27. Edgar

Edgar stepped out of the hotel and squinted against the bright morning sun. The air was crisp and cool, the same as when they had arrived the day before, but things warmed up later, only to cool down again in the evening. He had expected much harsher conditions and was pleasantly surprised to discover that the weather wasn"t nearly as extreme as he"d been led to believe.

Perhaps it was the mild season on the Tibetan Plateau.

He took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the thin, dry air, and surveyed his surroundings. The arid landscape was ruggedly beautiful. The terrain was a patchwork of earthy hues, with expanses of sandy soil broken up by tufts of hardy grass and low-growing shrubs. Not so far in the distance, the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas loomed large.

Still, he knew that the pleasant weather could deteriorate rapidly and drastically. The Tibetan Plateau was known for its unpredictable weather patterns, with strong winds and sudden storms that could appear seemingly out of nowhere.

Hearing footsteps on the gravel behind him, Edgar turned around and saw Tenzin walking toward him. Today, the man was dressed in traditional Tibetan clothing, with a long, dark robe and a colorful sash around his waist.

"Good morning, Mr. Edgar." He greeted him with a warm smile and a slight bow. "I trust you slept well?"

Edgar returned the smile. "Good morning, Tenzin. I slept fine, thank you. And please drop the mister. Simply Edgar is fine."

"As you wish." The guide dipped his head.

"I"m eager to get started," Edgar said.

"Of course. That is why I am here." Tenzin gestured for Edgar to follow him.

It took them about fifteen minutes to get from the hotel to the outskirts of the tiny town, where two small helicopters were parked along with a truck loaded with fuel containers and crates of unmarked medical equipment that contained the provisions Julian had ordered.

Two men stood by the truck. One was dressed like Tenzin, and the other wore Western clothes but looked to be a local.

"Edgar, allow me to introduce you to Norbu," Tenzin said, pointing to the man in Western clothing. "He is the pilot for the supply helicopter."

"A pleasure to meet you." Edgar offered the man his hand.

Norbu"s grip was firm as he shook it. "Good morning, Mr. Edgar," he said, his English heavily accented but clear. "I am honored to serve a distinguished scientific expedition."

Edgar glanced at Tenzin, wondering what the guide had told the other pilot.

Tenzin looked a little uncomfortable. "Norbu asked why you needed to make so many trips. I told him that you would be flying a group of geologists who needed to collect samples from various mountain locations."

That was the cover story, but since Edgar hadn"t read the brief, he hoped neither of the guys would ask him questions he had no idea how to answer.

Norbu looked at him as if he was a celebrity. "Which university is doing the research? Is it one of the famous ones like Stanford or MIT?"

Edgar felt a prickle of unease.

That was a particular question that only seemed innocent. He had been warned that they would be spied on, and Norbu was a prime suspect.

He shrugged, affecting nonchalance. "I"m just the hired pilot, so I don"t know. I think that it"s a collaboration between several institutions. Given how expensive this kind of research is, it makes sense for them to share resources."

Norbu looked impressed. "I hope they mention Tenzin and me in the research paper when they publish it."

Edgar shrugged again. "I don"t know if that"s something that is done, but I can ask."

The pilot grinned. "If they do, I will be very grateful. I will show everyone I was part of an important scientific project."

Edgar noticed that Norbu"s eyes kept darting to the sky as they continued chatting. "What"s the matter?" he asked. "Are you expecting something, that you keep looking at the sky?"

"The weather looks good for now," the pilot said. "But that can change quickly. You have no experience here, and it"s my duty to let you know if the conditions change. The winds can pick up fast here, and the mountains can create their own conditions."

Edgar nodded, his gaze scanning the horizon. "I"ve heard that. I"ll stay alert and adjust our course as needed." He glanced at the truck. "How much fuel do we have?"

"It will be enough for the next four days. Then we will need to send the driver back to bring more."