Matt hung up the phone and sat for a moment to recollect the eventful few weeks that he had just had. From the UK to New Zealand, and now on to Switzerland, he thought to himself. A month ago, if you had told him what he was about to experience, Matt would have laughed. He would have liked to now, but something was missing. Actually someone. Matt had to put Aimee behind him. It wasn’t going to be easy.
CHAPTER 55
Many hours — and films on a tiny screen — later, the head steward’s voice came over the intercom and announced the start of descent into Zurich. Matt watched the map on the screen and realised they were approaching from the south-east, meaning they would fly over the Alps before turning into a final approach towards Zurich.
Sure enough, 15 minutes later, the snow-capped Alps came into view. Matt gazed out the window trying to determine which of the many valleys beneath them he had been in. The aircraft gradually descended lower and lower until he could see two small lakes out to the left, a castle topping a hill practically beneath them, and then the edges of a small city just before touching down at the busy airport. Matt buzzed with anticipation. Beyond knowing that Andreas and Julia would be here to meet him, Matt had no idea of what was in store.
Matt pulled his case off the baggage claim belt and set it on its wheels. Looking for the exit, he saw that most of one wall was windows out to the arrivals waiting area, and through them, standing and chatting with each other, were two of Matt’s best friends.
‘You guys have met?’ Matt asked, greeting them both a few minutes later.
‘Just now,’ Andreas said. ‘Quite by chance.’
‘I asked him where I could find a good coffee,’ Julia said. ‘He invited himself to join me.’
Matt grinned at Andreas. ‘Still the ladies man then.’
‘Completely innocent.’ Andreas put his hands up in mock surrender. ‘Come on then. Let’s get you to the hotel.’
Matt was fully at ease. He knew that in Switzerland, everything would be smooth sailing. The Swiss precision and quality, combined with Andreas’ humour and company, and his most trusted colleague who spoke fluent Spanish. What could go wrong?
The world slowly faded back into being. Then it disappeared again. As quickly as it was gone, the blurry images reappeared. Hemi fought to keep his eyes open, but it was a losing battle. The blackness kept on taking over. He slept some more.
Five days passed before Hemi woke up properly again. He found that out from a nurse. He couldn’t remember what had happened to him, so he had to ask that too. He was shot. Who would shoot him?
‘Oh shit.’ Hemi said out loud, the events of the past weeks coming back to him.
He looked around frantically for a buzzer and found one hanging off a cable attached to his bed. He pressed at the button like a drunken geek tweeting his drinks list to a world of uninterested, but bored, surfers. A nurse ran into the room with a panicked expression on her face.
‘What’s wrong?’ She asked, looking him up and down, clearly disappointed not to find a major bleed or heart attack.
‘I need to speak to my boss immediately. I need you to get me a phone.’
‘There’s a phone right there!’ The nurse said, laughing and pointing at a small TV and phone combination that was hovering above Hemi’s head.
‘Oh right, so there is. Sorry, I missed that.’
The nurse turned on her heels, still chuckling, and shuffled off in search of another emergency. Hemi dialled the number for Agent Hope, his superior at the NISO, from memory.
‘Hope.’ Came the blunt answer.
‘Agent Hope, it’s Hemi…’
‘Hemi, you’re awake, that’s brilliant.’
‘Hope, I have to know. What happened to Dr. Cameron? Is he alive?’
‘Yes, yes, of course. Though there was a death.’
Oh my God, Hemi thought. Not Aimee.
‘Who?’ he asked, feeling desperate.
‘Rennie,’ Hope answered. ‘One of our sharp-shooters took him out seconds after he shot you.’
‘He’s dead?’ Hemi felt tears welling in his eyes but a dam of pride held them back. Joy was mixed with disappointment.
‘Yes, Hemi. He’s dead.’
‘I have important information to report. It’s paramount that I talk with you.’
‘We have an agent at the hospital. He’s been waiting to give you some important news too.
Just then, the door to Hemi’s room flew open.
The phone dropped from Hemi’s hand. Damned right that’s important news. The tears broke through the dam as his father reached his side and took him in his arms.
Greg Scowen
The Spanish Helmet
Greg Scowen
The Spanish Helmet
CHAPTER 56
Tuesday, December 20, 1527
We have passed through the straits with no events. We made a direct run from the eastern entrance to the western side in only a few hours. Now we are becalmed. Of all the dreaded conditions to have when we are this close to home. I was hoping to be there in time for the birth of my child, but I don’t know if that will happen now. It is hard for me to comprehend that I may be a father already. I cannot wait to see Hine and to tell her all about what we have seen and learned. Especially over the last few weeks of the journey. The men are all equal with me in their excitement. This life of coasting and exploring is far more comfortable than the one we had before. Still, one day we must return to Spain to share what we have learned.
Wednesday, January 4, 1528
I am home. Safe in Whareakeake. Indeed Hine has borne me a son. He has been given the name of his mother’s father. This means that he is in the line of chiefs, those they refer to as Rangatira. My son will one day be chief of the Whareakeake people! It is amazing to write something like this. We have named him Wiremu, determined one. A name that befits a king.
Some of the men have decided they want to try to return to Spain. For this purpose, we have commenced the building of a second Caravel. We have the expertise of the carpenters and shipwright and the materials on hand are second to none. Most of the tools needed are in our stocks and any that we haven’t had have been fashioned together with some of the Waitaha, out of stone they have collected for us. I expect the build will take a considerable amount of time, but time is a commodity we are not short of.
CHAPTER 57
‘And when he woke and looked out of his tent, he couldn’t believe he’d spent the night camped on the university green!’ Matt laughed, Andreas laughed with him.
They’d enjoyed their evening and morning of catching up. Julia had been immersed, like or not, in a full history of their antics and Matt appreciated laughing again after such a strenuous few weeks. He was relieved that he had a chance to quietly tell Andreas not to say anything to Julia about Warren’s death before it came out in conversation. Julia was the sensitive type. It didn’t make sense to upset her with any horror stories. Now things had to get back to business as usual. And business as usual had meant an e-mail from Dwight Pick that morning.
Dwight made it clear that he was unimpressed about losing yet another of his team to Matt’s wild goose chase. But he also hadn’t mentioned letters of warning or pending dismissal, so Matt assumed that he had thought about things and realised Matt was right. Of course he was right. He was really on to something here.
The approach to the ETH was quite exciting. From the hotel, down the famous Bahnhofstrasse, past the main station, over the Limmat River, and now they were on a cute little red funicular up the hill.
‘You’ve not been to the ETH before, have you?’ Andreas asked, turning to both Matt and Julia.
‘No,’ Julia said. ‘This is my first time in Switzerland too.’
‘Me neither.’ Matt answered. ‘But I know it by reputation. Didn’t Einstein study here?’