Museum last night. They requested it on loan for one of their exhibitions."
"You don't . . . have it?" Peter repeated, sounding defeated. "Oh my God. This sucks!"
"I carefully scanned every page, if that is any help to you." The curator told him, seeing the look on Peter's face. "I'm terribly sorry."
"Can I have a copy of the scans? This is really important to me." Peter told him. The curator nodded, and burned him a copy.
"Here you go." He said, putting the CD into an envelope for him.
Peter put the disk into his jacket pocket, and walked back outside. He could see Ben and Riley waiting expectantly for him in the vehicle.
"Well?" Ben asked, as Peter slid into the driver's seat. "Did he give you the book?"
"He doesn't have it. They loaned it out to a museum in London."
"Seriously?" Riley piped up, incredulous, from the backseat.
"He gave me the scans on a disk, though." Peter said, handing the CD to Ben. Ben looked at the CD in his hand, and had an inspiration.
"We're going to make a forgery." Ben said, determined.
"Wait - What?" Peter asked, starting to laugh. "You know that is completely ridiculous, right?"
Riley leaned forward, until his elbows were on the armrest between Peter and Ben.
"I wouldn't be so quick to laugh, Peter. This IS the same man who stole the Declaration, and kidnapped the President." Riley reminded him, smirking.
"If we do make a forgery, it'll have to look pretty damned convincing. I don't want Matthew's blood on my hands, 'cause we screwed up." Peter finally said, after giving it some thought.
"Don't worry, we'll be thorough." Ben reassured him, as he handed the CD to Riley.