Gates Of Hades

Chapter Thirty-two

Albergo del San Giovanni

Via Roma, Turin

The next morning

Jason's head was buried alternately in the International Herald Tribune, the New York Times, and the Washington Post's English-language newspaper distributed throughout Europe. He was sitting in the hotel's small dining room, where a buffet breakfast of breads, sausages, fruit, jams, cereals, and juices was lined up on white tablecloths. Across the table, Maria was finishing her third coffee.

Jason lowered his paper long enough to glance at the one inches away. Like an old married couple, he thought, each too engrossed in the morning's papers to engage in conversation. Just as well. Other than ecological extremists trying to kill them, exploring hell, or last night's sexual acrobatics, what did they have to talk about?

An article on the front page drew him back to the news. He read, then re-read it, then sat in silent thought for a moment. He folded the Herald Tribune's front page and shoved it over the top of Maria's paper like an invading army breaching a castle wall.

She lowered the barrier long enough to give him a peevish look. "I thought you read that paper only for the comics."

"It's the only one that still carries 'Calvin and Hobbes.'"

"Oh, that makes a difference."

He used the hand not holding the paper to point. "Look at this."

Washington -The president announced a new environmental initiative yesterday. A previously undisclosed conference is scheduled for next week.

The president and members of his cabinet will meet with leaders of various ecological and conservationists groups, such as the Sierra Club and the American Green Party, largely organizations that have been critical of the president's handling of such issues as global warming, oil exploration in Alaska, and relaxing of clean air and water standards.

A White House spokesperson said any organized group with an interest in the environment will be welcomed on a space-available basis.

As an act the same spokesperson described as "showing good faith," the president intends to pardon those accused of crimes in the name of conservation, such as those who are presently charged with trespassing on national forest lands by chaining themselves to trees to be cut, or blocking access to oil fields. Asked if this pardon would include violent crimes, the White House appears to be undecided.

Senator Sott (D-Mass.) described the announcement as "A shockingly transparent and cynical effort by the environment's sworn enemy to drum up votes from those he has ignored too long."

The exact site of the conference in Washington has yet to be announced.

Frowning like a primary school teacher accommodating one of her less bright pupils, Maria scanned the article. "So?"

"The man's nuts," he said. "He'll never make peace with those people any more than you could placate a rattlesnake."

She finally laid her paper down, regarding him with a mixture of annoyance and amusement. "Your president is 'nuts'? And to think how many Americans got angry when we Europeans first made the observation. Do you think he is any different from any other politician? A politician would be willing to forgive and forget the biggest mass murder in your history if he thinks it will get him reelected."

"Like Jimmy Carter trying to negotiate with Iran to free American hostages? It lost him the next election."

She smiled. "Perhaps now it is your role to give political advice?"

She stood, went to the buffet and selected a pear, and returned to her chair. She took a noisy, moist bite before sitting down. "And so?"

He put the paper down, subject exhausted. "If Adrian and I go…"

She held the pear out to him for him to sample. "If you, Adrian, and I go."

The fruit seemed to turn to a mellow syrup in his mouth. Like most Italian fruit, it was fresh, flavorful, and just ripe enough-So good that Jason suspected there was an official Italian fruit manufacturing agency that produced synthetic goods. He'd never sampled anything that good from Mother Nature.

He swallowed before saying, "Your choice. Eno was right: if Cumae or Baia is a supply of the gas, somebody will be watching."

"Is that a fact?"

Neither Jason nor Maria had seen Adrian emerge from his hiding place behind another paper in the far corner of the room.

"Truly alert you are, laddie," he gloated to Jason. "Coulda killed you a dozen times. Ye're na' payin' attention t'er surroundin's." He pointed to the half-eaten pear. "Or too busy wid the forbidden fruit in this garden."

The SAS man was right: Jason had given scant notice to the other diners, any one of whom could have been Eglov himself hiding behind a copy of la Republica. He had felt so good, so happy as a result of last night's lovemaking, he had momentarily forgotten a darker world where inattention was frequently a capital offense.

As Adrian planted an avuncular kiss on Maria's cheek, Jason dared envision, just for a second, a life where it wasn't necessary to get neck cramps looking over your shoulder. A life… well, a life pretty much like what he and Laurin had planned before she was taken from him.

The reflections shattered like crystal dropped on bricks when Jason realized Adrian was asking questions.

"Was Professor Calligini helpful? Be we off, then? Where to? Baia? Will we be needin' special kit?"

It was the latter question that had brought Jason back to reality. "According to the last explorer, the gas wasn't a problem. Still, I asked Maria to request air tanks so we won't be taking the risk. They should be waiting when we get there."

"And where would 'there' be?" Adrian wanted to know.

"Naples. We can be there in a few hours."

As they left the room, Jason looked back to where the Herald Tribune lay in the chair he had occupied. There was something about that meeting in Washington that he knew without being aware of his knowledge, something… Past experience told him the thought was not yet ripe enough to fall into his full conscious. It would become clear in its own good time.

He only hoped that would be soon enough for… what?