The survivor, p.19
The Survivor, page 19
He laughed. “I’m not the devil. I’m actually a good enough guy that you can trust with Bailey. And I believe you have enough devils hovering around you right now.”
She nodded wryly. “That couldn’t be more true. But how can I be sure I can trust you with Bailey?”
He tilted his head. “Let’s see.…” Then his expression hardened. “Because she’s my primary job. Cade made that clear. If I had a choice of saving you or Bailey, it would have to be Bailey.” He met her eyes. “And I think that’s the way you’d want it anyway.”
He meant it. She felt a ripple of shock. “Yes, I would.”
He nodded. “But I’d try to save you both if it didn’t get in the way.”
Maya suddenly started to laugh. “How generous of you to include me. But I liked you more when you just came out with the raw statement.”
“But it wasn’t the entire truth. I think you appreciate the truth. So I wanted to be clear so that we understood each other.” He smiled. “It’s better now, isn’t it?”
“As long as you didn’t do anything stupid to try to save both of us.”
“I wouldn’t be stupid.” He turned to leave. “I’ll see you when I get back, Maya.”
“Yes.” She watched him go back up the hill and found her lips twitching. No, she couldn’t see Kagan ever being stupid…
Riley found Maya at Bailey’s tent in the valley when she came to find her that evening. As usual Bailey was no more than a few yards from Riva, but she came running to see Riley. “I’m glad you’re here. Kagan told me that you were helping Cade, but I didn’t like it that you weren’t with us. I feel safer about Riva if you’re near.”
“And I’ll always try to be close,” Riley said. “But I might have to be gone for a little while. Though Maya is here, and we both know she can take care of nearly anything that comes along.”
“I’ll certainly try,” Maya said dryly. “But I’m not sure that Riva would appreciate my efforts on her behalf. You’d better keep studying that animal anatomy textbook I gave you. We might need all the help we can get.” She bent down and gave Bailey a hug. “Still, we’ll muddle through and everything will turn out fine. I won’t let anything happen to Riva. How is she doing?”
“You never muddle, Mama,” Bailey said. “It’s just that I don’t know how close Riva is. She doesn’t seem to have changed except to get bigger. According to my book about deer, she shouldn’t be ready to have the baby for at least another few days.” She frowned. “But she’s not the usual deer, is she? Unicorns might be different.”
“And they might not,” Riley said. “We’ll take care of her, and you have shepherds who have helped with birthing other deer. They might be able to help.”
She shook her head. “I don’t think so. Riva hasn’t wanted to be touched by any of them.” She suddenly brightened. “But she didn’t seem to mind when Kagan was stroking her. I could tell Riva liked him. He said that when he was a little boy, he took care of his uncle’s farm animals during the summer. He told me all I had to do was call him and he’d come if I had a problem. Is that okay, Mama?”
“Why not?” Maya kissed her cheek and then stood up. “He seems destined to solve all kinds of problems while he’s here. No reason why you can’t come first on the list.”
“Not me,” Bailey corrected. “Riva.”
“One and the same for the moment,” Maya said. “But remember I’m here, too. Always.”
Bailey nodded gravely. “Always.”
“That’s right.” She grinned. “But I’ve got to go with Riley to have a cup of coffee with Cade now. We’ve got a few things to talk about that have nothing to do with Riva. If you need any help with Riva, I’m leaving the usual sentry outside and you can call him. I’ll be back in an hour or so. Try to sleep.”
Bailey shook her head.
Maya sighed resignedly. “Okay. Keep Riva company and we’ll talk about sleep when I come back.” She grabbed her notebook and jerked her head to Riley. They left the tent and walked toward the bonfire in the middle of the circle of tents on the upper slope of the valley where Cade was waiting. “Sorry. You shouldn’t have had to deal with Bailey’s angst, too, Riley.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Riley said. “I’d already told her that I’d help her with Riva. It’s my fault for having to back out and making her worry. I just hope finding that coffin won’t take too long and keep me from getting back to her.”
