‘I’ve invested well,’ Gram said, ‘enough to live cheaply. You said Thailand was inexpensive.’

Haut was delighted. Gram was a high-tech engineer who would be more than useful to him in creating his designs.

*

A month later, Haut was excited in a phone call to Cavalier. He began with, ‘You won’t believe this …’

‘I never do,’ Cavalier responded lightly.

‘You remember I sent you pics of the beautiful Mon?’

‘Vaguely. She was a Burmese dancer you met in a Koh Samui theatre.’

‘She wants to come and live with me.’

‘What? Can you arrange it? You said she was on a special visa while her travelling troupe worked in Thailand.’

‘She has one now. Mon went to Bangkok under the auspice of a Christian church group. They must have arranged it. Anyway, she’s become Christian. She’ll be back in Koh Samui within a few weeks.’

‘Al, I’m sure she is a lovely young woman. But you said she “lived” for her art, her dancing. Now she wants to give it all up to live with you?’

‘Correct.’

‘Okay. But don’t you think it’s—’

‘Don’t say it,’ Haut interrupted. ‘I’ve told you many times, Vic. There are no coincidences.’

‘I think you may be right, in this case.’

‘All cases. It’s God’s will.’

*

Haut readied his villa, and one next door, for the arrival of his two guests. Both villas were spacious with three bedrooms. They featured patios and open spas. There were grand views of the ocean and a secluded beach at the base of the cliff, which was reached by two hundred steps. Haut likened it to his wonderful Sandy Bay home, with his access to the stars and mountaintop views of vast expanses of water.

Gram arrived just seven weeks after he announced his desire to work with Haut. He was on foot, lugging two suitcases. He wore a baseball cap and a white jacket, despite the heat.

‘You should’ve rung,’ Haut said shaking hands with the sweating Gram.

‘I took a taxi to the checkpoint. The driver wouldn’t go any further because it was too steep. The guards knew who I was. They laughed and pointed up the goddamn mountain. So I walked.’

Haut allowed Gram a few hours to rest and then took him to his villa’s basement, which was built into the mountain and naturally cool. He showed Gram the doughnut-shaped models of the elements and an engine he was working on. Gram helped him.

‘How did you explain to Tielisten Allan that you were leaving to work with me?’ Haut asked as he tightened the bolts on a combustion chamber.

‘I didn’t. I just resigned.’

‘You didn’t say anything to your companion, Anne Marie?’

‘No, not really, although my departure from the corporation shocked her and precipitated our split.’

‘I’m sorry to hear that.’

‘Don’t be. We were on the way to a break-up anyway.’