Stewart, walked up from behind and waited patiently until he was done with his painting. He had just finished a workout in the gym and his six foot four frame was red and sweating, his muscles engorged with blood, veins popping out through his tanned skin.
“What do you think?” Hamilton asked.
“Exquisite, sir.”
“Quit kissing my ass and tell me what you think.”
“It’s shit.”
“It is shit, isn’t it?” He threw the rest of his paint over the canvas and sighed. “Get me some ether and a glass of absinthe.”
“Yes, sir. I did want to talk to you about something.”
“Go ahead.”
“The gentleman called again . . . about the cure.”
“And?”
“They would like a contract specifying that you will be funding the entire expedition and that they are guaranteed half of all book and movie deals.”
“Fine. Have the lawyers draw it up.”
“They would also like an advance of twenty thousand dollars.”
“Wire them the funds to whatever bank account they want.”
Stewart stood quietly.
“Yes, go ahead.”
“Sir, not to question your decisions, but we have traced their call to Viña del Mar. We can hire the best fishermen and experts in the world. We don’t require them. And promising them half? If this cure is found it could be worth millions.”
“Billions, Stewart. If we find what I think we’re going to find, it will be worth billions.”
“Then I don’t see how we need or want them.”
“We don’t. But I will have them nonetheless. Are you familiar with Chileans?”
“No, sir.”
“They are a lazy people. They will work for us because we pay them but they will not work when we are not watching. We need local help in the recruitment and supervision of these men. It doesn’t matter anyhow; I have no intention of giving them anything. Their contracts are meaningless. They were smart to ask for money up front however, but it’s worth a twenty thousand dollar loss.”
“As you say, sir. I will begin recruitment of a captain and vessel.”
“No need, I’m going down myself.”
“Sir, in your condition—”
“My condition is no worse than it was last year or will be next year. I want to be part of this myself. You find us a large, powerful vessel. I’ll handle the rest.”
“As you wish.”
Hamilton ordered his wheelchair around and took the cobblestone path through his gardens and around the mansion. There was a separate home in back, white exterior with dark brown shingles and a cross hanging over the door. He said a prayer before entering and then rolled in.
The entire first floor was made up of shelves and on each shelf was a specimen of squid in formaldehyde. He was no biologist and didn’t know the squid’s anatomy or physiology, but had set up this home nonetheless. He enjoyed coming through here and looking at the dead specimens, but the true treat was near the back of the home: a large fish tank taking up an entire wall. Inside, a three foot Humboldt squid. It was fed well and had some space to exercise, but Hamilton had noticed it growing weaker by the day. They needed their freedom and withered away without it.
He rolled to it and stared into its large eye. He had no doubt; because of them, he would walk again.
----
15
The great white shark tilted its pectoral fin downward to the east and slowly glided in a large arch around toward the beach. It had picked up vibrations in the water through its lateral line—small jelly-filled sacks along its outer skin—that could detect the electrical currents of live prey. It was an adaptation bred through 400 million years of evolution and one that made eyesight and hearing irrelevant. The lateral line combined with the ampullae of Lorenzini in the shark’s snout enabled it to hear the beating of a living organism’s heart and, some said, gave it a sixth sense.
The shark dipped lower in the warm water as the vibrations continued. The size of a semi-truck, its half-moon tail gently swayed from side-to-side,
“What do you think?” Hamilton asked.
“Exquisite, sir.”
“Quit kissing my ass and tell me what you think.”
“It’s shit.”
“It is shit, isn’t it?” He threw the rest of his paint over the canvas and sighed. “Get me some ether and a glass of absinthe.”
“Yes, sir. I did want to talk to you about something.”
“Go ahead.”
“The gentleman called again . . . about the cure.”
“And?”
“They would like a contract specifying that you will be funding the entire expedition and that they are guaranteed half of all book and movie deals.”
“Fine. Have the lawyers draw it up.”
“They would also like an advance of twenty thousand dollars.”
“Wire them the funds to whatever bank account they want.”
Stewart stood quietly.
“Yes, go ahead.”
“Sir, not to question your decisions, but we have traced their call to Viña del Mar. We can hire the best fishermen and experts in the world. We don’t require them. And promising them half? If this cure is found it could be worth millions.”
“Billions, Stewart. If we find what I think we’re going to find, it will be worth billions.”
“Then I don’t see how we need or want them.”
“We don’t. But I will have them nonetheless. Are you familiar with Chileans?”
“No, sir.”
“They are a lazy people. They will work for us because we pay them but they will not work when we are not watching. We need local help in the recruitment and supervision of these men. It doesn’t matter anyhow; I have no intention of giving them anything. Their contracts are meaningless. They were smart to ask for money up front however, but it’s worth a twenty thousand dollar loss.”
“As you say, sir. I will begin recruitment of a captain and vessel.”
“No need, I’m going down myself.”
“Sir, in your condition—”
“My condition is no worse than it was last year or will be next year. I want to be part of this myself. You find us a large, powerful vessel. I’ll handle the rest.”
“As you wish.”
Hamilton ordered his wheelchair around and took the cobblestone path through his gardens and around the mansion. There was a separate home in back, white exterior with dark brown shingles and a cross hanging over the door. He said a prayer before entering and then rolled in.
The entire first floor was made up of shelves and on each shelf was a specimen of squid in formaldehyde. He was no biologist and didn’t know the squid’s anatomy or physiology, but had set up this home nonetheless. He enjoyed coming through here and looking at the dead specimens, but the true treat was near the back of the home: a large fish tank taking up an entire wall. Inside, a three foot Humboldt squid. It was fed well and had some space to exercise, but Hamilton had noticed it growing weaker by the day. They needed their freedom and withered away without it.
He rolled to it and stared into its large eye. He had no doubt; because of them, he would walk again.
----
15
The great white shark tilted its pectoral fin downward to the east and slowly glided in a large arch around toward the beach. It had picked up vibrations in the water through its lateral line—small jelly-filled sacks along its outer skin—that could detect the electrical currents of live prey. It was an adaptation bred through 400 million years of evolution and one that made eyesight and hearing irrelevant. The lateral line combined with the ampullae of Lorenzini in the shark’s snout enabled it to hear the beating of a living organism’s heart and, some said, gave it a sixth sense.
The shark dipped lower in the warm water as the vibrations continued. The size of a semi-truck, its half-moon tail gently swayed from side-to-side,
Similar Books
