‘OUR STUDIES ON NDGA ARE PROMISING, but we are still looking for some kind of catalyst that will stop telomer losses without provoking cancer as is what happens with telomerase,’ Michel Morel explained to Pat.
‘Well we might have something there,’ announced Pat with a flourish.
They looked at him surprised. Pat was a resourceful man, but the study of plants and phytochemistry was not his domain.
‘As you know Anna Basurko has been studying the history of Mexican and Central American medicinal plants and has discovered the descriptions of what could be interesting plants used by the Aztecs up until the time of the Conquest.’
They said nothing. Disguising their skepticism.
Pat was not deterred, he smiled and pushed on telling the story of how the Aztecs used a concoction of drinks made from plants, one of which was a sacred brew reserved for the emperor and certain high priests. These drinks were described on their codices which were unfortunately destroyed in various acts of auto-da-fé by fanatical friars like Diego de Landa.
Henri had followed Anna's investigation into the Wallace Codex and was familiar with the history of the Florentine Codex, and whilst plant biology and pharmacology was his field he had never gone into the manuscripts in any detail to speak of.
‘According to Anna,’ Pat told them, ‘Bernadino and certain other monks, who lived in the Colegio de Santa Cruz in Tlatelolco, lived to great ages, which was very unusual at that time. Anna suspects they had discovered the secrets of the royal codices that described the medicines reserved for the elite.’
‘That’s a possibility,’ said Henri shrugging, though he was now more listening more closely.
‘Well,’ said Pat, ‘what I’m about to tell you is strictly between us. One section of the Wallace Codex describes herbs and medicines reserved for the emperor and the high priests that describes the plants sent by the Mictlantecuhtli, the god of death, the lord of the Underworld, which would bestow on his faithful servants on Tonantzin—the earth, their mother, the secret of eternal life.’
‘Ah, Gilgamesh.’
‘What?’
‘Nothing.’
‘Anyway, Anna cross-referenced details concerning the friars in question with the records stored in Seville and confirmed many of them lived to the age of 90 and over, which was quite extraordinary in the harsh world ruled by the Conquistadors.’
‘So can we ask where the Wallace Codex is Pat?’
‘Yes, but I won’t tell you for the moment,’ said Pat smiling, enjoying his little game. ‘But I do have a copy of the folios and their translation into English,’ he said dipping into his document holder and triumphantly producing several colour facsimiles.
‘As I said, this is most confidential, I don’t want anybody outside of this room seeing the whole document.’
They nodded. Pat was the Chairman of the Board of LifeGen and its largest shareholder.
‘Perhaps this identifies the species of the Zygophyllaceae family that contains NGDA and other molecules that made up the potion prepared by the Aztec priests?’
‘Anna is of course not a botanist, but she is a scientist with a long experience in Spanish documentary records and the history of the New World.’
They nodded in agreement.
'Yes Pat, perhaps this can save us years of research if we can identify the exact plants and analyse their properties.'
‘Excellent, I’d like you to give this priority, find the plants mentioned in Anna’s report,’ he said producing a folder containing an outline of Anna’s research.