“What on earth are you doing, David?” Patrick asked when he walked in on Purdue busy working in his computer lab. Purdue knew that only the elitest of hackers and those with extensive knowledge in computer science would know what he was devising. Patrick was not thus inclined, therefore the billionaire hardly winked when he saw the agent enter the laboratory.
“Just putting something together I have been working on since before my absenteeism from my labs, Paddy,” Purdue explained cheerfully. “There are still so many gadgets I must complete, fixing the glitches and such, you know. But I figured since my expedition party has to wait for government approval before we go, I may as well get some work done.”
Patrick walked in casually, now more than ever realizing what a true genius Dave Purdue was. His eyes were inundated with inexplicable contraptions he could only imagine were extremely intricate in their workings. “Very good,” he remarked, standing in front of one particularly tall server box to watch the little lights bustle to the hum of the machine inside. “I do admire your stamina at these things, David, but you would never catch me near all these motherboards and memory cards and stuff.”
“Ha!” Purdue smiled, not looking up from his work. “What is it then, Special Agent, that you excel at besides shooting the flame off a candle at an astonishing distance?”
Patrick chuckled. “Oh, you heard about that?”
“I did,” Purdue replied. “When Sam Cleave gets drunk, you are usually the subject of his elaborate childhood tales, old boy.”
Patrick felt flattered at the revelation. With a humble nod, he stood looking at the floor to take in his mental image of the crazy journalist. He knew exactly what his best friend was like when he got pissed and it was always a great party with much hilarity. Purdue’s voice escalated in volume through the flashbacks and merry memories Patrick entertained in his mind just now.
“So, what is it that allures you most when you are not working, Patrick?”
“Oh!” the agent snapped out of his reminiscence. “Um, well, I do enjoy wires.”
Purdue looked up from his programming screen for the first time, trying to unravel the mysterious statement. Turning to face Patrick, he exhibited an expression of bewildered curiosity and said simply, “Wires?”
Patrick laughed.
“I am a climber. I enjoy rope and wire to keep me fit. As Sam may or may not have told you before, I’m not much in the way of a thinker or mentally motivated. I would much rather engage in the physical strain of climbing, diving, or martial arts,” Patrick elaborated, “than to learn more about an obscure subject or savvy myself in the webs of physics or theology, regrettably.”
“Why, regrettably?” Purdue asked. “Certainly with only philosophers in the world we would not be able to build, explore, or basically construct engineering genius. It would stay on paper and be pondered over without people who physically did the scouting, don’t you agree?”
Patrick shrugged, “I suppose. Never thought much on it before.”
Just then, he realized that he just mentioned the subjective paradox and it made him giggle sheepishly. Still, Patrick could not help but be intrigued by Purdue’s diagrams and codes. “Come on, Purdue, teach a layman something about technology,” he coaxed as he pulled up a chair. “Tell me what you are really doing here.”
Purdue gave it a moment’s thought before responding in his usual well-founded confidence. “I’m building a security device, Patrick.”
Patrick smiled mischievously. “I see. To keep MI6 out in the future?”
Purdue returned Patrick’s impish grin and amicably bragged, “Yes.”
You are almost right, old cock,Purdue thought to himself, knowing that Patrick’s insinuation was dangerously close to the truth, with a twist, of course. Wouldn’t you love to mull this one over if you only knew that my device is made especially for MI6 to suck on?
“I am?” Patrick gasped. “Then tell me how it wor… oh, wait,” he said cheerfully, “I forgot, I’m included in the dreadful organization you are combatting here.” Purdue laughed with Patrick, but both men shared undisclosed wishes they could not reveal to one another.
18
Across the Heavens
Three days later the group boarded a Super Hercules rented by Purdue, having had a select group of men under Col. Yimenu’s supervision load the precious Ethiopian cargo.
“Will you be coming with us, Colonel?” Purdue asked the grumpy, but passionate old veteran.
“On the expedition?” he asked Purdue abruptly, although he appreciated the wealthy explorer’s cordiality. “No, no, not at all. That onus is on you, son. You must make your amends alone. At the risk of being rude, I would rather not engage in social conversation with you, if you don’t mind.”
“That’s alright, Colonel,” Purdue replied respectfully. “I understand completely.”
“Besides,” the veteran continued, “I wouldn’t want to go through the turmoil and pandemonium you’ll have to face when you return to Aksum. You’ve earned the hostility you will be facing, and quite frankly, if anything should happen to you while you are delivering the Holy Box, I would not exactly think it an atrocity.”
“Wow,” Nina remarked from where she was sitting in the open ramp flap, having a smoke. “Don’t hold back.”
The colonel leered at Nina. “Tell your woman to mind their own business too. Insurrection from females is not tolerated in my land.”
Sam switched on his camera and waited.
“Nina,” Purdue said before she even reacted, hoping she would abandon whatever hell she was urged to unleash on the judgmental veteran. His eyes stayed locked on the colonel’s, but his eyes closed when he heard her get up and approach. Sam just smiled from his vigil inside the belly of the Hercules while he pointed the lens.
The colonel watched the petite hellcat walk towards him with a smile, flicking her nail over her cigarette butt as she moved. Her dark hair fell wildly over her shoulders and the slight breeze swept the locks around her temples over her piercing brown eyes.
“Tell me, Colonel,” she said quite gently, “do you have a wife?”
“Of course I do,” he replied sharply, keeping his eyes on Purdue.
“Did you have to abduct her or did you just have your military lackeys mutilate her genitals so that she wouldn’t know that your performance is as rotten as your social decorum?” she asked plainly.
“Nina!” Purdue gasped, turning to look at her in shock while the veteran exclaimed, “How dare you!” behind him.
“Sorry,” Nina smiled. She took a nonchalant puff of her cigarette and blew the smoke in Col. Yimenu’s face. “My apologies. I shall see you in Ethiopia, Colonel.” She started back toward the Hercules, but turned halfway to finish what she wished to say. “Oh, and on the flight there I shall take really good care of your Abrahamic abomination over here. Don’t you worry.” She pointed at the so-called Holy Box and gave the colonel a wink before disappearing into the blackness of the vast cargo hole of the plane.
Sam stopped his recording and tried to keep a straight face. “You know they would put you to death over there for what you just did,” he teased.
“Aye, but I didn’t do it over there, now, did I, Sam?” she mocked. “I did it right here on Scottish soil using my heathen disobedience to any culture that disrespects my gender.”
He chuckled and packed away his camera. “I caught your good side, if that is any consolation.”
“You bastard! You recorded that?” she wailed, grabbing at Sam. But Sam was much bigger, faster, and stronger. She had to settle for his word that he would not show it to Paddy, otherwise he would throw her off the excursion for fear of persecution by the colonel’s people once she arrived in Aksum.