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Jurassic Park Aftermath-Chapter 4
By Texasraptor
Thanks as always to Yvonne for the beta read.
*~*~*~*~*
As they exited the tenth floor elevator of the Ministry building, a distinguished gray haired man advanced towards them. “Dr. Grant, Dr. Sattler, I’m Ambassador Edward Pauley.”
Alan nodded. “Ambassador…”
Pauley gazed intently at Reiling. “Glad you could make it, Mr. Reiling.”
“Yes, sir.” He was probably in some trouble for their hospital detour, but he could deal with it.
Pauley returned his attention to the others. “I’m sorry we have to haul you down here like this; unfortunately the situation demands it.”
Alan shrugged but said nothing. He just wanted to get the questioning over with and get out of there.
Pauley noted in spite of his exhaustion, the man seemed wary and guarded. He knew he would have felt the same way.
“Dr. Grant, I’ll stay with Lex and Tim.”
“Thanks Joe,” Alan said. There was no reason the children had to relive what they had witnessed.
“Guys, let’s go wait over there,” Reiling said as he walked over to a group of chairs. The kids followed him, plopped on a couch, and looked around, curious about what was going to happen next.
Out of courtesy, Pauley stepped over to the children. Briefed beforehand by Ellington, he knew their relationship to John Hammond. “Hello, I’m Edward Pauley.”
“Hi,” Lex said, uncertain of the man’s intentions.
Alan noted her apprehension. “Its okay, Lex, Ambassador Pauley is here to help us.” He said this to reassure Lex and Tim; Reiling’s warning at the hospital had left him less than optimistic about any help they might receive.
“Dr. Grant is right, Lex, I’m going to do everything I can. This is never an easy thing to say, but I’m sorry for the loss of your grandfather. Our Embassy has spoken with your mother, and she’s anxious to talk to you.”
“Okay,” Lex said with more confidence.
Poor kids, Ellie thought. She felt dislocated by the situation they found themselves trapped in, she knew it had to be even more frightening for Lex and Tim.
“Ambassador, I don’t think these people have eaten today,” Reiling said.
Ellie could not recall her last meal, and then she remembered the lunch Hammond had served after the Raptor feeding. Lacking any appetite, she had barely touched her food. She was famished, and she knew the others would be too.
“It’s been a while, yesterday in fact,” Alan said. Until Reiling had spoken, he had not realized just how long it had been.
“That won’t do at all,” Pauley said. “I’ll see to it that you get something to eat, it’s the least we can do for you. If you and Dr. Sattler will please follow me, we’ll get started.”
Ellie flashed a quick smile to Reiling and the others. “We’ll be back later.”
Pauley opened a door, which led into a richly furnished office. A middle-aged man rose from behind the desk.
“Ah, there you are,” he said, with a smile. “I am Assistant Interior Minister Olvera. Under normal circumstances I would welcome you to Costa Rica, but I’m afraid these are not normal times.”
Normal no longer had a meaning to him. “Alan Grant…” he said, shaking Olvera’s hand.
“And you must be Dr. Sattler.”
“Right,” she said.
“Please have a seat. I apologize for the misunderstanding at the airport. The officer showed a lack of appreciation about your situation.”
“It’s forgotten,” Alan said as he and the others sat down across from Olvera.
“You have experienced a very traumatic event, and I regret we have to have this conversation before you have been given a chance to rest,” Olvera said.
Alan wondered why people were dragging them all over the place and then apologizing for that very thing. It was absurd, he thought.
“Before we start, may I get you some refreshments, perhaps some coffee?” Olvera asked.
“I would love some, with cream, no sugar,” Ellie said.
“Dr. Grant?”
Alan nodded slightly. “I’d like it black.” The caffeine and sugar lift he had received from the Coke had worn off, leaving him sluggish and fuzzy headed.
“Ambassador, can I get you a cup?”
“I’m fine thank you. I do have a request to make,” Pauley said.
“Of course, Ambassador, what can I do for you?”
