The Everest Files by Matt Dickinson

to be like that,’ Kami blurted out. ‘I was just trying to help.’
    Sasha placed a hand gently on his shoulder.
    â€˜Hey, I didn’t mean people were laughing at you.’
    â€˜Ok.’ Kami kept his head down.
    â€˜Alex didn’t mind, you know. He was laughing along with everyone else.’
    â€˜I hope so.’
    They reached a small suspension bridge over a canyon where the team were forced to walk in single file. Kami took the opportunity to pick up his pace, getting sufficiently far ahead of Sasha that the conversation had to stop.
    He felt bad to cut her off like that but he really wasn’t in the mood to talk.
    He felt bad about the incident back at the landslide. All his life, Kami had always hated being the focus of attention.
    And it must have seemed like he was showing off in front of the boss.
    He thought about Shreeya to distract himself, focusing on where she would be at this time of day. Perhaps weaving a blanket with her aunt. Maybe cutting grass for the buffalo or the goats. He wondered if she was thinking about him. And gradually he began to feel a bit better.
    At the small riverside village of Phakding the team eased off their loads and pitched camp on a dusty field. In less than half an hour the tents were pitched, kit bags were distributed to their rightful owners and the kerosene stoves were roaring as the first kettles of boiling water began to sing.
    Later, Kurt set up his satellite dish and connected up his laptop so that he could access the internet.
    â€˜The satellite weather prediction is saying rain,’ he told the gathered Sherpas.
    Kami was amazed. It seemed pretty staggering that Kurt’s laptop could connect to a satellite up there in space, and that pictures of swirling weather systems could be viewed with just a few clicks of a mouse.
    â€˜That doesn’t help much,’ Nima grunted quietly to Kami, ‘It’s legpower that gets you to the top of Everest, not computers.’
    Alex Brennan took his turn at the laptop and started to browse through a selection of news sites. He skipped the main headlines, concentrating – as far as Kami could see – on articles that were about his own expedition.
    â€˜Pictures of himself … ’ Nima whispered to Kami with a wicked giggle. ‘That’s all he’s interested in. Me, me, me and more me!’
    Brennan suddenly whipped round and fixed Nima with a beady glare.
    â€˜What was what?’ he asked sternly.
    â€˜N-n-n-nothing sir,’ Nima stuttered, his face reddening fast.
    Kami dragged Nima away and they beat a retreat back to the Sherpa tent.
    â€˜You and your big mouth,’ Kami admonished him.
    Kurt’s weather prediction turned out to be right and the expedition left the following morning on an overcast and drizzly day. Once again, Kami was placed in charge of three pack animals, lumbering yaks that were carrying towering loads.
    At the northernmost end of Monjo village the expedition had its permits checked at the National Park headquarters.
    Next to the ticket office was a small museum devoted to the culture and ecology of the Everest region. Half of the floor space was occupied by a huge plaster model of the Himalaya and the team gathered round it, quickly identifying Everest, Shishapangma and Cho Oyu.
    Alex Brennan noticed how closely Kami was studying the model.
    â€˜Have you climbed any of these?’ he asked Kami.
    â€˜No sir. Not yet.’
    â€˜Not yet!’ Brennan laughed. ‘I like that. That’s the spirit.’
    As the team left the park headquarters, the sky turned even more threatening and a full-blooded storm kicked off. The Westerners had their rain gear in their small daypacks and were able to Gore-Tex up and keep dry. Most of the Sherpas on the other hand, Kami included, were carrying climbing hardware and expedition food on their backs and had none of their personal gear with them.
    The Sherpas got soaked to the skin as