‘I can tell you the CIA is mystified,’ Wombat said. ‘They have their agents at the Roosevelt. Melody Smith even suggested a faction at the FBI—which is in an internecine war with the CIA at the moment—is connected to Tielisten Allan.’

‘I believe William was poisoned too,’ Haut said. ‘Why wouldn’t the family let me see his body?’

‘But really, Al, we can’t think who’d want to bump you off,’ Wombat said with a cynical smile.

Haut looked glum.

‘A week ago several things happened,’ he said. ‘William died, probably murdered; Mon had a stroke; her mother is in hospital, close to death. Then an assassin is sent to kill me; and when that fails, I’m poisoned. Bleulance is behind it. He wants to stop me and my inventions. He won’t.’

After a thoughtful silence, Wombat said, ‘The upshot is we—the AFP—are escorting you back to Australia. Just as soon as the doctors say you are well enough.’

‘The Feds?’ Haut replied confused. ‘The Federal Police?’

‘The Australian Feds,’ Wombat said.

‘Not to Tasmania!’ Haut said, trying to sit up.

‘No,’ Wombat said, easing him down on a pillow. ‘We agree you would be in danger there.’

‘We’ve found investors who are interested in your engine invention,’ Cavalier said.

Haut beamed.

‘Oh, and another thing,’ Cavalier said, ‘did you see the president’s State of the Union address?’

‘No, I was out to it.’

‘He just happened to mention that the US is now a net exporter of oil and gas, and the world’s biggest energy supplier. It stunned everyone, including his supporters.’

Haut smiled.

‘Thought that would please you,’ Cavalier said. ‘And, you know, no analyst has asked how the US was able to make such strides so fast.’

‘I wish my best mate, William, was here to see it,’ Haut said. ‘But he already knows.’

62 ENGINEER OF DELIVERANCE

62

ENGINEER OF DELIVERANCE

Two months later, Haut, who’d managed a partial recovery from the poisoning, directed a group of Australian engineers to rebuild a prototype of his engine at Hastings, seventy kilometres south-east of Melbourne.

Cavalier drove to Hastings in blistering heat to view the invention’s progress. He was met by a seventy-year-old burly engineer, Reg Monical, at a coffee shop, and later followed him to a country property and a large warehouse. It contained a variety of vehicles from motorbikes and sports cars, to speed boats and mobile homes. A familiar whiff of oil and petrol greeted him. Haut was there looking pale and gaunt after his poisoning ordeal. He and Cavalier shook hands firmly.

Cavalier was shown a display of the bigger generator engine in question, which featured circular spheres. Water was inserted into it. Cavalier was given eye-glasses to view the activity of Haut’s beloved plasmoids—the working elements of his invention—inside it.