“It’s been brought to my attention that these people haven’t eaten in a while. Do you think we might get them something?”
“Oh yes, of course. I’ll have it sent up right away.” He picked up the phone and spoke briefly in Spanish, then ended the call. “The food will be here shortly. Let me get that coffee for you. Our coffee is world famous, you know,” Olvera said as he poured two cups of coffee for them.
Ellie watched Alan’s jaw clench. He hated small talk in situations like this, preferring to get right down to business. She reached out and lightly touched his arm, hoping to calm him.
Understanding her gesture, Alan looked at Ellie, took a deep breath, and nodded. He had to keep his composure.
Olvera handed their coffee to them; Alan found it delicious. To his relief, Olvera sat down behind his desk; finally ready to get started.
Pauley removed a ballpoint pen from his jacket pocket and picked up a yellow pad; Olvera did the same. For some reason, fatigue maybe; the sight of the two high-powered bureaucrats using a yellow pad to take notes amused Alan.
“Dr. Grant, Dr. Sattler, our two countries are in an awkward position,” Olvera said. “An American company owned by John Hammond has misled our country. As a result, we have suffered a major ecological disaster; even worse many people have died. In addition, I have been told a story that I frankly have a hard time believing.”
“Mr. Olvera, lions and tigers didn’t kill those people,” Alan said curtly.
“But the story is so fantastical.”
Alan recalled the sense of wonder and awe he had felt when he first beheld the Brachiosaur; his life’s work had come to life before his eyes. “Jurassic Park was fantastic,” he said, “until the inhabitants began to hunt us down.”
“Alan and I came as visitors,” Ellie said. “Gennaro and Muldoon work there. Why don’t you ask them what happened?”
“Señor Muldoon has been very cooperative; in fact he is the one who has given us most of the information we know,” Olvera said. “Señor Gennaro has been…difficult to deal with.”
“Give me ten minutes with him; he won’t be so difficult after that.”
Pauley smothered a smile at Alan’s words. Without exception, everyone who had interacted with Gennaro had expressed his dislike of the man.
“I don’t think that will be necessary,” Olvera said with a smile.
Alan did not smile back. “So it falls on us…”
“Dr. Grant, we aren’t accusing you of anything. We are simply trying to determine what happened on Isla Nublar. You and Dr. Sattler have valuable information which will help us piece together the events that led to this catastrophe.”
“What happened was a perversity of science, nothing more, nothing less.”
Olvera nodded his understanding. “I’d like to get a little background information from you. Can you please tell us how you became involved with John Hammond and InGen?”
“Gennaro called one day and told me he represented InGen. They were building some kind of a children's museum. They were going to have a dinosaur exhibit of some kind, and they wanted to hire me as a consultant. He mentioned they had hired Malcolm and a system’s analyst.” He paused to take a drink of his coffee.
“I’d never heard of them, but Gennaro seemed to know a lot about me. You see, a couple of years before we had found the first dinosaur eggs in the western hemisphere. Somehow, he knew that we hadn’t published anything yet, and he offered me $50,000 to give them what information we possessed. It seemed harmless enough, and I couldn’t turn down that much money, so I agreed to send him a summary of what we knew.”
“Did he mention anything about Isla Nublar?” Pauley asked.
“No… Just that they intended on building a museum. This is strange, but right before Hammond showed up, I discussed this with a guy from the EPA by the name of Bob Morris. He was from the San Francisco office.” Alan shrugged. “I’d forgotten all about it. He said they were conducting some kind of an investigation, but they hadn’t found much.”
Pauley wrote the name down. “I’ll have someone talk to him.”
At that moment, Alan heard a soft rap at the door. “Venido adentro,” Olvera called out. The door opened and two attendants quietly entered, one man carrying a tray with a number of half sandwiches; cheese slices, and fruit. The second attendant carried another tray with several plates, a pitcher of water and water glasses.
