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– It looks like the effect of a psychotropic potion, – he informed Linda. – I have heard of them and that they are very common among shamans. Thank you for your valuable information. Our trip will have to be postponed for a while. I have to meet your mentor. It will save us some time.
– That's not going to happen, – Linda concluded, leaning back in her chair. – A month after we met, he left for Tibet as a pilgrim. More than two years passed, and no one has heard from him since.
– I see. So, are you worried that I will go as a pilgrim, too? – Matthew smiled.
– That's no cause for irony, – Linda said reproachfully. – People change completely when they come back from there.
– Thank you, – Matthew answered just as seriously. – It's really valuable information, and it's a pity we won't be able to meet your mentor. Now let's get down to business. Do you agree to come?
– You're asking! – Linda exhaled happily. – Yes, I am.
– That's wonderful! – exclaimed Matthew, and leaned back comfortably, following her example. – How much time do you need to finish your business?
– Not much, I think. I have a very good assistant now, and at the moment there are no cases he can't handle.
– Great, – Matthew said happily. – So, we need your instruments. I'm worried that we won't have time to gather all the necessary documents to transport them to South America, because I'm setting up to leave tomorrow, the day after tomorrow at most.
– If you really want to, – the girl objected, – you can do it. Is that all I have to do so far?
– That's the main thing, – Matthew nodded contentedly. – Now tell me what their approximate weight is. That will determine whether we take them with us or fly them out by cargo.
– They're not too heavy, – Linda answered. – They're mostly reagents. I have my own ways of doing things. By the way, how many of us will be on the team?
– That's the second and very important question, – Matthew answered, – which is entirely up to you. At the first stage I'll help you a little, and we can work together to determine the age of the buildings. Afterwards we would have to separate, because I have to go deep into the jungle, as I said to find out the technology of the buildings. You will be alone. And I don't want that. So please, choose any assistant you see fit.
– You risk not having a team at all, – Linda pouted, crossing her arms across her chest defiantly. – We'll do the necessary analysis, and then we'll go wherever you see fit, just the two of us. What do you think I am a burden?
– Forgive me for being blunt, – Matthew protested, – burden isn't quite the right word. Believe me I've been in situations where I could only survive on my own. If I'd had a partner with me, even one of my own calibers, we'd have been stuck there for ages. And there have been several such situations. That's why I'm a loner. I don't have much skill in teamwork.
– I see, – confused the girl, completely drooping. – To tell you the truth, I don't know who I could trust as much as I trust you. So there's no one I can take.
– Well, let's not lose heart, – encouraged her Matthew. – Let's change our plan a little. We'll go together. We'll survey the area. Determine age. How long will that take, by the way?
– I can't say definitively, – Linda concluded. – So many factors can affect the analysis. In addition to chemical studies, we would have to look at the inscriptions and writings. We would also have to study the climatic conditions of the area at different points in time…
– Is that possible? – Matthew interrupted her.
– Science never stands still, – the girl stipulated with an expert look. – It's not only possible, it's not even very difficult. But you would need close visual inspection and painstaking analysis of all the samples. Any little detail could make a decisive difference. If we take an average timeframe for this kind of work, the two of us can do it in three weeks.
– Great, – Matthew said enthusiastically. – In the meantime I'll survey the surroundings and make the necessary contacts. As you say, every little detail may be important here, but which one? So it's just the two of us. I will take care of the tickets and equipment, and you will prepare the equipment and authorize its transportation. In the evening, we call to discuss and adjust plans.
– I'll need some cash to buy some reagents and arrange a work visa to take the equipment out. How will we travel, by the way? This is necessary to know in order to get the paperwork.
– Our route will take us tentatively through Portugal, where we'll take a flight the day after tomorrow, – Matthew stipulated. – From there we'll take a boat to Brazil, and it won't take long to get to the mainland.
– О!… – Linda exclaimed with undisguised pleasure. – Oh, that is simply splendid! A cruise across the Atlantic would be a dream come true. But it's too expensive and time-consuming, isn't it? Why should it be?
