That was a lie, but it was the best she could come up with on the spot. Another snort from Moses told her what he thought of that.
“I flew Trooper Campbell out to Kulukak this morning, sir, Prince said, stepping into the breach. “It is a coastal village about fifty miles southwest of here. He is working on an investigation.
Campbell looked interested. “You're a pilot.
“Yes, sir.
He smiled again. “As am I. We have something in common, then.
Prince eyed the eagles on his collar and the wings on his breast and said in a voice gone very dry, “So we do. Excuse me, sir, I'm here to talk to someone. She looked around.
Wy pointed at a booth, where McLynn sat with a glass clutched in one hand, scribbling furiously in a notebook. Prince walked to the booth. “Mr. McLynn?
“It's Professor McLynn, or Doctor, if you prefer, he said without looking up.
“I'm Diana Prince with the Alaska State Troopers, she said. “I'm flying out to your dig immediately. I'd like you to accompany me.
He closed his eyes and shuddered. “Is that really necessary?
“It would be very helpful, she said mildly.
He opened his eyes and tossed off the last of his drink. “Fine. Whatever. Let's get it over with.
He snapped his notebook closed and rose to his feet, to level an admonitory finger at Prince. “I don't want anything there disturbed, do you understand? I've been working that dig for nearly twenty years. It is an archaeological site containing one-of-a-kind artifacts chronicling the existence of a small band of people that, when presented in its proper context, will rewrite the prehistory of this area. He glared up at the trooper. “My research must not be interfered with.
Trooper Prince didn't raise her voice. “I quite understand, sir, but the area is, unfortunately, also the scene of a crime. Our investigation will intrude as little as possible into your workspace, but it must begin immediately.
Basically, Wy thought with admiration, she outpompoused him. Defeated but grumbling, McLynn followed Prince back to the bar. “I understand that your air taxi service is on contract to the troopers, Prince said to Wy.
Wy groaned inwardly, but the thought of Harold Abood, Esquire, J.D., made her reply, “Yes.
“And that you know where Kulukak is.
Wy nodded.
“In that case, I'd like to charter your services to go pick up Trooper Campbell.
Colonel Campbell looked at Wy. “You're a pilot, too?
“Place is just lousy with pilots, Bill observed from behind the bar. She was a short woman with eyes the translucent blue glacier ice goes only on a cloudy day, and silver hair swept straight back from her face to her shoulders in a thick, shining fall. Her T-shirt read “Laissez le bon temps roulezMardi Gras, not easy to read unobtrusively because of how well she filled it out. Like Moses, her expression was one of not quite malicious glee.
“Yes, sir, Wy said to Campbell, “I'm a pilot, too.
“In what capacity?
“I own and operate the Nushagak Air Taxi Service. She said it proudly, because she was proud of it.
“Really. He seemed amused, and she bristled. He saw her reaction and grinned, and again she was put forcibly in mind of his son. “Well, then, we have something in common, too.
Not hardly, she thought, remembering Liam's occasional tales of his father going head to head with Soviet Backfire bombers in the skies over the Bering Strait, back before the Berlin Wall had fallen and taken the Cold War down with it. “Marginally, she said. “I fly a Piper Super Cub. You fly an F-14.
“An F-16C, actually, he said.
“And a Cessna 180, she said.
“Pilots, Moses said to Bill. “Jesus. Even when they don't have cocks, they're comparing sizes.
Campbell said, “I take it you'll be bringing my son back from, er, Kulukak?
“Yes.
“What time you think you'll get in?
Wy looked at her watch. “I should get out of here in less than an hour. It's eleven o'clock, say I'm in the air by noon. I should make Kulukak
“I flew Trooper Campbell out to Kulukak this morning, sir, Prince said, stepping into the breach. “It is a coastal village about fifty miles southwest of here. He is working on an investigation.
Campbell looked interested. “You're a pilot.
“Yes, sir.
He smiled again. “As am I. We have something in common, then.
Prince eyed the eagles on his collar and the wings on his breast and said in a voice gone very dry, “So we do. Excuse me, sir, I'm here to talk to someone. She looked around.
Wy pointed at a booth, where McLynn sat with a glass clutched in one hand, scribbling furiously in a notebook. Prince walked to the booth. “Mr. McLynn?
“It's Professor McLynn, or Doctor, if you prefer, he said without looking up.
“I'm Diana Prince with the Alaska State Troopers, she said. “I'm flying out to your dig immediately. I'd like you to accompany me.
He closed his eyes and shuddered. “Is that really necessary?
“It would be very helpful, she said mildly.
He opened his eyes and tossed off the last of his drink. “Fine. Whatever. Let's get it over with.
He snapped his notebook closed and rose to his feet, to level an admonitory finger at Prince. “I don't want anything there disturbed, do you understand? I've been working that dig for nearly twenty years. It is an archaeological site containing one-of-a-kind artifacts chronicling the existence of a small band of people that, when presented in its proper context, will rewrite the prehistory of this area. He glared up at the trooper. “My research must not be interfered with.
Trooper Prince didn't raise her voice. “I quite understand, sir, but the area is, unfortunately, also the scene of a crime. Our investigation will intrude as little as possible into your workspace, but it must begin immediately.
Basically, Wy thought with admiration, she outpompoused him. Defeated but grumbling, McLynn followed Prince back to the bar. “I understand that your air taxi service is on contract to the troopers, Prince said to Wy.
Wy groaned inwardly, but the thought of Harold Abood, Esquire, J.D., made her reply, “Yes.
“And that you know where Kulukak is.
Wy nodded.
“In that case, I'd like to charter your services to go pick up Trooper Campbell.
Colonel Campbell looked at Wy. “You're a pilot, too?
“Place is just lousy with pilots, Bill observed from behind the bar. She was a short woman with eyes the translucent blue glacier ice goes only on a cloudy day, and silver hair swept straight back from her face to her shoulders in a thick, shining fall. Her T-shirt read “Laissez le bon temps roulezMardi Gras, not easy to read unobtrusively because of how well she filled it out. Like Moses, her expression was one of not quite malicious glee.
“Yes, sir, Wy said to Campbell, “I'm a pilot, too.
“In what capacity?
“I own and operate the Nushagak Air Taxi Service. She said it proudly, because she was proud of it.
“Really. He seemed amused, and she bristled. He saw her reaction and grinned, and again she was put forcibly in mind of his son. “Well, then, we have something in common, too.
Not hardly, she thought, remembering Liam's occasional tales of his father going head to head with Soviet Backfire bombers in the skies over the Bering Strait, back before the Berlin Wall had fallen and taken the Cold War down with it. “Marginally, she said. “I fly a Piper Super Cub. You fly an F-14.
“An F-16C, actually, he said.
“And a Cessna 180, she said.
“Pilots, Moses said to Bill. “Jesus. Even when they don't have cocks, they're comparing sizes.
Campbell said, “I take it you'll be bringing my son back from, er, Kulukak?
“Yes.
“What time you think you'll get in?
Wy looked at her watch. “I should get out of here in less than an hour. It's eleven o'clock, say I'm in the air by noon. I should make Kulukak
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