Ellie placed two of the sandwich halves and some of the cheese and fruit on a plate, and filled a glass of water. “I’m going to check on the kids,” she said, looking at Olvera.
“Of course, Dr. Sattler,” Olvera said.
Carrying her plate and glass of water, Ellie went into the reception area, where she discovered a second plate of food sitting on the table in front of the couch, as well as another pitcher of ice water. Tim and Lex had already filled their plates. “I see you guys have been taken care of.”
“Oh yeah, this is great!” Tim exclaimed, his plate laden with food
“Yum… Cucumbers,” said Lex, as she bit down on one of the sandwiches.
Ellie took a seat in one of the empty chairs. “Cucumbers?” she asked. It seemed a strange choice for Lex.
Lex swallowed the bite before speaking. “I’m a vegetarian.”
That would complicate meals, Ellie thought, as she took a drink of water. Oh well, they would deal with it for however long they had the children with them. “Really? That’s interesting.” She began to eat one of her sandwiches.
“I must have been hungrier than I thought,” Tim said, polishing off his second sandwich.
“Me too,” Lex said.”
“Eat as much as you want,” Reiling said. Not having had a chance to eat lunch, he had taken a sandwich for himself. “What’s going on in there?”
“They’re getting Alan’s life story.”
Reiling shook his head in dismay. “Unbelievable…”
“Tell me about it,” she muttered. Ellie quickly finished her meal. “Well, I’d better get back in there. I’m sure they’re eager to get started.”
“Let me know if you need anything.”
Ellie nodded and smiled at Reiling. “I will.”
Alan had not realized how hungry he was until he began to eat, and then it was all he could do not to wolf down the sandwiches. Along with some cheese and fruit, he dispatched two of the sandwich halves and resisted the urge to take another.
“The kids okay?” Alan asked, as Ellie came back into the room.
“They’re eating the bottom out of their plates,” she said with a laugh. She decided to tell Alan about Lex’s vegetarian diet later.
“Good…” he said.
“I trust you found everything acceptable,” Olvera said.
“More than acceptable, thank you,” Ellie said.
Olvera checked his notes. “Very well… Oh yes, the paper you wrote for InGen; what was the subject?
“The feeding and nesting habits of juvenile dinosaurs; hadrosaurs to be exact.”
Both men looked up quickly. “Dr. Grant, could you please spell hadrosaur?” asked Pauley. He pronounced the unfamiliar word slowly.
“H-a-d-r-o-s-a-u-r…”
“Oh, I see. Thank you,” Pauley said.
Pauley obviously had no idea what he was referring to; a frequent reaction people had. Most people only recognized the names of the most well known of the dinosaurs.
“Gennaro started calling with questions at all times of the day and night, the calls drove my wife and I crazy. We got tired of it and I cut them a deal for $12,000 if they’d leave us alone. That was the last contact I had with InGen.”
“Until last week?”
Alan nodded. “Right…”
For a moment, Ellie unaccountably felt jealous of Alan’s deceased wife and the life they once shared. He had refused to speak of her, other than she had died suddenly. She knew she had no reason to be jealous. Utterly in love with the man, she sensed his love in return, but his refusal to express his feelings sometimes left her insecure about their future. She supposed this lack of confidence gave rise to jealousy.
“And what year was this?”
“It was in the spring of 1984.” It had not occurred to him while he was talking to Morris, but he had received the check just two weeks before Amanda had died. He remembered very little from that time. The sudden loss of the woman who had been his mate, best friend, and research partner had left him in a grief stricken fog. For months, he felt no enthusiasm for Paleontology or anything else in his life.
Alan had just begun to emerge from this state when Ellie had come to the university first as a doctoral student, later as his research and teaching assistant. For a number of reasons, they had not begun a romantic affair until after she had received her doctorate, but from the very beginning, there had been a spark between them. Her friendship, passion, and enthusiasm for their research had rekindled long dormant feelings both professionally and personally within him. Once again he began to enjoy, and then relish his work and his life.