– You know I speak Spanish quite well and that most of the South American population speaks Spanish dialects. While we're sailing, I can learn three, maybe four basic ones. The sound of the waves creates a great atmosphere for learning, well, and for relaxing too. I recently finished a case and was planning on taking a break, but offers like this are not to be turned down. Moreover, it is in your part too.
– Thank you, Matthew, – Linda replied, looking warmly at the man sitting across from her. – I may never get the chance to go there. It is a really important trip for me, which will give quite a lot of material for my further work.
– I hope you understand that all our results are closed to the scientific community, – cautioned Matthew, looking seriously into her eyes. – This is a private commission, and the customer pays a lot of money just to keep the results out of the hands of the public.
– Of course, – Linda answered calmly. – But the results and conclusions may be indirectly useful to me in other studies. I will not mention this expedition.
– Good, – said Matthew calmly. – It's nice when work brings not only money, but also pleasure. Isn't it?
– Definitely, – agreed Linda. – Your profession wouldn't make sense otherwise. Besides, if you're not into it, you're not likely to get to the top.
– I agree, – Matthew nodded. – Now that we've discussed all the working points, we can focus on the food. I love the way the prawns are cooked here. They're not boiled, but just lightly fried, which keeps them tender. I do that too.
– You couldn't tell before? – Linda smiled. – Now I want to try them too! May I steal some off your plate because I'm drooling?
– Sure, – Matthew smiled and moved the plate to her friend.
She looked around making sure no one was looking, and took the shrimp with two fingers. She took a bite, covered her eyes, and chewed it slowly.
– It's just great! – she drawled. – Can you cook like that?
– Everything is ingenious, – Matthew replied. – I'm not fond of culinary delights, so I make the simplest dishes. That's why they turn out so tasty.
– I've never tasted anything like that. If you get a chance, can you show me how to make such a delicious dish? I will definitely include this dish in my diet.
– Let me order for you, – Matthew suggested. – You saw, it's quick to make.
– Thank you, Matthew. I'll take one more and that's enough. Let's wrap it up, there's really a lot of work today. I'll take care of some business, and then I'll do the paperwork on the equipment. It's not that easy.
– I agree, – he told as he finished his portion. – Do you want me to call you a cab?
– No. It's not far from here to my work. I'll stop by the lab first, and then I'll call a car from there.
– Okay, come on, I'll walk you out for a while, – Matthew said as he got up from the table.
After paying the bill and thanking the waiter, they left the hospitable establishment for the street, which was lively in front of their eyes. Friends said goodbye, and Matthew decided to walk for a while, as he could not do anything until he talked to Andrew. The clouds had long since cleared and the bright sun was shining, leaving no trace of rain on the sidewalks. Before he had even walked a hundred paces, Matthew heard the phone ring.
– Good afternoon, – sounded a breathless voice of a friend. – I've been running around all morning. I met our client's confidant, Mr. Lambert.
– How did it go? – Matthew asked.
– You won't believe it. His Russian wasn't much better than my English. But we worked it out. The result – the money is in your accounts. Please check the receipt of funds and call me immediately if there are any problems.
– Sure, I'll check it right away. We don't have a lot of time.
– We do? – Andrew was surprised. – You said that my mission ends after financial matters.
– Yes, sorry, – Matthew answered. – That's right. I think there shouldn't be any problems. I just met with the professor, and she's agreed to be part of the group. Of course, that was what I was counting on, but you should have seen the pleasure she took in it.
– How can you refuse such a lucrative offer? – laughed Andrew.
– You don't understand, – insisted Matthew. – We haven't even talked about the financial side of it. But her eyes really lit up. She was really excited about this trip. And she told me things about South America that would make anyone's hair stand on end.
– I'm sorry, – Andrew interrupted. – I think this is not a phone conversation. Maybe you could come over and talk to me. By the way, you promised to introduce me to her.
– Of course – I will definitely drop by. If we can, we will come together.
– Now we're talking. I'll be expecting you at my place. We won't be seeing each other much longer now, and I'd like to have a quiet time together.
– All right, – Matthew agreed. – See you soon.
