He suddenly smiled. It surprised him a little, because he couldn’t pinpoint the reason. But he knew it had everything to do with Kali Alcazar, and that much was no surprise at all.
Kali entered Washington Square Park through the marble arch on its northwest side. The night was cool and pleasant, and people were out strolling and gathering in clusters around the musicians, magicians, jugglers and balancing acts in the fountain plaza.
She found a bench and called a number on her world phone, using a dedicated IP VPN.
A male voice answered. “Ah, here you are. I’d started to think I might not hear from you.”
“I waited till I could speak freely,” she said. “Have you been able to reach Oarsman?”
“I’ve tried dozens of times. He doesn’t respond.”
“I don’t like it.”
“Nor I. But he could be preoccupied. It’s possible.”
“No,” she said. “That isn’t it.”
“We shouldn’t jump to conclusions. There’s a great deal going on—”
“All the more reason he would stay in touch.”
“So you’re convinced he’s in some sort of trouble.”
Kali paused.
“We have an arrangement,” she said. “If more than a week passes without any communication from one or the other, it means something is wrong.”
“Then, what’s next?”
“It depends.”
“On?”
“Who you know you can trust.”
“Assuming you’re correct about Oarsman? I don’t have to tell you the answer.”
Kali silently watched the buskers around the pool. A young man walking a small dog smiled at her as he passed the bench. She gave no indication that she noticed, and he moved on.
“Can you travel to Paris?” she asked after a minute.
“Under the circumstances, of course.”
“How soon?”
“Later this morning. I can book a flight that will have me there in two hours,” he said. “I’ll have to rush and make plans. The inventor’s fair is in just two weeks. Can you believe it’s been a year?”
Kali thought for a long moment. “The days run together,” she said. “I haven’t stopped to breathe.”
“Who you are...it must be a heavy weight.”
“I see it as a gift,” she said and paused again. “No gifts are free.”
“Ja, I do understand. But the old days seem a lifetime ago. I miss you, Einglien. And still look forward to hearing your story of the fishermen’s wager.”
She smiled.
“I’ll tell it to you in person, I promise.”
“Gott will Rechtzeitigkeit.”
“Safe travels,” she said. “We’ll talk.”
“Yes.”
Kali disconnected, put away the phone and sat watching a juggler throw colored balls in the air. Three, four, a fifth, a sixth as he himself spun in circles.
She lingered for some minutes admiring his skill at the trick. Then she nodded thoughtfully, stood up, dropped a tip into his cup and left the park.