Ellie had given him an even more important gift. She had showed him he could love again; something he had thought impossible after his wife’s death. He owed so much to this woman, more than he could ever begin to repay.
“When did Hammond began to give you funding?” Pauley asked
“The next year…” Would this ever end, he wondered; exasperated by the two men’s questioning. Between the two of them, he felt like a ping-pong ball. His head was pounding, and his back was tightening up again. There seemed to be no end to their questions, and they had not even talked about what had happened on the island yet.
“Did you have any reason to suspect there was a connection between Hammond and InGen?” Olvera asked
Alan shook his head. “None; he never mentioned InGen. I found out when Morris told me. I was surprised to say the least.”
“Had you met Hammond before this weekend?” Pauley asked.
“Not face to face. I’d talked with him a few times on the phone.”
“And he just showed up?” Pauley asked.
“The damn helicopter landed right in the middle of our camp and almost ruined a skeleton we were excavating. He made himself at home in our lab and told us about the park, then invited us to check it out. In return he’d fund us for three more years.” At the time it had seemed like such a lark, he thought bitterly.
“Did he tell you what kind of park they had built?”
“He called it a…” he glanced at Ellie. “A biological preserve?”
“That’s the term he used. He wouldn’t be more specific.” Ellie was growing more aggravated by the minute by the two officials. Did they not have a shred of compassion for Alan? He did not look well at all, she thought. His face was gray, weariness etched his face; she knew from the way he was sitting his back was hurting him. But the questions just kept coming.
“Did you mention Morris to Hammond?” Olvera asked.
“No, I didn’t. If there was an investigation going on, I didn’t see it was my place to mention it.”
“I see… What was your impression of Hammond?”
Alan shifted in the chair, trying and failing to find a more comfortable position. “He always seemed like an overgrown rich kid who loved dinosaurs.”
“I’m not too familiar with your profession, but it sounds like this funding is important to your work,” Pauley said.
“We’re almost totally dependent on outside funding; nothing much happens without it.” The check for the trip had gone unwritten; Alan realized they would be in a bind without Hammond’s backing. If he did not find another endowment, he would have to shift money from another fund, which might mean cuts in staff or equipment elsewhere. Although the university paid the salaries and benefits of the faculty, as well as a few of the preparatory staff, endowments funded virtually every piece of equipment and additional personnel they had. It was one more thing he had to worry about. Olvera’s words brought him back to the present.
“Doctor, I would like to talk about what happened on the island yesterday,” Olvera said.
Alan’s stomach tightened. He did not want to think about, much less talk about what had happened.
Ellie observed his manner become tense and uneasy, and she clasped his hand, hoping to help him with what would be an unpleasant task.
He looked deeply into her eyes for a moment, grateful for the support. He took a deep breath and began to speak. “We had been taking a tour of the park and we found a sick Trike—”
“I’m sorry, a…Trike?” Pauley asked.
“Sorry… A Triceratops; three horned, about the size of an elephant.”
“I think I’ve heard of that one,” Pauley said with a smile.
Alan nodded and continued. “Ellie decided to stay with the vet while he treated her, and we started back to the compound because a storm was approaching.”
“Muldoon told us they used electrified Explorers for the tours,” Pauley said.
“Yeah, the ironic thing is if we’d been in gas powered cars we would have all made it back to the compound safely.” But would they have made off the island alive, he wondered, Hammond had not survived.
“The children were in a car with Ed Regis, the head public relations guy; Malcolm and I were following in another.” The two men wrote the name down.
“The storm caused the cars to lose power at the T-Rex paddock, we didn’t know it then, but the storm had knocked out the power on the fences as well—”
“The storm didn’t knock the power out,” Ellie said.
Alan looked at her in surprise. “What?”
“Alan, the system’s analyst, Nedry, sabotaged the computer system.”
“Oh God…” Alan said, incredulous. “All those people, Malcolm, Regis, Hammond… Why…why did he do it?”
Muldoon had told them about Nedry, but Pauley realized Grant must have been unaware of this.