After the positive news about the financial side of the matter Matthew began to prepare. He had been on many such trips before, so everything was going smoothly. He visited several stores and found himself with a respectable arsenal of travel gear, from small carbines to flares that were not covered by the travel ban. The crowning feature of his equipment was a set of knives that could be used for self-defense if necessary. Matthew was a master of this type of weapon and when camping he never missed an opportunity to stash this deadly toy in a special calf-bandage. He also paid special attention to phrasebooks on the dialects of South American tribes. Of course, it is almost impossible to find this kind of literature on the regular market, but Linda helped him in this matter by providing him with quite a decent supply of guides to the dialects of Peru and Chile, which formed the basis for the Mapudungun and Quechan dialects. These languages, related to Spanish, required scrupulous training, which Matthew planned to do while crossing the Atlantic. He planned to replenish the lack of vocabulary when he met the expedition groups working there.
Now it remained to take care of the tickets. By evening Matthew dropped off the passports to a travel agent's friend, informed him of the group and the route he wished to take, and, having thanked him for his urgency, headed for home.
«So far everything is going pretty smoothly, – he thought as he sat down in his favorite chair. – But the most important part of the preparations lay with Linda. She assured me everything was fine, but crossing several countries is not so easy».
Still, deciding to trust a professional, he chased away his anxiety and fell into a sound, healthy sleep. That night colorful dreams did not disturb him and Matthew woke up the next morning alert and full of energy. After paying due attention to his morning workout, he decided to call Linda first of all.
– Good morning, – Matthew began. – Sorry to interrupt, but frankly, I'm a little worried about the permit to transport the equipment. Are you sure I can't help?
– Absolutely sure, – Linda confirmed. – I've done all I can. I'll have the papers by noon, and if our itinerary remains the same, there won't be any problem.
– Let's hope they don't let us down with the tickets, too, – he answered. – If you have almost everything ready, I invite you to dinner at my friend's place. We'll discuss what we're going to do next.
– With great pleasure, – Linda agreed. – Is it okay to mention our trip in front of him, because you said it was confidential?
– That's right, – Matthew confirmed. – But the customers contacted me through Andrew, and he will directly help us with questions that can be solved remotely.
– I see. Of course, I'd be happy to. What time is the meeting scheduled for?
– Andrew didn't give us any time constraints. I've already done my business, so tell me when it's convenient for you?
– Drop by at six, – Linda said after a moment's hesitation. – I won't need much time.
– Understood, – Matthew answered briefly. – You'll have to wait.
At half past seven p.m. the friends were standing at the gate of the mansion, looking forward to a pleasant conversation with a good dinner. The door of the house opened, and the owner appeared on the threshold, who hurried to meet them with a big smile.
– Good evening, – Andrew greeted his guests.
– Good evening, – Matthew shakes his friend's hand. – Let me introduce you to the professor of archeology, my old acquaintance and now companion, Miss Linda Chizhevskaya.
– Pleased to meet you, – the girl smiled amiably.
– I did not think that the title of professor is awarded immediately after graduation! – Elegantly joked Andrew. – Besides, I had no idea that archaeology and beauty could somehow be combined in one person.
Linda smiled embarrassedly, and her cheeks flushed.
– Thanks for the compliment, but I was promoted to professor exactly nine years after I graduated from grad school. I'm only three years younger than Matthew.
– It's amazing! – Andrew exclaimed. – I never would have told you that. You look amazing. And, by the way, to get a professor in such a short time is very rare. Or am I wrong?
– It can be faster. It all depends on the results, well, it takes luck. But if you set a goal and follow it, you will achieve what you want. Nothing in the world is impossible.
– Forgive me, please come into the house, otherwise I keep you on the threshold. But I think it's forgivable – any man would be confused here.
– Don't worry about it, – Matthew answered, helping Linda to take off her jacket. – The cozy, homey atmosphere was inviting. Besides, it smells pretty good.
– Yes, I ordered an excellent pizza. It just arrived. I used to help a buddy of mine open a pizza place, so I get the tastiest, freshest pizza I've ever had. Have a seat on the couch by the fireplace.
– What I love in private homes are fireplaces, – shared his dream Matthew, looking at the fire. – You know about my passion.
