On the Hunt - Page 82

“Due to my fantastic diplomatic influence,” Belson said. “Harlan said he didn’t want you to be troubled. Kalim was setting him up with interviews, and he said you didn’t like them. Naturally, I obliged.”

“What kind of interviews?” Kira was frowning. “Media?”

“No, only a few professors from Cairo and New York City.” Belson shook his head. “Don’t look so worried. Everything is going to be fine. We’re taking care of all the details.”

“How do I know that? What details? What if I don’t like the way Harlan is taking care of the details? I haven’t seen Harlan for more than a quick breakfast or lunch for the past few days and there hasn’t been any time to talk. When he started to spend all his time with Kalim and law enforcement, I devoted all my time to Fiona up in the hills. She needed someone to talk to for the first few days after Taylor’s death.”

“Did it help?”

“She seemed much better. But then she started worrying about Golden Boy and wanted to make sure he’d fully recovered from those meds Taylor had given him. So Harlan arranged to send me back to Summer Island to check him out. He said it would be good for me to be with Sarah for a couple of days anyway.”

“And was it?”

“Yes, isn’t Harlan almost always right? At least everyone appears to think so. I took care of Golden Boy, and I always like to be with Sarah. Who knows? Maybe I also needed someone to talk to.” She shrugged. “And maybe I was getting in Harlan’s way.”

“I don’t believe that’s a true reading of Harlan’s intentions, considering his orders to me. He’s been very busy.”

“With appointments? I could have helped. What’s he doing? Talk to me.”

“Harlan said you might begin to fret,” Belson said ruefully. “Oh, look, I believe I’m going to be saved.” He gestured toward a larger Gulfstream plane landing on another runway as he opened the jet’s door. “That’s Harlan to the rescue.”

“Yes, that’s Harlan. And I don’t fret,” Kira said flatly. “I just have to know what’s happening in my life.”

Belson gave a sigh of relief as he saw Harlan coming across the tarmac. He tapped his hand to his head in a mock salute. “Over to you, Harlan. I’ve done what I could. Her last question involved why she didn’t know what was happening in her life. It seems a fair question.” He hurried away in the direction of Kalim’s castle.

“An excellent question,” Harlan said as he leaned forward and kissed Kira. “But you always have an answer, and most of the time you make them up yourself. The last time I spoke to you on the phone, you told me you were working with Fiona training Mack and Sinbad together, at least before she sent you to play nurse to Golden Boy. After you left, I sent Aban up there to keep her company, and Kalim dropped in every day to see how she was doing.”

“Okay.” She looked him in the eye. “So now I know exactly how she’s doing. But I don’t know nearly as much about you, Harlan. How are you? And why are you having interviews with professors? Do you have a new project?”

“I always have a new project in the works. It’s how I live. But I have been busy. However, that’s not why I called in the professors.” He brushed his lips on her temple. “I was thinking of something you said to me when we were talking about caves, and it occurred to me that I wanted to give you a new project to amuse you.”

She began to smile. “Are you joking? I believe I’ll have enough to do. Working on my serums, dog and horse training, and we have to start bringing up the treasure that’s being held for us beneath all those rocks down there in those caves.”

“Very true, and I can never tell when you’re going to decide to go hunting for another treasure. And if you do, then naturally I’ll have to tag along after you.”

“Naturally?”

He lifted her hand and kissed the palm. “Absolutely. Until you decide I don’t amuse you any longer. But I’ll work hard not to let that happen.”

“I don’t believe you’ll have to work that hard.” She met his eyes. “If you ever do get bored, I’ll never try to—”

He put his fingers over her lips and said, “Suppose we discuss that in fifty or sixty years? We’re going to be too busy before that. Look at how excited those professors are becoming about your new project.”

“Harlan?” Her eyes narrowed as she tried to remember the clues he’d given her. “Caves? Excited professors? Talk to me. Is it Cleopatra’s burial tomb?”

Harlan ruefully shook his head. “I’m not that good. Maybe next year.”

“Now I’m truly getting pissed off. Stop teasing me. What did I say that intrigued you?”

He grinned. “We were talking about the prehistoric possibilities of the Titanoboa cerrejonensis, and you said bringing one to the surface would be the real treasure. I believe you were being sincere. Because that’s who you are. If you weren’t, then I’ve wasted a lot of scientists’ time, because they’re going to be here in a few weeks on an exploratory trip to examine those caves before we start disturbing any habitats.”

She stared at him incredulously. “Of course I wasn’t kidding.” Then she hugged him exuberantly. “What a splendid opportunity to observe history at close quarters.” She was suddenly giggling. “And what a wonderful gift, Harlan. I can’t wait to tell Fiona. I don’t believe she’ll find it as thrilling as working with Sinbad, but you can never tell with her.”

“I can come pretty close,” Harlan said wryly. “And there’s no way that she’d choose a monster snake over that fantastic horse. She’ll politely look at it and then shrug and go back to work on developing Sinbad into the incredible animal she can see and touch and maybe even hug. She’ll leave the scientific possibilities to you and me and history.”

“And there’s nothing wrong with that,” Kira said soberly. “I love and appreciate all those other animals, too. I’m just curious to know what else is out there and what I might be missing.”

“Do you think I don’t know that?” he asked. “That curiosity is a precious gift, and I treasure it as much as I do everything else about you. Who else would put up with me?”