The Awakening by Kat Quickly Page A

these people needed to hear how it really was from head office and someone senior really needed to go and it was clear that Victor needed to be in New York after his winter absence. Victor was only too happy to let Andrew think that he wasn’t really up to such an arduous trip. Better for a younger man to go. It was reassuring how ego-centric AA was in these matters, such that Victor hadn’t had to force his hand at all. Allowing Carmen to go as well was out of the question – obviously. Well, Victor wasn’t about to let AA have his way on everything: lines had to be drawn. Victor was still in charge, no matter what AA dreamt of. Besides Carmen still had work publicising her own book as well as setting in place a business plan for Aurora. She could not be spared – how could Andrew have even thought that for a moment? Sometimes Victor wondered about AA’s business sense, especially where beautiful women were concerned. So, AA could head to Brazil and beyond full of his own importance, believing his expedition was central to the company’s future directions. Victor laughed quietly at his young rival’s supreme confidence in his abilities. He was amazed at times that Andrew managed to tolerate him at all.
    Victor wondered how much AA knew of Carmen’s plans for this weekend. He suspected she had told him nothing. She seemed very good at keeping her own counsel, which was going to be essential if things were to unfold as Victor needed them to over the next few days and subsequent months. Despite his growing attraction and deep affection for Carmen he knew how high the stakes were and that his task was more important than anything he did at Great Blizzard. In fact, more important than anything else he had ever done. He was not a man prone to dramatics but he knew that Carmen held the future of the planet in her hands and it was his job that she understood that and accepted her role. Just as he was no ordinary man, she was anything but an ordinary woman. He wanted her to come to a quick acceptance of who she was but he knew that she must come to him and all that he offered of her own will. Victor could only show her the path, she had to set foot on it and take the journey willingly. He was worried though, given her resistance so far, he felt it would take much longer than he wanted, to achieve Carmen’s conversion.
    He sensed her thinking about him and quickly cleared his head of thoughts of her. She must be led to the summit gently: he was merely her guide.
    “Great countryside,” he said, smiling at her.
    Carmen nodded. “I haven’t been up here since my father died, you know. I’d forgotten how beautiful it is.”
    “See,” Victor chuckled. “I knew this was what you needed. Your spirit is depleted. Too much city living: it’s not god for you, is it?”
    “Like you, Victor,” Carmen inclined her head towards him as he drove onwards through the forests, up into the mountains.
    “Indeed, my friend, you are correct. I am not a creature of the city. It is not my natural habitat. I need fresh air, trees, snow, ice. The pure parts of nature.”
    “The endangered parts,” Carmen said.
    “Yes.” Victor was pleased: Carmen understood.
    “Surely much of your work is to save all this for us and future generations, Victor? You do so much for the planet, it’s hard to imagine how we’d survive without people like you.”
    “I am touched by your words, Carmen.” Victor looked at her thoughtfully for a moment. “But I am a very small player. And I am only one person. It takes many people and a great deal of money to enact the sorts of plans needed to save the planet. We need greater political will.”
    “But you have friends in the White House and the UN. You’re on all the major environmental committees.”
    Victor nodded. “But I have many enemies too. Big business hates me. I want too much from them, too much control of their industries and buildings. Being green costs too much money, my dear friend. Our