Contract with God aka The Moses Expedition

50

AL MUDAWWARA DESERT, JORDAN

Saturday, 15 July 2006. 6:34 a.m.

Andrea woke up feeling like she had been chewing on cardboard. She was lying on an examination table next to which Father Fowler and Dr Harel, both in pyjamas, were dozing off on chairs.

She was about to get up to head for the bathroom when the zip on the doorway opened and there was Jacob Russell. Kayn’s assistant had a walkie-talkie on his belt and a pensive frown on his face. Seeing that the priest and the doctor were asleep, he tiptoed over to the table and whispered to Andrea.

‘How are you?’

‘Remember the morning after the day you graduated?’

Russell smiled and nodded.

‘Well, the same, but it’s as if they substituted brake fluid for the booze,’ Andrea said, holding her head.

‘We were very worried about you. What happened to Erling, and now this… We’re having a lot of bad luck.’

At that moment Andrea’s guardian angels awoke simultaneously.

‘Bad luck? That’s bullshit,’ Harel said, stretching in her chair. ‘What happened here was attempted murder.’

‘What are you saying?’

‘I’d like to know too,’ Andrea said, shocked.

‘Mr Russell,’ Fowler said, standing up and going over to the assistant, ‘I’m formally requesting that Ms Otero be evacuated to the Behemoth.’

‘Father Fowler, I appreciate your concern for Ms Otero’s welfare, and normally I’d be the first to agree with you. But doing that would mean breaking the rule about the security of the operation and that’s a huge step-’

‘Listen-’ Andrea broke in.

‘Her health is in no immediate danger, is it, Dr Harel?’

‘Well… technically no,’ said Harel, forced to concede.

‘A couple of days and she’ll be as good as new.’

‘Listen to me…’ Andrea insisted.

‘You see, Father, it wouldn’t make sense to evacuate Ms Otero before she’s had a chance to accomplish her task.’

‘Even when somebody is trying to kill her?’ Fowler said tensely.

‘There’s no proof of that. It was an unfortunate coincidence that the scorpions got into her sleeping bag but-’

‘STOP!’ Andrea screamed.

Astonished, the three turned towards her.

‘Could you stop talking about me as if I wasn’t here, and listen to me for one fucking moment? Or am I not allowed to give my opinion before you dump me from this expedition?’

‘Of course. Go ahead, Andrea,’ Harel said.

‘First, I want to know how the scorpions got into my sleeping bag.’

‘An unfortunate accident,’ Russell commented.

‘It couldn’t have been an accident,’ Father Fowler replied. ‘The infirmary is a sealed tent.’

‘You don’t understand,’ Kayn’s assistant said, shaking his head in frustration. ‘Everybody is jumpy about what happened to Stowe Erling. Rumours are flying all over the place. Some people are saying it was one of the soldiers, others that it was Pappas when he found out that Erling had located the Ark. If I evacuate Ms Otero now, a lot of other people will want to leave as well. Every time they see me, Hanley, Larsen and a few others say they want me to send them back to the ship. I’ve told them that, for their own security, they must remain here, because we simply cannot guarantee that they’ll reach the Behemoth safely. That argument wouldn’t count for much if I evacuated you, Ms Otero.’

Andrea was quiet for a few moments.

‘Mr Russell, am I to understand that I’m not free to leave whenever I want?’

‘Well, I’ve come to offer you a proposition from my boss.’

‘I’m all ears.’

‘I don’t think you quite understand. Mr Kayn himself will be the one making you the offer.’ Russell took the walkie-talkie from his belt and pressed the call button. ‘Here she is, sir,’ he said, handing it to Andrea.

‘Hello and good morning, Ms Otero.’

The old man’s voice was pleasant, although he had a slight Bavarian accent.

Like that governor of California. The one who was an actor.

‘Ms Otero, are you there?’

Andrea had been so surprised to hear the old man’s voice that it took her a while to get her parched throat going again.

‘Yes, I’m here, Mr Kayn.’

‘Ms Otero, I would like to invite you to have a drink with me later around lunchtime. We can chat and I can answer your questions if you wish.’

‘Yes, of course, Mr Kayn. I would like that very much.’

‘Do you feel well enough to come over to my tent?’

‘Yes, sir. It’s only forty feet from here.’

‘Well, I’ll see you then.’

Andrea gave the walkie-talkie back to Russell, who politely said goodbye and left. Fowler and Harel didn’t utter a word; they simply stared at Andrea disapprovingly.

‘Stop looking at me like that,’ Andrea said, letting herself fall back on the examination table and closing her eyes. ‘I can’t let a chance like this slip through my fingers.’

‘Don’t you think it’s an amazing coincidence that he offered you an interview the moment we asked if you could leave,’ Harel said with irony.

‘Well, I can’t pass it up,’ Andrea insisted. ‘The public has a right to know more about this man.’

The priest waved a hand dismissively.

‘Millionaires and reporters. They’re all the same, thinking they own the truth.’

‘Just like the Church, Father Fowler?’