“I can’t assure you that I’ll be able to produce on schedule.” Maya’s lips twisted. “It’s not as if any of the caretakers visited the site frequently. That would have defeated the purpose of all the secrecy Silvana wanted when she arranged her burial. Our orders were to visit only to check periodically and maintain. I’m not even sure that the access to the mountain is still viable.”
“Why wouldn’t it be?”
“Because everything else around us is changing,” Maya said. “And Silvana was clever, but she couldn’t think of everything. Jann Lu didn’t, either. She just threw it to me and told me to do my duty. I’ve done what I could.” She added bitterly, “Now you have to do whatever you can to make this right.”
Riley stared at her, puzzled. “What are you trying to say, Maya?”
“That sometimes the best-laid plans don’t work worth a damn.” They had reached the bonfire, and she saw Cade get to his feet. “Hello, Cade, should we get this started?” Then she saw Kagan come forward out of the shadows. “I thought you might be here. Cade invited you?”
Kagan nodded. “I know mountains. He thought I might be useful. But I’m only here to consult. If you want me to leave now, I will.”
Maya stared at him for a long moment. “What the hell? In the end it won’t make a difference. Stay.” Then she pulled out her notebook and sat down in front of the fire. “Give me a cup of coffee and I’ll start filling you in about Zokara Mountain.” She took a sip of the coffee Riley handed her and gave Kagan a sardonic glance. “And don’t bother trying to remember the name of that mountain out of all the peaks you’re familiar with. You won’t know this one.”
“I wouldn’t waste my time. I prefer to have you tell me about it,” he said quietly. “There are over three thousand four hundred named peaks in the Himalayas alone. Not to mention the other Asian ranges.”
“Well, this particular mountain wasn’t named before Silvana purchased and took possession of that strip of the mountains at the same time that she bought the island. She had plans for the foothills and mountains because she was always afraid that the island itself was too accessible. There was always the chance that Rome might find where she was and send soldiers after her.” She shook her head. “But no one could say those mountains were accessible. She would have a place to run to and escape if it became necessary. There was no way she was going to let them drag her back to those arenas and butcher her. The mountains served as an escape hatch, and there were valleys in the foothills where she could nurture the herds she’d brought with her. It seemed a perfect way for her to have it all.”
“Good for her,” Riley said as she sat down beside Maya. “It obviously worked. Those unicorns appear to be healthy and flourishing. And she never had to use her escape hatch?”
“No, but she never got over the fear that it could happen. Over the years she nearly reached the status of queen, one revered and respected by everyone. Yet the more she worked at creating her perfect world for herself and the islanders, the more she looked over her shoulder. She began to worry about what would happen to her little kingdom and her islanders after she was no longer there to protect it. Would everything she’d worked for be taken away from the islanders if Rome discovered she was the one who had made it a success?” Maya shook her head. “Being Silvana, she couldn’t bear that idea, so she began to look around for a way to take herself out of the equation. When she died, no one must be able to find her remains and steal either her treasure or the glory of her accomplishments. Which would also keep the islanders safe. And she had one more requirement: She disliked the idea of her body being cut into and her organs removed, which was the common practice at that time in both Rome and Egypt. As a warrior, she thought it would be like a final defeat in the arena, and she refused to be defeated even by death. So she set about searching for another way to get what she wanted. It took her a few years, but she found a mountain that was close to the island but high enough that there would be no chance of any grave robbers or pesky Roman soldiers being able to raid her tomb. She named it Zokara and started to work.”
“High enough,” Cade repeated. He looked at Kagan. “Are you going to ask her or should I?”
“I don’t believe she’s going to be shy about spelling it out,” Kagan’s gaze met Maya’s. “Altitude?”
She nodded. “The sarcophagus area was over eight thousand meters. That put it into death zone territory as far as altitude was concerned. But you know that.”
