Excerpt from Code To Zero by Ken Follett, plus links to reviews, author biography & more

"What are you staring at?" Pete said.

Luke shrugged and did not reply. On the table was a newspaper folded open at the crossword, and a stub of pencil. Luke glanced idly at the grid, picked up the pencil, and started to fill in the answers.

More bums drifted in. Mrs. Lonegan put out a stack of heavy bowls and a pile of spoons. Luke got all the crossword clues but one "Small place in Denmark," six letters. Pastor Lonegan looked over his shoulder at the filled-out grid, raised his eyebrows in surprise, and said quietly to his wife, "O! what a noble mind is here o'erthrown."

Luke immediately got the last clue - Hamlet - and wrote it in. Then he thought, How did I know that?

He unfolded the paper and looked at the front page for the date. It was Wednesday 29 January 1958. His eye was caught by the headline U.S. MOON STAYS EARTHBOUND. He read on:

Cape Canaveral. Tuesday: The U.S. Navy today abandoned a second attempt to launch its space rocket, Vanguard, after multiple technical problems. The decision comes two months after the first Vanguard launch ended in humiliating disaster when the rocket exploded two seconds after ignition. American hopes of launching a space satellite to rival the Soviet Sputnik now rest with the Army's rival Jupiter missile.

The piano sounded a strident chord and Luke looked up. Mrs. Lonegan was playing the introductory notes of a familiar hymn. She and her husband began to sing "What a Friend we have in Jesus," and Luke joined in, pleased he could remember it.

Bourbon had a strange effect, he thought. He could do the crossword and sing a hymn from memory, but he did not know his mother's name. Perhaps he had been drinking for years and had damaged his brain. He wondered how he could have let such a thing happen.

After the hymn, Pastor Lonegan read some Bible verses, then told them all that they could be saved. Here was a group that really needed saving, Luke thought. All the same, he was not tempted to put his faith in Jesus. First he needed to find out who he was.

The pastor extemporized a prayer, they sang grace, then the men lined up and Mrs. Lonegan served them hot oatmeal with syrup. Luke ate three bowls. Afterwards, he felt much better. His hangover was receding fast.

Impatient to resume his questions, he approached the pastor. "Sir, have you seen me here before? I've lost my memory."

Lonegan looked hard at him. "You know, I don't believe I have. But I meet hundreds of people every week, and I could be mistaken. How old are you?"

"I don't know," Luke said, feeling foolish.

"Late thirties, I'd say. You haven't been living rough very long. It takes its toll on a man. But you walk with a spring in your step, your skin is clear under the dirt, and you're still alert enough to do a crossword puzzle. Quit drinking now, and you could lead a normal life again."

Luke wondered how many times the pastor had said that. "I'm going to try," he promised.

"If you need help, just ask." A young man who appeared to be mentally handicapped was persistently patting Lonegan's arm, and he turned to him with a patient smile.

Luke spoke to Pete. "How long have you known me?"

"I don't know, you been around a while."

"Where did we spend the night before last?"

"Relax, will you? Your memory will come back sooner or later."

"I have to find out where I'm from."

Pete hesitated. "What we need is a beer," he said. "Help us think straight." He turned for the door.

Luke grabbed his arm. "I don't want a beer," he said decisively. Pete did not want him to dig into his past, it seemed. Perhaps he was afraid of losing a companion. Well, that was too bad. Luke had more important things to do than keep Pete company. "In fact," he said, "I think I'd like to be alone for a while."

Reprinted from Code Zero by Ken Follett by permission of E. P. Dutton, a member of Penguin Putnam Inc. Copyright (c) 2000 by Ken Follett. All rights reserved. This excerpt, or any parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.