Read Online The Lost Island by Douglas Preston - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Douglas Preston
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plant, animal, insect, or something else?”
Glinn spoke. “It seems to me the answer would be somehow hidden on the page, most likely in one of these little drawings. The map tells us how to get there, but the answer to the riddle tells us what to look for.”
Toggling his wheelchair, Glinn turned toward Gideon. “We’ve made some important deductions in the last hour. But as you can see, there’s still much we need to learn. Even so, there’s no reason to wait—in fact there are many good arguments against doing so. As a result, we’ve already begun work on chartering and outfitting a boat in the Caribbean. You’ll be on a flight the day after tomorrow.”
“Wait, hold on. I’m no sailor!”
“You’ll have a licensed captain on board.”
“I don’t like the water.” Gideon decided not to mention that he was prone to seasickness.
“You’ll adjust,” Glinn said. “You’re just the man for this assignment.”
“I suppose that’s what your computer model tells you?”
“As a matter of fact, yes. A journey like this will take improvisation. You’re the master of improv.”
“I’ll improv my way right into Davy Jones’s locker.”
Glinn looked at him appraisingly. “I’m surprised at you, Gideon. This journey won’t be like your other assignments. You’re going for a cruise in the Caribbean. There’s no danger, no physical challenge.”
“Are you forgetting about the giants?” Gideon asked.
Everyone laughed.
“Our initial estimate is that this Phorkys will be found somewhere in the southern Caribbean,” Glinn said. “If, for example, the Irish monks picked up the Caribbean Current near Barbados, it would have carried them through—” He paused a moment—“the Windward Islands, and then parallel to the coast of Venezuela and Colombia, perhaps even as far as the Mosquito Coast of Nicaragua and Honduras.”
“That’s a huge area to cover.”
“Yes. Encompassing hundreds, even thousands, of islands. And of course the map is full of dirty tricks. It’s intentionally misleading.”
Gideon had to admire the speed with which they had deduced so much about a map that was so obviously obscure. “In other words, we might be wandering around for weeks,” he said. “Sipping champagne, sunbathing, and visiting every single island and surveying the beach—just in case.”
“Now you’re getting into the spirit of it,” laughed Glinn. “Trust me, compared with your last assignment, this one’s a walk in Central Park.”
14
G IDEON EXITED THE lab into the cavernous space, Garza following behind him.
“Nothing like that good old railroaded feeling, eh?” Gideon asked.
“I wouldn’t complain if I were you. A cruise in the Caribbean? I’ll take the assignment, thank you.”
“He gets on my nerves.”
“Welcome to the Glinn’s-a-pain-in-the-ass club.”
As they walked through the enormous lab, Gideon glanced over at Garza. He knew Garza didn’t much care for him, especially his brash, lone-wolf way of doing things. He in turn found Garza to be uptight and rule-bound. It was true that the two of them weren’t exactly buddies. But maybe it didn’t have to be that way.
“How about a drink?” he asked impulsively as they went through the double set of doors leading to the street.
Garza paused to look at him. The offer had taken him by surprise. “Well…sure.”
Spice Market was crowded, as usual, but they were able to grab a small table in the corner. Gideon ordered a Beefeater martini, Garza an IPA.
As the waitress left, Gideon looked at Garza more closely. He was a small, dark, heavily muscled man, with tightly curled black hair fringed white at the temples. His eyes had an intelligent gleam in them.
“How long have you been working at EES?” he said to break the ice.
“Twelve years. Ever since Eli and I got out of the military.”
“Military?”
Garza nodded. “I was an engineering specialist on Glinn’s team.”
“What kind of
Glinn spoke. “It seems to me the answer would be somehow hidden on the page, most likely in one of these little drawings. The map tells us how to get there, but the answer to the riddle tells us what to look for.”
Toggling his wheelchair, Glinn turned toward Gideon. “We’ve made some important deductions in the last hour. But as you can see, there’s still much we need to learn. Even so, there’s no reason to wait—in fact there are many good arguments against doing so. As a result, we’ve already begun work on chartering and outfitting a boat in the Caribbean. You’ll be on a flight the day after tomorrow.”
“Wait, hold on. I’m no sailor!”
“You’ll have a licensed captain on board.”
“I don’t like the water.” Gideon decided not to mention that he was prone to seasickness.
“You’ll adjust,” Glinn said. “You’re just the man for this assignment.”
“I suppose that’s what your computer model tells you?”
“As a matter of fact, yes. A journey like this will take improvisation. You’re the master of improv.”
“I’ll improv my way right into Davy Jones’s locker.”
Glinn looked at him appraisingly. “I’m surprised at you, Gideon. This journey won’t be like your other assignments. You’re going for a cruise in the Caribbean. There’s no danger, no physical challenge.”
“Are you forgetting about the giants?” Gideon asked.
Everyone laughed.
“Our initial estimate is that this Phorkys will be found somewhere in the southern Caribbean,” Glinn said. “If, for example, the Irish monks picked up the Caribbean Current near Barbados, it would have carried them through—” He paused a moment—“the Windward Islands, and then parallel to the coast of Venezuela and Colombia, perhaps even as far as the Mosquito Coast of Nicaragua and Honduras.”
“That’s a huge area to cover.”
“Yes. Encompassing hundreds, even thousands, of islands. And of course the map is full of dirty tricks. It’s intentionally misleading.”
Gideon had to admire the speed with which they had deduced so much about a map that was so obviously obscure. “In other words, we might be wandering around for weeks,” he said. “Sipping champagne, sunbathing, and visiting every single island and surveying the beach—just in case.”
“Now you’re getting into the spirit of it,” laughed Glinn. “Trust me, compared with your last assignment, this one’s a walk in Central Park.”
14
G IDEON EXITED THE lab into the cavernous space, Garza following behind him.
“Nothing like that good old railroaded feeling, eh?” Gideon asked.
“I wouldn’t complain if I were you. A cruise in the Caribbean? I’ll take the assignment, thank you.”
“He gets on my nerves.”
“Welcome to the Glinn’s-a-pain-in-the-ass club.”
As they walked through the enormous lab, Gideon glanced over at Garza. He knew Garza didn’t much care for him, especially his brash, lone-wolf way of doing things. He in turn found Garza to be uptight and rule-bound. It was true that the two of them weren’t exactly buddies. But maybe it didn’t have to be that way.
“How about a drink?” he asked impulsively as they went through the double set of doors leading to the street.
Garza paused to look at him. The offer had taken him by surprise. “Well…sure.”
Spice Market was crowded, as usual, but they were able to grab a small table in the corner. Gideon ordered a Beefeater martini, Garza an IPA.
As the waitress left, Gideon looked at Garza more closely. He was a small, dark, heavily muscled man, with tightly curled black hair fringed white at the temples. His eyes had an intelligent gleam in them.
“How long have you been working at EES?” he said to break the ice.
“Twelve years. Ever since Eli and I got out of the military.”
“Military?”
Garza nodded. “I was an engineering specialist on Glinn’s team.”
“What kind of
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