that teague meant bard in Celtic. That couldn’t be it, she thought, as the man would definitely be out of place reciting poetry while strumming a lyre.
Their bags and scuba gear appeared. Their escort hovered while Calder lifted his, waited for Blaine to identify hers, and handed them to her. She noticed that Teague didn’t offer to help, though the steel air tanks and other gear were heavy.
Calder said, “Neither of us has a dry suit, never needed one. “Mathiessen told us Salomon would s supply them.”
“ Camp master found some. Waiting at hotel.”
The cab was a dented Lada wagon. After the driver loaded the baggage, Teague maneuvered to sit between Calder and Blaine. They drove off down a tree-lined boulevard.
“ I’ll be backing you up for the length of your stay,” Teague said in his flat voice.
Spying on us, you mean. Now Blaine remembered what had bothered her. She’d heard vague rumors, water-cooler chitchat really, about a shadowy “facilitator” in Salomon’s employ. She stole a sideways glance at Teague’s heavy-browed profile. He didn’t seem like an academic or even a corporate functionary. He looked like a thug.
She wondered what a facilitator did at Salomon Industries. Was it anything like an expediter? She bet he wasn’t any kind of gofer.
“ What do you do at the company?” Calder said, and Blaine sensed he had similar misgivings.
“ Facilitate.” Teague flicked his dead eyes at Blaine, then back at Calder. “I want to remind you both of your promise to keep your mouths shut. You are not to talk to anyone but appropriate officials about the purpose of your visit.”
Blaine said, “And we tell them . . .”
“ Your cover story. No details. I’ve arranged lunch tomorrow with the Tajik nature minister and the director of antiquities. Afterward, depending on weather, we’ll fly by feeder airline to Khorugh in the southern Pamir and by helicopter to Lake Achik.”
“ What do you mean, ‘depending on weather’?” Calder said.
“ Khorugh lies at almost seven thousand feet in a valley at the confluence of the Panj and Gunt rivers. The pilot needs good weather to make the approach, so they only fly if it’s clear.”
“ Wonderful,” Calder said.
“ I figured to sightsee for a couple of days,” Blaine said, more to hear Teague’s response than because she’d actually thought Salomon would afford them any tourist time. “I’d pay my expenses.”
Teague’s heavy brow knotted. “Negative, unless we get socked in.”
Negative? The word had a military ring.
“ We can’t drive?” Calder said. “I was looking forward to seeing Tajikistan close up.”
“ The country south of Khorugh is one of the most remote areas of the Pamir. There is no road to the lake.”
“ How are we to converse with these people tomorrow if we’re not to talk details?” Calder said.
“ As far as the Tajik government knows, human remains have been found in the dry portion of an underwater cave along with some kind of drawings on the wall. That’s all you discuss, and not even that if you don’t have to.”
Blaine said, “But we’re supposed to be working on their behalf. We’ll have to at least seem cooperative.”
Teague fixed his flat gaze on her. “You are to tell them nothing without my permission. No chitchat. Understood?”
Blaine nodded, glancing out the window to break the man’s stare. At this late hour no other vehicles were on the road. Beyond the curb, lights played on Soviet-style buildings. The cab turned onto a narrow street, the houses dimly perceived beyond open ditches and masonry walls, then emerged onto another broad boulevard.
In the glass, Blaine could see Teague’s rough reflection. It was difficult to picture the man in a corporate conference room. Granted, a “facilitator” might be useful in smoothing their trip, but why had Salomon sent someone who came off more like a hit man than a travel guide?
The taxi pulled up by a glassy structure,
Their bags and scuba gear appeared. Their escort hovered while Calder lifted his, waited for Blaine to identify hers, and handed them to her. She noticed that Teague didn’t offer to help, though the steel air tanks and other gear were heavy.
Calder said, “Neither of us has a dry suit, never needed one. “Mathiessen told us Salomon would s supply them.”
“ Camp master found some. Waiting at hotel.”
The cab was a dented Lada wagon. After the driver loaded the baggage, Teague maneuvered to sit between Calder and Blaine. They drove off down a tree-lined boulevard.
“ I’ll be backing you up for the length of your stay,” Teague said in his flat voice.
Spying on us, you mean. Now Blaine remembered what had bothered her. She’d heard vague rumors, water-cooler chitchat really, about a shadowy “facilitator” in Salomon’s employ. She stole a sideways glance at Teague’s heavy-browed profile. He didn’t seem like an academic or even a corporate functionary. He looked like a thug.
She wondered what a facilitator did at Salomon Industries. Was it anything like an expediter? She bet he wasn’t any kind of gofer.
“ What do you do at the company?” Calder said, and Blaine sensed he had similar misgivings.
“ Facilitate.” Teague flicked his dead eyes at Blaine, then back at Calder. “I want to remind you both of your promise to keep your mouths shut. You are not to talk to anyone but appropriate officials about the purpose of your visit.”
Blaine said, “And we tell them . . .”
“ Your cover story. No details. I’ve arranged lunch tomorrow with the Tajik nature minister and the director of antiquities. Afterward, depending on weather, we’ll fly by feeder airline to Khorugh in the southern Pamir and by helicopter to Lake Achik.”
“ What do you mean, ‘depending on weather’?” Calder said.
“ Khorugh lies at almost seven thousand feet in a valley at the confluence of the Panj and Gunt rivers. The pilot needs good weather to make the approach, so they only fly if it’s clear.”
“ Wonderful,” Calder said.
“ I figured to sightsee for a couple of days,” Blaine said, more to hear Teague’s response than because she’d actually thought Salomon would afford them any tourist time. “I’d pay my expenses.”
Teague’s heavy brow knotted. “Negative, unless we get socked in.”
Negative? The word had a military ring.
“ We can’t drive?” Calder said. “I was looking forward to seeing Tajikistan close up.”
“ The country south of Khorugh is one of the most remote areas of the Pamir. There is no road to the lake.”
“ How are we to converse with these people tomorrow if we’re not to talk details?” Calder said.
“ As far as the Tajik government knows, human remains have been found in the dry portion of an underwater cave along with some kind of drawings on the wall. That’s all you discuss, and not even that if you don’t have to.”
Blaine said, “But we’re supposed to be working on their behalf. We’ll have to at least seem cooperative.”
Teague fixed his flat gaze on her. “You are to tell them nothing without my permission. No chitchat. Understood?”
Blaine nodded, glancing out the window to break the man’s stare. At this late hour no other vehicles were on the road. Beyond the curb, lights played on Soviet-style buildings. The cab turned onto a narrow street, the houses dimly perceived beyond open ditches and masonry walls, then emerged onto another broad boulevard.
In the glass, Blaine could see Teague’s rough reflection. It was difficult to picture the man in a corporate conference room. Granted, a “facilitator” might be useful in smoothing their trip, but why had Salomon sent someone who came off more like a hit man than a travel guide?
The taxi pulled up by a glassy structure,
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