“Very well. High-altitude pulmonary edema. Most frequent cause of death.” He added, “And cerebral edema is even more dangerous because it causes fluid on the brain.”
“But it doesn’t affect you?” she asked. “You’re the genetic miracle man.”
He smiled. “My ancestors have lived in these mountains for centuries, so my genes have adjusted and I require much less oxygen. But then most guides I know have a similar ability.”
“Maybe not quite as extreme?”
“Perhaps not. I’m multiracial in my heritage. I have a thread of Irish. I have relatives on the Tibetan side, and my great-great-grandfather was born in the Changbai Mountains in Manchuria—and heaven only knows where his forebears came from. But I can almost guarantee it was deep mountain country.”
“Well, unfortunately Silvana didn’t know about altitude sickness when she was preparing her sarcophagus,” Maya said. “She lost three workers while they were constructing the central burial tower and the smaller treasure area. She was horrified. She didn’t know until it was too late that they were suffering any more than a little shortness of breath. They hadn’t complained. Her workers wouldn’t have wanted to refuse her if they could help it. They had a duty to her and wanted to do it. They might possibly have lived if they hadn’t worked so hard and long to complete the tower room. She ordered the rest of the workers down from the mountain, but she still hadn’t given up her plan to be placed on that mountaintop. Now it seemed even more important because her islanders had died there for her. But it had to be done right and with no harm to anyone but herself. She had to be the only one who ever visited that tower room. She knew a lot about poisons and drugs both from her experience on the steppes and Antonio’s dealings with the court. So she went searching for answers that pleased her.”
“And did she find them?” Riley asked.
“She found them,” Maya said. “She found a drug that would act almost like an instant fast freeze when she was placed in the sarcophagus. She called it a forever drug because it would freeze time forever for the person receiving it. When she knew her time had come, she had herself carried up to the tower room. She gave herself a strong sedative so that she wouldn’t have to struggle for breath until she was in the tower room. Then all relatives and servants had orders to leave the room and lock it. They were told to leave the mountain and not return after they watched her take the final drug.” Maya smiled faintly. “Her daughter said the drug worked instantly. It was incredible. She was beautiful. Silvana looked younger than she had in years, as if she had just fallen into a restful sleep.”
“Nice…” Riley said. “Though a little too much like a fairy tale. Particularly the bit about the freeze-drying drug she was given.”
“Maybe not,” Kagan said. “It could be that Silvana was just a little in advance of her generation. Though there might have been drugs like that in her day. It was a prime era for magicians and priests to work their magic. Besides, not all drugs are concocted in a lab. She might have gathered them in a forest.”
“You’re reaching,” Cade said.
“Am I?” Kagan smiled. “Remind me to tell you about Chile.”
Maya shrugged. “When you’re finished, I’d like to go on. I’ve told you what her daughter and the servants who witnessed her death related afterward. Do you want to hear the rest?”
“I definitely want to hear where that mountain is located,” Cade said.
“I thought you would.” Maya reached for her notebook and tore out the first page. “The coordinates of the waterfall entry and the passage that leads from there up to the tower room where Silvana died.”
“Waterfall?” Cade echoed.
“Look at the directions and the coordinates on the page. The entry path leads behind a waterfall in the jungle near the temple. Once inside there’s a trapdoor near the cliff edge that goes down about fifty feet and connects with another path that goes east for about four miles and then starts upward to curve around the mountain until you reach the tower room they carved into Zokara. After that, you’re on your own.”
“Any suggestions?”
“Watch for broken stones. You’ll be warm for only about a fourth of the trip up the path, then you’ll start feeling the cold. The darkness can be overwhelming, so be sure your lights and batteries don’t fail you. It’s always a good idea to have someone close to you in case you become disoriented and wander off the path.”
“And how many of those mistakes did you make?” Cade asked.
