urgent, we have to wait to hear from them.’
‘OK, so I’ll try him tonight. Can I get the number?’
Bates read out the Iridium prefix of +8816, repeating the rest of the number twice. After a moment’s pause, he added, ‘If you’d prefer, I can pass on a message. Just in case you don’t get through.’
Bear thought about the message she could send. It wasn’t easy saying that she needed to speak to Luca urgently without giving a reason why.
‘Thanks, but I’d rather just do it myself,’ she heard herself saying.
‘Of course.’
After a slight pause, she switched focus.
‘Tell me, Kieran, don’t you need permits to get into Antarctica? I thought they took weeks, even months, to secure.’
‘Well, normally, yes, but this is all going through the British Foreign Office and they’re the ones who do the issuing. So the whole process was somewhat expedited.’
‘And his reason for going?’
‘There is this lake that some scientists need to get to that is surrounded by mountains. The winter is about to shut everything down and we needed someone to get in there and guide them.’
‘Luca’s guiding? Is it dangerous?’
‘No, not at all. For a climber like him, this is all pedestrian stuff. He’s probably whining right now about how boring it all is. You know how those science types drone on.’
The attempt at light-heartedness fell flat as Bear immediately switched tack. ‘I remember you saying you worked for the Foreign Office, but when you say “we” – who do you mean exactly?’
‘Sorry. Should have explained. I work for the British Polar Unit,’ he replied. ‘Well . . . truth be told, I’m actually in a part of the Foreign Office that bridges
into
the Polar Unit. I kind of sit between two stools.’
‘Sounds uncomfortable,’ Bear replied distractedly.
‘Well, quite.’
‘Antarctica sounds fascinating though,’ she offered, prompting him to start talking. Something about the way he had given his job description jarred with her and Bear found herself instinctively pulling up the British Polar Unit’s website on her laptop. Quickly scanning through it, she then clicked open the one for the British Foreign Office and did the same, keyword searching for Bates’ name. Nothing came up.
On the other end of the line, he was still talking. ‘. . . but really, this is all because Luca kindly agreed to help us out. Routine stuff, of course, and he’ll be home on the last flight out of Antarctica. I’ll get him to call you as soon as he is back on dry land.’
‘Routine’ – there it was again. At first Bear had thought he was just trying to reassure her, but using that word for a second time? In all her investigations, when a person said ‘routine’ it usually meant anything but. Bear paused, trying to ignore the fact that something about Bates’ manner was grating within her. But then again, perhaps it was just down to his English eccentricity.
‘So whereabouts is Luca exactly? Did he go into Antarctica via South America?’
‘No, no. They’re at a new research station called GARI in Droning Maud Land, so they came in via Cape Town. Your old stomping ground, I believe?’
‘Used to be,’ Bear whispered, then shut her eyes. This was unbelievable. The two people on the planet whom she most wanted to see would soon be in the same city. Her son would be returning from a stay with his grandparents at the end of the week. Now Luca was passing through there too. After a short silence Bates chipped back in.
‘I understand it must be disorientating, having him leave like that, but you know how much Luca loves the mountains. He practically twisted my arm off to get out there, so I’m sure he’s having a good time.’
Bear went stock-still. ‘Love them? That’s what he said?’
‘Oh, yes. Jumped at the chance. I am sure I don’t need to tell you about his passion for getting up into the thin air.’
After a second more she heard herself say, ‘Thank you, Kieran.
‘OK, so I’ll try him tonight. Can I get the number?’
Bates read out the Iridium prefix of +8816, repeating the rest of the number twice. After a moment’s pause, he added, ‘If you’d prefer, I can pass on a message. Just in case you don’t get through.’
Bear thought about the message she could send. It wasn’t easy saying that she needed to speak to Luca urgently without giving a reason why.
‘Thanks, but I’d rather just do it myself,’ she heard herself saying.
‘Of course.’
After a slight pause, she switched focus.
‘Tell me, Kieran, don’t you need permits to get into Antarctica? I thought they took weeks, even months, to secure.’
‘Well, normally, yes, but this is all going through the British Foreign Office and they’re the ones who do the issuing. So the whole process was somewhat expedited.’
‘And his reason for going?’
‘There is this lake that some scientists need to get to that is surrounded by mountains. The winter is about to shut everything down and we needed someone to get in there and guide them.’
‘Luca’s guiding? Is it dangerous?’
‘No, not at all. For a climber like him, this is all pedestrian stuff. He’s probably whining right now about how boring it all is. You know how those science types drone on.’
The attempt at light-heartedness fell flat as Bear immediately switched tack. ‘I remember you saying you worked for the Foreign Office, but when you say “we” – who do you mean exactly?’
‘Sorry. Should have explained. I work for the British Polar Unit,’ he replied. ‘Well . . . truth be told, I’m actually in a part of the Foreign Office that bridges
into
the Polar Unit. I kind of sit between two stools.’
‘Sounds uncomfortable,’ Bear replied distractedly.
‘Well, quite.’
‘Antarctica sounds fascinating though,’ she offered, prompting him to start talking. Something about the way he had given his job description jarred with her and Bear found herself instinctively pulling up the British Polar Unit’s website on her laptop. Quickly scanning through it, she then clicked open the one for the British Foreign Office and did the same, keyword searching for Bates’ name. Nothing came up.
On the other end of the line, he was still talking. ‘. . . but really, this is all because Luca kindly agreed to help us out. Routine stuff, of course, and he’ll be home on the last flight out of Antarctica. I’ll get him to call you as soon as he is back on dry land.’
‘Routine’ – there it was again. At first Bear had thought he was just trying to reassure her, but using that word for a second time? In all her investigations, when a person said ‘routine’ it usually meant anything but. Bear paused, trying to ignore the fact that something about Bates’ manner was grating within her. But then again, perhaps it was just down to his English eccentricity.
‘So whereabouts is Luca exactly? Did he go into Antarctica via South America?’
‘No, no. They’re at a new research station called GARI in Droning Maud Land, so they came in via Cape Town. Your old stomping ground, I believe?’
‘Used to be,’ Bear whispered, then shut her eyes. This was unbelievable. The two people on the planet whom she most wanted to see would soon be in the same city. Her son would be returning from a stay with his grandparents at the end of the week. Now Luca was passing through there too. After a short silence Bates chipped back in.
‘I understand it must be disorientating, having him leave like that, but you know how much Luca loves the mountains. He practically twisted my arm off to get out there, so I’m sure he’s having a good time.’
Bear went stock-still. ‘Love them? That’s what he said?’
‘Oh, yes. Jumped at the chance. I am sure I don’t need to tell you about his passion for getting up into the thin air.’
After a second more she heard herself say, ‘Thank you, Kieran.
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