Ascension. Saksaywaman. Shard of eternity. Alexander Zubkov

you to the professor of archeology, my old acquaintance and now companion, Miss Linda Chizhevskaya.

      – Pleased to meet you, – the girl smiled amiably.

      – I did not think that the title of professor is awarded immediately after graduation! – Elegantly joked Andrew. – Besides, I had no idea that archaeology and beauty could somehow be combined in one person.

      Linda smiled embarrassedly, and her cheeks flushed.

      – Thanks for the compliment, but I was promoted to professor exactly nine years after I graduated from grad school. I'm only three years younger than Matthew.

      – It's amazing! – Andrew exclaimed. – I never would have told you that. You look amazing. And, by the way, to get a professor in such a short time is very rare. Or am I wrong?

      – It can be faster. It all depends on the results, well, it takes luck. But if you set a goal and follow it, you will achieve what you want. Nothing in the world is impossible.

      – Forgive me, please come into the house, otherwise I keep you on the threshold. But I think it's forgivable – any man would be confused here.

      – Don't worry about it, – Matthew answered, helping Linda to take off her jacket. – The cozy, homey atmosphere was inviting. Besides, it smells pretty good.

      – Yes, I ordered an excellent pizza. It just arrived. I used to help a buddy of mine open a pizza place, so I get the tastiest, freshest pizza I've ever had. Have a seat on the couch by the fireplace.

      – What I love in private homes are fireplaces, – shared his dream Matthew, looking at the fire. – You know about my passion.

      – Why don't you do it in your apartment? – Linda asked. – I heard there are bio-fireplaces now and you don't need a cooker hood.

      – There are bio and electric fireplaces, – agreed Matthew. – But there's no substitute for a real fire. When the wood crackles in the fireplace, I feel a strange and incomparable feeling of peace.

      – Yes, yes, I know your passion for fire, that's why I lit it before you came, – Andrew nodded, distributing pizza to his guests. – How's the packing going?

      – My gear is ready, – Matthew answered, – I'll have the tickets in hand soon. Linda was taking care of the paperwork for the transport of the equipment. So far everything is going swimmingly.

      – Things always go smoothly when you are dealing with you, – she smiled.

      – The main thing is to have a clear and unwavering intention, – said Matthew, his voice becoming theatrical. – Isn't that what you told me?

      She nodded.

      – Yes, I did. By the way, a number of world-renowned scientists are working on that question. Not all the results are made public, but even the few that are made public are enough to take it as truth.

      – You talk very interestingly, – joined the conversation Andrew. – I'll be sure to experiment. But let's discuss our expedition a little, though. Bring me up to date, because I shall have to meet Mr. Lambert and give indirect reports.

      – No problem, – Matthew answered, enjoying a hot pizza. – Everything turned out just great with the tickets, though we had to pay a little too much, but given our capabilities, or rather the capabilities of our client, we can afford it. So, tomorrow we leave for Portugal at noon. We only take Linda's equipment with us. We will spend the night in Portugal and the day after tomorrow we will take the liner to Brazil. Of course, this is not the most convenient route, it would be easier and faster to sail to Venezuela, but there are reasons for this. First, Venezuela does not border Peru, and the final destination, as we know, is located there. Going through Brazil, we would only have to cross one border, which is much more convenient. Second, there is a group of specialists in Brazil, including a good friend of mine. It would be foolish not to visit him and ask him about the intricacies of living with the natives, since the main emphasis will be on getting to know and communicate with them. All the basic equipment will be on a cargo flight and will be waiting for us in Peru. Now ready to answer questions.

      – After such an exhaustive report, there can hardly be any questions, – assessed the depth of the plan Andrew. – In any case, everything is clear to me, and to you Linda.

      – As for the trip, – Linda went on, – the itinerary looks more like a walk than a business trip. Though, I must confess, I've been dreaming of traveling by ship for a long time.

      – You're absolutely right, – Matthew agreed. – But the fact is that I recently finished serious work and planned to have a little rest, and this order has made adjustments to my plans. First of all, it's interesting from the financial point of view, and secondly, it's of personal interest to me. It is not even a job, but more of a hobby. Now we are counting the time. We would not fly straight to Peru because of the need to visit the expedition team in Brazil. Direct flights to Brazil take a very long time, which means we would have to fly from Portugal. Including the overnight stay, that's two days. We would also spend about two days in Brazil. Moving to Peru takes three days. That makes seven. Now let's take our itinerary. It is the same, only instead of flying to Brazil, we will sail. That will extend our trip by five days. That makes a total of twelve. Compared to the total duration of the trip, that's nothing. Besides, on the way I will be able to expand my knowledge of the local dialects and get some rest, which, by the way, is very useful before a difficult case. These are all my considerations.

      – Your judgment is as good as ever, – declared Linda solemnly. – And, as I said, I like this route.

      It made no sense to speak loudly, for there was an extraordinary silence in the house, and only the sound of crackling firewood filling the air.

      – Thank you, Matthew, – said Andrew, getting up from the sofa. – Now everything is clear. I suggest we celebrate our forthcoming trip with a glass of champagne.

      – You know I don't drink alcohol, – Matthew reminded. – But as every ceremony has its own meaning, I wouldn't refuse a glass of juice. I wonder what the glasses are for?

      – Frankly, I haven't given it much thought, – she answered. – But if you think about what happens, it brings to mind the clinking. The clinking of glasses. In every culture there is the ringing of either some object, or the same bell ringing in temples. It is a sound that has a very strong beneficial effect.

      – Maybe you're right, – Matthew agreed. – It would be interesting to study the information about the influence of sound on our environment. I will do that when I return home.

      – Juice it is, – Andrew brought the tray with the decanter. – What about you, Linda?

      – I'll support Matthew, – she answered.

      – Then you leave me no choice, – Andrew gave up, pouring the cool drink into the glasses. – Let's complement the crackling of the wood in the fireplace with the clinking of our glasses, and may it bring your expedition success and good luck.

      3

      A beautiful sea liner was smoothly crossing the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, carrying more than a thousand passengers on board. The calm waters stretched for miles around, but many were not at all interested. Most of the passengers behaved as if they were in an entertainment establishment on land, depriving themselves of the basic pleasure of watching the mesmerizing water element.

      The third day of the voyage was approaching, and many had already ceased to appreciate what Matthew would not trade for any achievements of modern entertainment innovations, which the ship was fully equipped with. But there were those who shared his interests and spent all their free time in comfortable loungers on the upper deck, which had a panoramic view of the expanse of the ocean. The day was nearing its end and a huge disk of fiery red would soon touch the horizon with its edge. Such moments Matthew never missed, because of the opportunity to admire the flight of our home planet.

      «During sunrise and sunset, you can truly observe the power of the universe, – Matthew thought. – The planet rushes at tremendous speed around the sun, and we cannot