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Authors: Valmore Daniels
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unique secret, and
anything and everything he said was catalogued, charted and analyzed.
“Yeah…?”
Michael cocked his head. “He asked me to find Yaxche.”
“I heard about the kidnapping and the theft. I feel bad for
the old man, but as far as that scroll is concerned, it’s a lost cause. I’m not
sure why anyone would go to all the trouble.”
“But someone did.” Michael leaned back in the chair. “Alex
obviously thinks there’s more there than what we’ve uncovered, and the thieves
also think so as well. And, I’m not sure if you noticed, but Alex asked me to
find the man, not the scroll.”
Calbert slowly sat down again. “I did notice that. What do
you think it means? Do you think Alex knows something we don’t?”
“If he does, he’s not conscious of it. But it feels like
there is some validity to this, even if there’s not concrete evidence. Maybe
there’s something that’s been lost in translation.”
“All right,” said Calbert. “Let’s say there’s some merit in
finding Yaxche—outside of the humanitarian reasons. What makes you think the
Honduran Conglomerate isn’t already doing its best?”
“Maybe they don’t think he’s as high a priority as I do,”
Michael answered. “Or as important as Alex does.”
Rubbing his upper lip, Calbert said, “Not saying I agree or
disagree, but even if I did, what can I do?”
“Is George Markowitz doing anything important for the next
couple of weeks?”
“George?” Calbert sat forward, looking genuinely surprised.
“What does he have to do with this?”
“I’m going to Honduras to look for Yaxche. I’d like George
to come with me. More specifically, I’d like you to assign him to come
with me.”
“Why?”
Michael lifted his hand and ticked off a finger. “First of
all, he’s the only person I know who’s met Yaxche. George has been down there a
few times. He knows the area. Besides, he’s extremely good at research and
these kinds of practical puzzles.”
Touching his next finger, Michael said, “Secondly, if you
give him this assignment and put it on paper, it will give us a certain amount
of legitimacy with the Copán Departmental. We can say we’re on official
business. Otherwise I’m just a nosy tourist.”
Calbert took a breath. “This is all a bit much before I’ve
had my second coffee, Michael. Have you even given any consideration to the Cruzados?
If they are indeed the ones who kidnapped him, do you think they’ll just hand
him over to a retired desk jockey?”
“I’m not planning a guerilla incursion,” Michael said. “Once
we track down where he is, we’ll call in the Honduran authorities to take over.
I know they consider the document a national treasure. They’ll take action. Besides,
I’m getting arthritis in my knees; I’m no hero.”
Calbert leaned back in his chair. “I’m still not convinced.”
“Tell you what, give us a couple of weeks. If we end up with
nothing but dysentery, then we’ll come home. Unless, of course, you need George
for anything…?”
“No, we’ve got him analyzing hydro fluctuations; any intern
can do it.”
“Well, then?”
Calbert shrugged. “All right. Fine. Let’s go talk to George
and see how he feels about it.”
∞
Calbert fought traffic all the way across the city as he
drove Michael to the Quantum Resources labs.
As one of the few country corporations that still operated
on a profitable basis, Canada Corp. attracted immigrants from all over the
world. The national policy had always been to welcome the influx of people, but
in the major cities the infrastructure was strained to the limit. In the past
two years, the government had issued a moratorium on new visas.
Population and overcrowding had always been a concern. Space
stations and moon colonies were far too expensive to provide a feasible
solution to overcrowding. In the back of Michael’s mind—as with others, he was
sure—the possibility of life-sustaining worlds in other
anything and everything he said was catalogued, charted and analyzed.
“Yeah…?”
Michael cocked his head. “He asked me to find Yaxche.”
“I heard about the kidnapping and the theft. I feel bad for
the old man, but as far as that scroll is concerned, it’s a lost cause. I’m not
sure why anyone would go to all the trouble.”
“But someone did.” Michael leaned back in the chair. “Alex
obviously thinks there’s more there than what we’ve uncovered, and the thieves
also think so as well. And, I’m not sure if you noticed, but Alex asked me to
find the man, not the scroll.”
Calbert slowly sat down again. “I did notice that. What do
you think it means? Do you think Alex knows something we don’t?”
“If he does, he’s not conscious of it. But it feels like
there is some validity to this, even if there’s not concrete evidence. Maybe
there’s something that’s been lost in translation.”
“All right,” said Calbert. “Let’s say there’s some merit in
finding Yaxche—outside of the humanitarian reasons. What makes you think the
Honduran Conglomerate isn’t already doing its best?”
“Maybe they don’t think he’s as high a priority as I do,”
Michael answered. “Or as important as Alex does.”
Rubbing his upper lip, Calbert said, “Not saying I agree or
disagree, but even if I did, what can I do?”
“Is George Markowitz doing anything important for the next
couple of weeks?”
“George?” Calbert sat forward, looking genuinely surprised.
“What does he have to do with this?”
“I’m going to Honduras to look for Yaxche. I’d like George
to come with me. More specifically, I’d like you to assign him to come
with me.”
“Why?”
Michael lifted his hand and ticked off a finger. “First of
all, he’s the only person I know who’s met Yaxche. George has been down there a
few times. He knows the area. Besides, he’s extremely good at research and
these kinds of practical puzzles.”
Touching his next finger, Michael said, “Secondly, if you
give him this assignment and put it on paper, it will give us a certain amount
of legitimacy with the Copán Departmental. We can say we’re on official
business. Otherwise I’m just a nosy tourist.”
Calbert took a breath. “This is all a bit much before I’ve
had my second coffee, Michael. Have you even given any consideration to the Cruzados?
If they are indeed the ones who kidnapped him, do you think they’ll just hand
him over to a retired desk jockey?”
“I’m not planning a guerilla incursion,” Michael said. “Once
we track down where he is, we’ll call in the Honduran authorities to take over.
I know they consider the document a national treasure. They’ll take action. Besides,
I’m getting arthritis in my knees; I’m no hero.”
Calbert leaned back in his chair. “I’m still not convinced.”
“Tell you what, give us a couple of weeks. If we end up with
nothing but dysentery, then we’ll come home. Unless, of course, you need George
for anything…?”
“No, we’ve got him analyzing hydro fluctuations; any intern
can do it.”
“Well, then?”
Calbert shrugged. “All right. Fine. Let’s go talk to George
and see how he feels about it.”
∞
Calbert fought traffic all the way across the city as he
drove Michael to the Quantum Resources labs.
As one of the few country corporations that still operated
on a profitable basis, Canada Corp. attracted immigrants from all over the
world. The national policy had always been to welcome the influx of people, but
in the major cities the infrastructure was strained to the limit. In the past
two years, the government had issued a moratorium on new visas.
Population and overcrowding had always been a concern. Space
stations and moon colonies were far too expensive to provide a feasible
solution to overcrowding. In the back of Michael’s mind—as with others, he was
sure—the possibility of life-sustaining worlds in other
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