“He shut the power off and took one of the gas jeeps,” she said. “He disappeared.”
“Señor Muldoon thought he attempted to make it to a boat that was leaving for the mainland,” Olvera said. “He had no idea why Nedry would do such a terrible thing.”
Alan’s anger surged at the thought of such a criminal, irresponsible act, and forgetting about his back, he shot to his feet. He grabbed the end of Olvera’s desk as a white-hot streak of pain coursed through his back.
Pauley watched the man’s face drain of color, in severe pain. Both he and Olvera got to their feet to assist him, but Ellie reached him first.
Alarmed, Ellie put her arm around his waist to support him. “Honey?”
Eyes closed tightly against the pain, and barely able to breathe, he could not speak.
“Dr. Grant, let’s go and sit down,” Pauley said, gesturing at a nearby couch.
Alan opened his eyes and nodded. Ellie and Pauley helped him over to the couch. “Alan, lay down,” Ellie said.
In too much pain to argue, Alan gingerly stretched out. The prone position allowed his back muscles to relax somewhat; at least he could breathe again.
“Better?” Ellie asked as she took his hand.
“A little… Let me stay here for a minute.”
Jaw clenched and her posture stiff, Ellie stood up. “Can I speak to you two in private?”
“Of course Doctor,” Olvera said. “We can speak outside.”
She bent down and caressed his cheek. “Try to rest…” she said.
Alan smiled at her fierce expression. “Don’t hurt them too badly.”
“No more than they deserve.” She gave his hand a squeeze.
“Mr. Reiling, how long are they going to be in there?” Tim asked.
Reiling checked his watch; it had been about thirty minutes. “I don’t know Tim; hopefully they’ll be done pretty soon.” With food in their stomachs, the kids seemed about ready to crash out. Dozing, the two slouched on the couch, eyes closed.
The door opened suddenly; instantly alert, the children jumped off the couch and stood, ready to leave. Ellie, Olvera, and Pauley filed out, Reiling noted Ellie looked furious.
Reiling shrugged at the children.
“Oh well…” Tim dropped down on the couch and sighed.
“We can talk here,” Olvera said as he opened a door and held it for the others.
Ellie’s fury had grown with each step she took. All of the pent up anger, frustration and fear she had been holding back boiled over in one instant. “This has gone far enough.”
Pauley raised his hands in a defensive gesture. “Dr. Sattler, neither I nor Minister Olvera knew of Dr. Grant’s injury. We were only told young Tim had been injured.”
“Would it have mattered?”
Neither man said anything.
“I thought so…,” she said. “Look, I could care less about political situations, or anything bureaucrats do to occupy their time. The only thing I care about is that man in there who is in terrible pain, and those two innocent children.” The words came faster and faster. “You have no idea of the horror we witnessed and endured, nor do I think you care. All you care about are your stupid questions; you never stop and think about the person having to relive those memories. It’s sickening…” Her voice broke and she willed herself not to cry.
Aware he had just been dressed down; Pauley cleared his throat in embarrassment. “You are right, Dr. Sattler, every word. I’m sorry; I lost sight of what’s important here. Minister Olvera, I think we should call it a day and let these people get some rest.”
Olvera reluctantly nodded in agreement. “As you wish…” He opened the door and they began to walk back to his office.
Ellie had to fight a sudden urge to laugh; to think she had just yelled at an ambassador of her country. She wondered what her parents would think if they had known. Knowing them, after an initial shock, they probably would have laughed their heads off.
As they walked down the hall, Ellie glanced at Reiling and shook her head. She considered him their only ally.
Pauley motioned to Reiling. “Kids, you can go in; Mr. Reiling can I talk to you for a minute?”
Reiling stood beside Pauley. “Yes, sir?” The ambassador looked irritated; Reiling wondered what was going on.
“Did you know Grant has a back injury?”
Reiling shrugged his shoulders. “He had some soreness, but he didn’t say anything specific.”
“He all but collapsed a few minutes ago.”