“More than I care to admit,” she said wryly. “So I’m not about to do it. But you’ll probably be able to guess when I tell you I made that trip by myself. As caretaker, I thought I should handle such a delicate mission with discretion.” She hesitated. “One thing I did do right. I took the precaution to get four complete oxygen units that you’ll find about halfway up to the tower. It might save your life. By that time the altitude may be taking you down.”
“What a touching gift,” Riley said with a grin. “You always know what to get a friend.”
“Actually, I bought them for myself,” Maya said. “Just in case I decided not to count on getting help. There was always that possibility. I was considering regular space suits, but I found they weigh about four hundred pounds and have terrible mobility issues. I figured a pressure suit like jet pilots wear would be better if I added an oxygen tank and a plastic helmet with lights. That would create mobility problems, too, but you wouldn’t have to put it on until you reached the halfway point—the death zone for altitude sickness. If you moved fast enough after that, it should be safe.”
“Not bad,” Kagan murmured.
Maya’s brows rose. “But not perfect?”
“Nothing is perfect until you’re staring it in the face. The worst danger would be accidental depressurization that would make you go unconscious in seconds and then suffocate and freeze you to death immediately. The suits would have to be carefully crafted to avoid any cracks or any faulty suit joints.”
“I made sure they were,” Maya said coolly.
Kagan smiled. “Then, as you said, all you’d have to worry about is that you move very fast.”
“But I won’t be the one to wear those suits now,” Maya said. “After I climbed up to the midway point lugging them, I noticed I wasn’t breathing so well and I decided that it wasn’t smart to go any farther alone. I stopped and went back down to the waterfall and began to make plans to try again later if I could persuade someone to come with me.”
“And you did,” Riley said. “You won’t have to worry about that any longer.”
Maya smiled. “Maybe not. But you were always the easy one. And I say that with heartfelt thanks.” She looked around at their faces. “Is there anything else you need to know from me before I go back to Bailey?”
“Only one thing,” Riley said. “When we first came, you said something about how the best-laid plans sometimes don’t work worth a damn. You never told me what you meant.”
Maya hesitated and then said, “Exactly what I said. I was thinking about Silvana.”
“And?”
“I was thinking how hard she worked during all her time here on the island. Then when she decided she had to find a way to die that wouldn’t hurt the people she cared about, she went out of her way to do that, too.”
“But it was worth a damn, Maya,” Riley said gently. “Everything she did had value.”
“Did it?” Maya asked. “I hope you’re right. I’ve always been a cynic, but I had to be the one to question everything when I took charge of the island. I thought it was my duty.”
“Why wouldn’t you believe it?” Kagan’s gaze was fixed intently on her face. “Tell me.”
“I think there’s probably a good chance you know already.” Maya’s lips twisted bitterly. “Didn’t you tell me how well you knew the mountains?”
“Tell me anyway.”
She shrugged. “Because Silvana couldn’t know that things wouldn’t stay the same. Even before I took over from Jann Lu, I’d noticed things were changing around us. An orchard that had flooded when it never had before. An earthquake near the temple area. A river that had changed the direction of its flow. So I had a few experts come here and take a more in-depth look and give me some answers.”
“And what did they say?”
She met his eyes. “What do you think? It was due to the effects of global warming. There were other signs on the island I hadn’t noticed, but they gave me a complete fifteen-page report describing every one of them. Along with recommendations about what to do when conditions get worse.” She added bitterly, “As they most certainly would.”
“Shit.” Riley stared at her, stunned. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Why? It wouldn’t have solved the present problem and certainly not any future ones.” Maya gestured dismissively. “All this wonder and beauty around us… There’s unlikely to be any major immediate damage to the island unless there’s a tsunami or major storm cycle. I may have time to scramble and get together some kind of long-range plan. The mountains are safer than the island for the time being. But they’re also being affected. The south glacier that took two thousand years to form has almost melted in the last twenty-five years. The Himalayas are losing their glaciers at an extraordinary rate, and the ice melt threatens agriculture and water supply—and eventually means rising sea levels. It will also increase the likelihood of avalanches.”
