Volcano Watch

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

In town we parted without ceremony, Lindsay to alert the Geological Survey and me to report to Krom.

We took facing chairs in his office. I sat sweating, still wearing my thermo-lined snow pants, and told him about the fissure up on Red Mountain. He showed amazement, like he was stumbling upon it along with me, following in wonder through the grotto and then halting to gape at the rockfall’s secret. He sat silently, seeing it.

I gripped the arms of my chair. It was death to just sit here.

He spoke, finally. “Then she really did find something.”

I nodded.

“What did Lindsay say when you showed her?”

“It’s a big deal. Not in those words, but…”

“No way out?”

I glanced at Krom’s wall of photos, at the frozen family who didn’t escape. “Lindsay didn’t say that.”

“Tell me everything she did say.”

“She didn’t say a lot. She took measurements. She took photos.”

“And what is she doing now?”

“Alerting USGS.”

“Good.”

I said, “What about you?”

“I’m going to contact my people.”

“So you can spin it?”

His hand slammed down on the desk and I jumped.

He too looked poised to bolt. Both hands on the desk, forearms braced. White scar stood up from brown skin, Dante rising. He said, “So I can do my job.”

“Glad to hear that.” I stood. “That’s why I came to tell you.”

“Let’s be clear,” he said, “there’s no more spin involved. I’m going to notify FEMA that the situation has altered, then I’m going to go have a look for myself and consult with USGS. Then I’m going to study the maps and reprogram the simulations and see where we go from here. Then I’m going to telephone everyone on the Council, then email my report to the home office, and copy it to Len Carow. And in the course of doing my job I’m going to reclaim my reputation.” He looked at me squarely. “I win, we all win.”

“I sure hope so.” I headed for the door.

His voice followed me. “We’re finished, you and I.”

I turned. “Finished?”

“The bargain. You delivered. In fact, you might very well have saved us, finding that fissure. Congratulations.” He looked down at the scar on his forearm, then back at me. “No sacrifice required.”

I didn’t feel much like a savior. “I just found what Georgia found. She’s the one who deserves the credit.”

He briefly bowed his head.

“One thing,” I said, “that surprises me. You didn’t ask about Georgia — what happened to her there.”

“Do you know?”

“No. Just that she died there. Pending analysis of the evidence and exemplars, of course. I’ll copy you our report. I thought you’d want to know.”

“What do you think happened?”

“I think she was murdered. I don’t know if we’ll get an ID on the killer.” I shrugged. “I can’t foretell the future.”