Reiling’s eyes went wide in surprise. “Sir, if I had known he was that badly hurt, I would have told you immediately.” Reiling paused and then continued, angered by the scientist’s treatment. “I don’t think it would have mattered; everyone seems to have had their own agenda.” He figured that would get him into more trouble, to his surprise, Pauley chuckled.
“That’s pretty much what Dr. Sattler just told me. She really read us the riot act,” Pauley said. “I got the message loud and clear.”
“I’m not surprised. They’re pretty protective of each other.”
“You like them, don’t you.”
“Yes, sir, very much so.”
Pauley did not know Reiling well, but Greg Ellington had spoken very highly of him. Ellington had told him that Reiling would someday make a fine diplomat.
“It’s Joe, right?
“Yes, sir…”
“Joe, don’t ever lose your humanity. Dr. Sattler reminded me of that a few minutes ago, to my chagrin.”
“Yes, sir, I’ll remember that.” Ellie must have really got to him, Reiling thought. Good for her, everyone needed their egos tweaked occasionally, even ambassadors.
“Let’s get these people out of here.”
“Yes, sir.”
Alan carefully sat up when the others came into the room; Tim carried the bag of items they had received from the doctor.
The kids spotted Alan and rushed to his side.
“Alan, are you okay?” Tim asked.
“Yeah, my back flared up on me.” He smiled at them. “I just needed to lie down for a minute. I’ll be fine.”
Ellie sat down beside Alan. Although still in pain, she thought he looked better, at least he was not as pale as he had been.
Olvera was on the phone, Pauley was not back yet. Alan wondered what had happened to him. “You didn’t deck Pauley, did you?”
“No, but I was tempted to,” Ellie said with a smile.
Alan laughed shortly. Although possessing a kind nature, Ellie did have a formidable temper when provoked.
“Ellie, I’m tired.” Lex said.
“I know Lex, I am too. Hopefully we’ll get to the hotel pretty soon,” Ellie said.
Alan had not thought of hotel accommodations. He had spent too many nights outdoors in primitive conditions to be fussy about hotels. His only requirements were a clean room, plumbing that worked, and a comfortable bed.
Olvera ended his phone conversation and hung up. “Dr. Grant, my assistant is making arrangements for your hotel rooms. You will be staying at the same hotel as the others; I think it will be quite satisfactory for your needs.”
Alan watched Olvera as he went about his business; the man had definitely changed his attitude. He did not know what Ellie had told them but she must have shook things up. He looked at her with raised eyebrows. In return, she batted her eyelashes at him, giving him her best innocent look.
Pauley and Reiling came into the room. “Dr. Grant, I want to apologize for my earlier behavior,” Pauley said, coming to stand near them. “As I have just been reminded, there are more important things than politics.”
Alan waved him off; he just wanted to get out of there. “What happens now?”
“I think the first order of business is to get you all some new clothes.” Pauley noted that the two scientists, taller than most Costa Ricans, might have trouble fitting into Costa Rican made clothes. Pauley glanced at Reiling; tall and muscular, he no doubt had a similar problem. “Mr. Reiling, I think our two friends might have a hard time with native brands of clothes. Do you know a good place to buy American brands?”
“Yes sir, I do. We can go to the store I go to; I can’t seem to get fitted right anywhere else. They’re open on Sundays, too.”
Alan could see why it would be hard for him to shop. Taller than he, with a brawny neck and chest, Reiling had a linebacker’s build.
“Do they have kid’s clothes?” Tim asked hopefully.
“They sure do. All the latest styles too.”
“Excellent,” Lex said.
“Do we have enough time to shop?” Ellie asked.
Reiling took a quick look at his watch. “I think we can make it. They stay open until seven.”
“Okay good… How close is the hotel to the store?”
Reiling looked at Olvera. “Minister Olvera, what’s the name of the hotel?” Reiling asked.
“The hotel’s name is the Apartotel El Sesteo.”
