Townsend also examined her before extending a hand and gently shaking hers.  “Are you sure you’re all right?”

“I already told you I am.  Are you going to tell me about the plane?”

“Yes,” said Angela.  “We will.  As soon as you sit down and relax.  You don’t need to be afraid of us.”

Mona studied them for a long time before inching toward a chair and cautiously lowering herself into it.

Townsend and Angela returned to the couch while Rickards remained standing.

“Why exactly are you here?” Angela asked.

“Because of Mido Saad.”

“We don’t know who that is,” she said softly.  “Is that a friend or someone you know?”

Mona stared at them, almost bewildered.  “A friend?”

Rickards shrugged from the wall.  “A relative?”

“You really have no idea?”

The three shook their heads.  “Should we?”

Gradually, Mona began to relax.  “Why exactly are you three here?”

“I’m a physicist,” answered Townsend.  “We’re here to learn more about the desert glass.”

“A physicist?”

Mona looked at Angela, who then added, “I’m an anthropologist.”

Surprised again, Mona then turned to Rickards, who frowned.

“I’m unemployed.”

“You’re all researchers?” she mumbled.

“In a manner of speaking.”

“That’s why you chartered the plane?”

“Yes.  We’re interested in the glass and its surrounding area.  And we chartered a plane to get a look at it.”

Mona stared at him, unblinking.  “So, you don’t know anything about Saad.”

“I’m afraid we still don’t know who that is.”

“Mido Saad,” she said simply, “is the man who owns the property the desert of glass is on.”

A surprised Townsend looked up at Rickards.  “We thought the government owned it.”

Mona shook her head.  “The government protects it for him, but he owns the land.”

“For what purpose?”

“I don’t know.”

Angela leaned forward on the couch.  “Is that what you’re trying to figure out?”

“I thought you might have information that could help me.”  She exhaled weakly.  “But it sounds like you don’t.”

“You’re investigating Saad?” Rickards asked.

She nodded.

“Because he owns part of the desert?”

“No.  For other reasons.  But he also owns that.”

Rickards moved away from the wall.  “Something tells me you don’t like this person.”

“No.”

“Because… of what you’ve found?”

“That’s right.”

“Which is what?”

Mona looked up.  “Huh?”

“What did you find on him?”

“That he does very bad things.”

“Like what?”

She sighed.  “Corruption.  Exploitation.  Murder.  Take your pick.”

“He’s powerful, then?”

“Very.”

Rickards retrieved a second chair from the wall and sat down.  “Well, no offense, but you look as if you’ve been through a rough couple of days.  You want to talk about it?”

“Not really.”

He nodded, turning to Townsend.  “Something tells me our chances of getting a look around out there just dropped by a lot.”

“Agreed.”

Mona looked at them.  “You were planning to go out there?”