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– 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.
– Juice it is, – Andrew brought the tray with the decanter. – What about you, Linda?
– I'll support Matthew, – she answered.
– Then you leave me no choice, – Andrew gave up, pouring the cool drink into the glasses. – Let's complement the crackling of the wood in the fireplace with the clinking of our glasses, and may it bring your expedition success and good luck.
3
A beautiful sea liner was smoothly crossing the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, carrying more than a thousand passengers on board. The calm waters stretched for miles around, but many were not at all interested. Most of the passengers behaved as if they were in an entertainment establishment on land, depriving themselves of the basic pleasure of watching the mesmerizing water element.
The third day of the voyage was approaching, and many had already ceased to appreciate what Matthew would not trade for any achievements of modern entertainment innovations, which the ship was fully equipped with. But there were those who shared his interests and spent all their free time in comfortable loungers on the upper deck, which had a panoramic view of the expanse of the ocean. The day was nearing its end and a huge disk of fiery red would soon touch the horizon with its edge. Such moments Matthew never missed, because of the opportunity to admire the flight of our home planet.
«During sunrise and sunset, you can truly observe the power of the universe, – Matthew thought. – The planet rushes at tremendous speed around the sun, and we cannot notice it only because there is no proper reference point. How much everything changes when it appears. As the sun approaches the horizon, it is this mesmerizing movement of our planet that we can concentrate on. It's a shame that such moments can be observed only twice a day. And for residents of megalopolises they are practically not available at all. Besides, most people are immersed in illusory problems, which they invented themselves. And if you could just look around, you could admire the world around you. To feel its power. Its power… The masters of the earth… what nonsense they put into our immature minds. Who are we? Just grains of sand. Though some of us are beginning to realize that. I'm not the only one sitting here. And even though it's mostly the elderly, who cares? The main thing is that I am not alone in my thoughts».
Though the sun's rays no longer illuminated the deck, its soft light made it possible to read, and Matthew picked up the dictionary again, which he had set aside for the time of his viewing the sunset. After half an hour it became difficult to look through the book, so he decided to check on Linda. The girl was not in her quarters, so Matthew made his way to the swimming pool, where she liked to spend her evenings. The pool was also on the upper deck, where Matthew had recently come down from, but only at the stern of the ship, and it took him at least fifteen minutes to get there. As he approached, the splashes of water and the enthusiastic cries of the bathers began to be heard. There was no shortage of visitors at this time, just as there was no shortage of other entertainment venues.
Since the pool was on the open deck, and the cool ocean cyclone of the night enveloped the ship with its coolness, many vacationers preferred to soak in the warm water. Matthew didn't immediately find Linda, so he decided to take a seat at the bar nearby. He ordered a glass of orange juice and started to watch the customers, trying to find his friend. Soon he noticed her coming out of the pool. Linda also saw Matthew and threw a towel over herself and went to him.
– Good evening, – he heard a joyful voice. – Who are you looking for?
– Good evening, Linda, – Matthew answered, getting up from his chair. – Who should I be looking for but you? Have a seat. You're in great shape.
– Thanks for the compliment, – Linda smiled, and took the cocktail the barman offered to her. – I keep hoping to see you in the pool without a shirt, but you do not break away from your dictionaries. How about now?
– I don't want to draw attention to myself, – Matthew joked, – besides, I don't really like swimming pools. But I'd dive into the ocean right now, if they gave passengers the opportunity.
– It's true that you attract attention, especially from women, – Linda smiled, raising an eyebrow meaningfully. – Your serene study of dialects on the deck will cease because of the many groupies. Look how many beautiful girls are swimming.
Linda looked around the pool area while sipping her cocktail through a straw.
– If you stay close to me, no one will dare to compete with you, – Matthew supported the verbal game and raised an eyebrow at her friend's example.
– How can you sit all day on the deck when you can rest so well before the serious work. You ought to meet somebody. A good company, a change of scenery is good for the learning process.
– I agree, – said Matthew. – And so I will.
– Really! – exclaimed Linda. – Shall we go swimming then?
– No, I'll pass. But I saw some poker tables in the casino the other day. I guess I could play a little.
– It sounds pretty boring to me, – frustrated Linda. – We'd be better off buying.
– It depends on how you play and what tasks you set, – Matthew objected.
– What kind of tasks is possible? – Linda wondered. – To win and leave the casino with the money.
– Don't tell me, – countered Matthew. – You're not playing with a robot, you're playing with real people. It's easy to win with a good card, but beating your opponent when you have a weak card is another matter. In order to do that, you have to learn to feel your opponent, to anticipate his train of thought. That's where the interesting game comes in.
– Maybe you're right, but it's definitely not for me. Let's sit a little longer, and then I'll go to my room. I want to leaf through some records, too, and enjoy the starry sky on my way back to my cabin.
– You're right, – Matthew agreed. – The light is rather strong here, and you can hardly see the stars, though they're very bright at these latitudes.
– It's not the latitude, but, as you rightly pointed out, the light. In the big cities, even at night, there is too much light, so the stars are not seen as well. But the fact that other constellations are visible here is interesting.
– I agree. It's so nice to watch. At times like this, you start to think about things you would never think about in everyday life.
– Yes, I've noticed that you sometimes dive into some kind of peculiar state. I don't consider myself a big expert on the subject, but I have read that the human brain can operate at different frequencies. According to researchers, there are four: alpha, beta, theta, and delta. The beta frequency, for example, characterizes readiness for conscious thinking, the alpha frequency is a state of easy relaxation, the theta frequency is responsible for creative inspiration and the delta frequency reveals heightened perception.
– I have read about it too, but I have not really dived into the information, – Matthew confessed.
– Well, – Linda continued, – I think that when you observe natural phenomena, your brain switches to the theta frequencies, which is not common. During those moments you receive information that is impossible to receive in the ordinary state.
Matthew thought for a while. He remembered his colorful dreams and his intention to study the subject in more detail.
– Linda! – he exclaimed. – You are priceless. You wouldn't believe it, but that's a question I was very interested in, only I didn't know where to look. And you opened up the veil. Thank you very much. After our expedition, I will devote some time to it. I get this condition very often.
– See, that's good, – Linda smiled. – You never know where the information you need will come from.
– You never know, – affirmed Matthew, putting the empty glass aside. – I'll think about it before I go to sleep.
– It's getting late. I wanted to go to bed early, I have a few things to do tomorrow, and you can go have fun in your casino.
She got up from the bar, kissed Matthew on the cheek, and headed for the exit.
Matthew did not immediately go to the casino, but decided first to walk out onto the open unlit deck and look at the sky. Of the constellations of the Southern Hemisphere he only remembered the constellation of Scorpio, because he himself was a Scorpio by horoscope. Having a rough idea of what it looked like, Matthew spent about ten minutes looking for it. Finding nothing that even remotely resembled a picture from the book, he abandoned the venture and continued on his way to the gambling establishment.
«I'll play for a while and come back here again, – he thought, quickening his pace. – I should at least learn the names and locations of the constellations, you never know what might come in handy».
With these thoughts Matthew entered the casino. The bright light interrupted his reverie and displaced it with the anticipation of a good game. He passed the roulette tables and made his way straight to the poker tables, one of which was the object of a heated discussion. Five players were playing another hand, while four seats remained vacant.