“Oh good… It’s near the Embassy, and the store’s just a few minutes away from the hotel.”
Ellie nodded. Perfect, she thought. She was determined to get Alan off his feet as soon as possible. “Alan, if you want we can drop you off at the hotel and I can shop for you. I know how much you like to shop,” she said with a teasing smile. Alan disliked shopping for clothes so Ellie usually did it for him. She found Alan easy to shop for—jeans or khakis; flannel or work shirts and the occasional t-shirt always worked for him.
“Do you mind?” The truth was he did not know how much longer he could stay on his feet.
“Of course not… Why don’t you take one of those pills the doctor gave you and lie down?”
Alan frowned; those things knocked him right out. “I’m going to have to make some phone calls; if I take one of those I’ll be useless.”
Ellie gave him a hard look. She knew he did not like to take medication.
“I’ll take it before bed, I promise,” he said
“Okay.” She intended on holding him to that.
Their hotel and clothes problem taken care of, the biggest worry they had was a lack of cash. Reiling had said things were inexpensive; it seemed to be the truth. Their clinic bill had only been about $60 US. Mentally running through his options he knew he could get a cash advance on a credit card but he cringed at the thought of the interest they would charge.
“There’s one other thing, we don’t have any Costa Rican currency,” Alan said. “We have credit cards but I need to get some cash. Joe kindly bought us Cokes at the hospital,” Alan grinned at Reiling, “but I think we’d like some money for ourselves. Charity’s nice but it’s not for me.”
“Well, you can use credit cards to purchase currency at a Thomas Cook, or use Western Union.” Pauley said.
“I bet you need passports to do that.” He had a feeling he knew what the answer would be.
“Yes, you do…”
Alan looked up at the ceiling; for a few moments he wanted to hit something. “Hammond told us we wouldn’t need our passports.”
“That’s unfortunate. The next fastest way would be through the State Department.”
They both looked sharply at Pauley. “What do we have to do?” Ellie asked.
“All you have to do is fill out some paperwork and set up a trust fund at the Consulate,” Pauley said. “A friend or relative wires money to the trust fund, then you can withdraw funds from the accounts, which are issued in Colons. Normally it takes two days maximum to set it up. In the meantime, I think we can afford to make you a personal loan.”
“I’ll take care of it, Ambassador,” Reiling said.
“Good deal.”
Grant, you’re losing it, he thought. Forget about your personal checking account. Ben, his crew chief, had access to the account he used for the digs. He could wire money and Alan would replace it once they got back home. He looked at Ellie, hope surging. “We can get Ben to withdraw some money from the field account.” They would use credit cards for the clothes; he figured $300 cash would cover whatever else they would need.
“That’s right! I can get my mother to loan me some too,” Ellie said.
“Okay, good,” Alan said. He felt an enormous sense of relief; at least they’d be able to pay for expenses while they were there.
“Well, unless you have any other questions, I’ll let you folks hit the road,” Pauley said.
“At the moment, I can’t think of anything,” Alan said. “Ellie?”
Ellie shook her head. “I’m good.”
Alan carefully stood and shook Pauley’s hand.
“You’re in good hands with Mr. Reiling, but I’ll be talking to you later, Dr. Grant.”
“Good evening everyone. Minister, I’ll be in touch,” Pauley said.
“Good evening, Ambassador,” Olvera said.
Pauley nodded and left the room.
“Minister, is there anything else?” Reiling asked.
“I think we are finished here. Dr. Grant. Rest tomorrow, we will talk in two days,” Olvera said.
Two days, Alan thought. He would have much rather come back tomorrow and finish up.
“Have a good evening,” Olvera said.
‘Thank you,” Ellie said. Her mind turning ahead to the shopping trip, she knew they would have to buy clothes for at least two days, but to be on the safe side, she might buy enough for three. She had a hard time believing they would keep the children any longer.
“Can we go now?” Tim asked impatiently.
“We sure can,” Ellie said.
1/20/2005 6:03:36 PM
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