– Why don't you do it in your apartment? – Linda asked. – I heard there are bio-fireplaces now and you don't need a cooker hood.
– There are bio and electric fireplaces, – agreed Matthew. – But there's no substitute for a real fire. When the wood crackles in the fireplace, I feel a strange and incomparable feeling of peace.
– Yes, yes, I know your passion for fire, that's why I lit it before you came, – Andrew nodded, distributing pizza to his guests. – How's the packing going?
– My gear is ready, – Matthew answered, – I'll have the tickets in hand soon. Linda was taking care of the paperwork for the transport of the equipment. So far everything is going swimmingly.
– Things always go smoothly when you are dealing with you, – she smiled.
– The main thing is to have a clear and unwavering intention, – said Matthew, his voice becoming theatrical. – Isn't that what you told me?
She nodded.
– Yes, I did. By the way, a number of world-renowned scientists are working on that question. Not all the results are made public, but even the few that are made public are enough to take it as truth.
– You talk very interestingly, – joined the conversation Andrew. – I'll be sure to experiment. But let's discuss our expedition a little, though. Bring me up to date, because I shall have to meet Mr. Lambert and give indirect reports.
– No problem, – Matthew answered, enjoying a hot pizza. – Everything turned out just great with the tickets, though we had to pay a little too much, but given our capabilities, or rather the capabilities of our client, we can afford it. So, tomorrow we leave for Portugal at noon. We only take Linda's equipment with us. We will spend the night in Portugal and the day after tomorrow we will take the liner to Brazil. Of course, this is not the most convenient route, it would be easier and faster to sail to Venezuela, but there are reasons for this. First, Venezuela does not border Peru, and the final destination, as we know, is located there. Going through Brazil, we would only have to cross one border, which is much more convenient. Second, there is a group of specialists in Brazil, including a good friend of mine. It would be foolish not to visit him and ask him about the intricacies of living with the natives, since the main emphasis will be on getting to know and communicate with them. All the basic equipment will be on a cargo flight and will be waiting for us in Peru. Now ready to answer questions.
– After such an exhaustive report, there can hardly be any questions, – assessed the depth of the plan Andrew. – In any case, everything is clear to me, and to you Linda.
– As for the trip, – Linda went on, – the itinerary looks more like a walk than a business trip. Though, I must confess, I've been dreaming of traveling by ship for a long time.
– You're absolutely right, – Matthew agreed. – But the fact is that I recently finished serious work and planned to have a little rest, and this order has made adjustments to my plans. First of all, it's interesting from the financial point of view, and secondly, it's of personal interest to me. It is not even a job, but more of a hobby. Now we are counting the time. We would not fly straight to Peru because of the need to visit the expedition team in Brazil. Direct flights to Brazil take a very long time, which means we would have to fly from Portugal. Including the overnight stay, that's two days. We would also spend about two days in Brazil. Moving to Peru takes three days. That makes seven. Now let's take our itinerary. It is the same, only instead of flying to Brazil, we will sail. That will extend our trip by five days. That makes a total of twelve. Compared to the total duration of the trip, that's nothing. Besides, on the way I will be able to expand my knowledge of the local dialects and get some rest, which, by the way, is very useful before a difficult case. These are all my considerations.
– Your judgment is as good as ever, – declared Linda solemnly. – And, as I said, I like this route.
It made no sense to speak loudly, for there was an extraordinary silence in the house, and only the sound of crackling firewood filling the air.
– Thank you, Matthew, – said Andrew, getting up from the sofa. – Now everything is clear. I suggest we celebrate our forthcoming trip with a glass of champagne.
– You know I don't drink alcohol, – Matthew reminded. – But as every ceremony has its own meaning, I wouldn't refuse a glass of juice. I wonder what the glasses are for?
– Frankly, I haven't given it much thought, – she answered. – But if you think about what happens, it brings to mind the clinking. The clinking of glasses. In every culture there is the ringing of either some object, or the same bell ringing in temples. It is a sound that has a very strong beneficial effect.
– Maybe you're right, – Matthew agreed. – It would be interesting to study the information about the influence of sound on our environment. I will do that when I return home.
