Ascension. Saksaywaman. Shard of eternity. Alexander Zubkov

the chance to go there. It is a really important trip for me, which will give quite a lot of material for my further work.

      – I hope you understand that all our results are closed to the scientific community, – cautioned Matthew, looking seriously into her eyes. – This is a private commission, and the customer pays a lot of money just to keep the results out of the hands of the public.

      – Of course, – Linda answered calmly. – But the results and conclusions may be indirectly useful to me in other studies. I will not mention this expedition.

      – Good, – said Matthew calmly. – It's nice when work brings not only money, but also pleasure. Isn't it?

      – Definitely, – agreed Linda. – Your profession wouldn't make sense otherwise. Besides, if you're not into it, you're not likely to get to the top.

      – I agree, – Matthew nodded. – Now that we've discussed all the working points, we can focus on the food. I love the way the prawns are cooked here. They're not boiled, but just lightly fried, which keeps them tender. I do that too.

      – You couldn't tell before? – Linda smiled. – Now I want to try them too! May I steal some off your plate because I'm drooling?

      – Sure, – Matthew smiled and moved the plate to her friend.

      She looked around making sure no one was looking, and took the shrimp with two fingers. She took a bite, covered her eyes, and chewed it slowly.

      – It's just great! – she drawled. – Can you cook like that?

      – Everything is ingenious, – Matthew replied. – I'm not fond of culinary delights, so I make the simplest dishes. That's why they turn out so tasty.

      – I've never tasted anything like that. If you get a chance, can you show me how to make such a delicious dish? I will definitely include this dish in my diet.

      – Let me order for you, – Matthew suggested. – You saw, it's quick to make.

      – Thank you, Matthew. I'll take one more and that's enough. Let's wrap it up, there's really a lot of work today. I'll take care of some business, and then I'll do the paperwork on the equipment. It's not that easy.

      – I agree, – he told as he finished his portion. – Do you want me to call you a cab?

      – No. It's not far from here to my work. I'll stop by the lab first, and then I'll call a car from there.

      – Okay, come on, I'll walk you out for a while, – Matthew said as he got up from the table.

      After paying the bill and thanking the waiter, they left the hospitable establishment for the street, which was lively in front of their eyes. Friends said goodbye, and Matthew decided to walk for a while, as he could not do anything until he talked to Andrew. The clouds had long since cleared and the bright sun was shining, leaving no trace of rain on the sidewalks. Before he had even walked a hundred paces, Matthew heard the phone ring.

      – Good afternoon, – sounded a breathless voice of a friend. – I've been running around all morning. I met our client's confidant, Mr. Lambert.

      – How did it go? – Matthew asked.

      – You won't believe it. His Russian wasn't much better than my English. But we worked it out. The result – the money is in your accounts. Please check the receipt of funds and call me immediately if there are any problems.

      – Sure, I'll check it right away. We don't have a lot of time.

      – We do? – Andrew was surprised. – You said that my mission ends after financial matters.

      – Yes, sorry, – Matthew answered. – That's right. I think there shouldn't be any problems. I just met with the professor, and she's agreed to be part of the group. Of course, that was what I was counting on, but you should have seen the pleasure she took in it.

      – How can you refuse such a lucrative offer? – laughed Andrew.

      – You don't understand, – insisted Matthew. – We haven't even talked about the financial side of it. But her eyes really lit up. She was really excited about this trip. And she told me things about South America that would make anyone's hair stand on end.

      – I'm sorry, – Andrew interrupted. – I think this is not a phone conversation. Maybe you could come over and talk to me. By the way, you promised to introduce me to her.

      – Of course – I will definitely drop by. If we can, we will come together.

      – Now we're talking. I'll be expecting you at my place. We won't be seeing each other much longer now, and I'd like to have a quiet time together.

      – All right, – Matthew agreed. – See you soon.

      After the positive news about the financial side of the matter Matthew began to prepare. He had been on many such trips before, so everything was going smoothly. He visited several stores and found himself with a respectable arsenal of travel gear, from small carbines to flares that were not covered by the travel ban. The crowning feature of his equipment was a set of knives that could be used for self-defense if necessary. Matthew was a master of this type of weapon and when camping he never missed an opportunity to stash this deadly toy in a special calf-bandage. He also paid special attention to phrasebooks on the dialects of South American tribes. Of course, it is almost impossible to find this kind of literature on the regular market, but Linda helped him in this matter by providing him with quite a decent supply of guides to the dialects of Peru and Chile, which formed the basis for the Mapudungun and Quechan dialects. These languages, related to Spanish, required scrupulous training, which Matthew planned to do while crossing the Atlantic. He planned to replenish the lack of vocabulary when he met the expedition groups working there.

      Now it remained to take care of the tickets. By evening Matthew dropped off the passports to a travel agent's friend, informed him of the group and the route he wished to take, and, having thanked him for his urgency, headed for home.

      «So far everything is going pretty smoothly, – he thought as he sat down in his favorite chair. – But the most important part of the preparations lay with Linda. She assured me everything was fine, but crossing several countries is not so easy».

      Still, deciding to trust a professional, he chased away his anxiety and fell into a sound, healthy sleep. That night colorful dreams did not disturb him and Matthew woke up the next morning alert and full of energy. After paying due attention to his morning workout, he decided to call Linda first of all.

      – Good morning, – Matthew began. – Sorry to interrupt, but frankly, I'm a little worried about the permit to transport the equipment. Are you sure I can't help?

      – Absolutely sure, – Linda confirmed. – I've done all I can. I'll have the papers by noon, and if our itinerary remains the same, there won't be any problem.

      – Let's hope they don't let us down with the tickets, too, – he answered. – If you have almost everything ready, I invite you to dinner at my friend's place. We'll discuss what we're going to do next.

      – With great pleasure, – Linda agreed. – Is it okay to mention our trip in front of him, because you said it was confidential?

      – That's right, – Matthew confirmed. – But the customers contacted me through Andrew, and he will directly help us with questions that can be solved remotely.

      – I see. Of course, I'd be happy to. What time is the meeting scheduled for?

      – Andrew didn't give us any time constraints. I've already done my business, so tell me when it's convenient for you?

      – Drop by at six, – Linda said after a moment's hesitation. – I won't need much time.

      – Understood, – Matthew answered briefly. – You'll have to wait.

      At half past seven p.m. the friends were standing at the gate of the mansion, looking forward to a pleasant conversation with a good dinner. The door of the house opened, and the owner appeared on the threshold, who hurried to meet them with a big smile.

      – Good