Not connected to number one

A satire

Chapter 12 Not connected to number one

“We'll need a social attitudes survey in the Crimea,” Susan suggested.

“Anything else?” Charles offered.

“Cultural stuff...artifacts, legends, music, songs.....”and then added, “ food.” She smiled in memory of their previous study in the Appalachia.

They entered his room and occupied the sofa. Charles checked his phone messages before joining them.

“Peter?” he inquired, in reference to supplementary work.

“Device a test for Neela and Chandra,” he suggested. “I'm certain they have not created an identity to the mahimorata in the physical way that we might ascribe a historical and geographical reference. I mean this is like knowing where your soul has been before?” He seemed incredulous.

“We can't dismiss any possibility on account of the fact that we have not come across it before,” Charles offered. “ Its a new world. It would need new approaches.”

“Okay,” Peter suggested. “Both of them have indicated that they need to continue with their studies. Chandra refers to the return to the family as the next great achievement. Neela plans to return to his village and settle in. We could use that.”

“Perfect,” Charles responded. “Go with it. We got three months.”

“What's your take of the Crimea?” Susan asked. “ What do you expect we will find?”

“It's what Peter found in Chandra's self management.... irony. We'll need to bring that out and identify it in their relations.” Then on an after thought added, “I was thinking of the comment Peter made about the goat and the bear.....”

“The shaman,” Peter corrected him.

“That's right,” Charles affirmed,” what's a mythical beast that's a cross between a goat and a bear?”

“A bear with horns,” Susan suggested.

“On hoofs,” Peter added.

“A satyr?” Charles inquired. “ Bears are known to hibernate....is a satyr in the process of experiencing a metamorphosis?”

“Curious,” said Susan.

“How are you going to explain the Sri Lankan civil war?” he asked, changing the subject.

“I'm not going to do that, you are,” he referred to Peter.

Susan let out a soft shriek when she saw Bob waiting at the restaurant. He kissed her on the cheek.

“Why didn't you tell me?” she turned to Charles.

“Bob's got me on ice as far as saying anything about him and what he does,” Charles responded.

Peter greeted Bob stiffly, like a representative of a foreign government.

“So what's this about frightening Peter with cloak and dagger stuff,” she asked Bob when they sat down.

“I can't have my inquiries connected to number one. You know what I mean,” he persuaded.

Peter staged a 'shut-off ' knowing that he was not included in the conversation.

They placed their orders and returned to the conversation.

“How's the profiling?” Susan asked.

“I don't have enough to go on,” he pleaded.

“We need a golden scarab,” Charles offered.

“A what...?” Bob intoned.

Susan looked surprised.

“I'm sorry Peter,” Charles apologized. “ This is something from our past.”

“Not a problem,” Peter answered, wondering about the excitement.

So Charles began with how they had been working on the Algonquin project to bring Peter up to chase. Then he told them about discovering the scarab.

Susan gaped deliberately in surprise.

Bob shook his head.

“I swear Charles, you keep doing stuff like that and someday I'm going to shoot you myself.”

 

“So that confirmed it,” she blurted excitedly.

They sat in silence for a while.

“They've been digging up gold from the Ukraine for centuries,” she said. “Sometimes in graves that didn't have a body.”

“What,” Peter exclaimed suddenly.

“It's on record,” Susan replied.

“You think they resurrected?” Bob joked.

“Actually there's a far greater seriousness to that,” Charles said mysteriously. “Susan found that in Transylvania.”

“Vampires?” Bob went for it again.

They kept silent.

“Okay, this has gone far enough,” said Bob leaning back, “I'm changing my drink.”

He called the waiter and ordered a whiskey.