Trondheim, Norway

They had planned to meet in the café before going to a meeting above, but Lund hadn't yet arrived. Johnson took a cup of coffee and looked at the hands on the clock behind the bar. The bugs are also constantly crawling like industrious pointers, just as stubborn, unwavering, and crawling non-stop. At this moment, as time passed by second by second, they also drilled deeper and deeper into the ice, and there was nothing to stop them.

Johnson suddenly grew cold. A voice in his heart whispered, "Time stops, stop and don't move!" ”

Something began. A plan. Everything is manipulated...

Bizarre idea. What plans? When a locust eats an entire summer's harvest, does it have any plans? Nothing. They're hungry, so they're coming. What are bugs' plans? What are the plans for algae or jellyfish?

What are the plans of the National Oil Company?

Skougen flew over from Stavanger, asking for a detailed report. It seems that he has made a little progress, so he is eager to compare the results. He had spoken privately to Johnson beforehand in order to act in unison, which was Lund's idea, but he was now alone drinking coffee.

It was possible that something had been delayed. He thought that he must have been tripped by Carré, and that they had never talked about her private life again after being on the ship and that incident, and Johnson avoided asking her about such things. He hated entanglement and impatience, as she seemed too busy at the moment.

His phone rang, and it was Lund. "Hell, where are you?" Johnson cried, "I have to help you get rid of your coffee." ”

"I'm sorry."

"I can't stand so much coffee. Honestly, what the hell is going on? ”

"I'm already in the conference room above. I've always wanted to call you, but we're too busy to take time. Her voice sounded weird.

"Is everything normal?" Johnson asked.

"Of course, would you like to come up?" You should know how the road went. ”

"I'll be there soon."

So Lund has arrived. Then they may have negotiated something inappropriate for Johnson to know.

Leave it alone. This damn drilling project is hers.

As he walked into the conference room, Lund, Scoogen, and Stone stood in front of a large map of the areas planned for drilling. The project leader spoke to Lund in a low voice. As soon as Johnson walked in, he immediately turned his head, a perfunctory smile on the corner of his mouth. Westenda was on the phone in the back.

"Did I come early?" Johnson asked cautiously.

"No, you've come just in time." Scottan pointed to the table, "Let's sit down." ”

Lund raised his gaze, as if he hadn't noticed Johnson until now. She didn't wait for Stone to finish speaking before she came up to him and kissed him on the cheek.

"Scott wants to remove Stone," she whispered, "you have to help us, do you understand?" ”

Johnson did not react. She wanted him to soften the atmosphere and drag him into this kind of occasion, was she crazy?

They sat down. Westenda held hands together. Johnson really wanted to pull his legs and go, leaving them to deal with their troubles on their own. He said coldly, "Well, first of all, my investigation is more targeted than the previous ones. I have specifically selected researchers and research institutes that have been commissioned by energy companies or consulted by them. ”

"Is it wise to do so?" Westenda asked in amazement, "I suppose we want to be as unnoticed as possible... Uh, investigate. ”

"The goal is too big, I have to circle a range."

"I wish you hadn't told anyone that we..."

"Don't worry. I just asked a curious biologist at the Norwegian University of Technology. ”

Scogan pursed his lips, "I guess you didn't get much information. ”

"You could say that." Johnson pointed to the binder with fax paper between his fingers. The words are already clear between the lines. Scientists are not good at lying, and they hate playing politics. What I have here is a flood of informal information, and sometimes I see messages that are restricted from being published. In any case, I am convinced that our bugs have been found elsewhere. ”

"Are you convinced?" Stone asked, "But you're not sure. ”

"No one has admitted it directly so far, but there have been a few people who have suddenly become very curious." Johnson stared straight at Stone, "The researchers who work closely with the Institute and the raw materials industry without exception." One of them even specializes in the mining of methane. ”

"Who?" Scott asked sharply.

"Someone in Tokyo, Ryo Matsumoto." To put it more precisely, it is his research institute. I didn't talk to him personally. ”

"Matsumoto Ryo? Who is this? Westenda asked.

"An important hydrate researcher in Japan." Skougen replied, "He did sampling drills in permafrost in Canada a few years ago in search of methane. ”

"When I sent information about bugs to his men, they suddenly became very positive." Johnson went on to say, "They asked rhetorically, wondering if the bug could destabilize the hydrate, whether it was present in large numbers." ”

"That doesn't necessarily mean that Matsumoto knows about bugs," Stone said.

"He does know because he works for the National Oil Company of Japan." Scottan said vaguely.

"Nippon National Oil Corporation? Are they looking for methane? ”

"Does this still need to be asked?" Matsumoto began experimenting with mining techniques in the South China Sea Trough in 2000. The results of the test were kept strictly confidential, but since then he has instead made a big announcement that he will start commercial mining in a few years. He sang the praises of the methane age, and there was no second man like him. ”

"Okay, then." Stone said, "But he didn't prove that he found bugs." ”

Johnson shook his head. "Please take a different perspective, when people come to us, I am nominally a representative of independent research, and the person who asked is also a free researcher and an adviser to the National Oil Corporation of Japan. Although he asked questions on the pretext of scientific curiosity or whatever reason, I certainly wouldn't tell him we knew about these animals, but I would have been taken aback. If I wanted to know how he found out, I would ask him, just as Matsumoto's men did. But if I do this, I am making a big mistake – the questions raised are too specific and too obvious. If my interlocutor wasn't stupid, he would quickly think that he must have been crooked. ”

"If that's the case," Lund said, "we're in the same trouble as Japan." ”

"That's not evidence." Stone insisted, "Dr. Johnson, you don't have any evidence that anyone else has found bugs other than us." "He bent forward and the frame flashed." No one can prove anything with such a statement. No, Dr. Johnson! The truth of the matter is that no one could have foreseen the appearance of the bug, because it had not appeared anywhere else. Who told you that Matsumoto wasn't just purely interested? ”

"My intuition..." Johnson replied expressionlessly.

"Your intuition?"

"It also tells me there's more to it. South Americans also found bugs. ”

"Really?"

"Yes."

"They also asked you strange questions?"

"That's right."

"You've let me down, Dr. Johnson." Stone brushed his lips sarcastically, "I thought you were a scientist." When did you start to have only instincts in your head? ”

"Clifford," Lund said without looking at Stone, "you'd better shut up." ”

Stone's eyes widened and he looked angrily at Lund. "I'm your boss," he roared, "and if anyone here should shut up, it should be..."

"Stop!" Scottan raised his hands, "I don't want to hear a word anymore." ”

Johnson looked at Lund, who was trying to suppress his anger. He wondered how Stone had hurt her. His apparently frustrated look couldn't have been the only reason she was angry.

"Either way, I think both Japan and South America forbid the disclosure of information." He said, "Just like us. It is now much easier to obtain reliable information on deep-sea bugs through seawater analysis. Water is being analyzed everywhere for a variety of reasons. I have inquired about other sources about such information, and they have all confirmed it. ”

"What?"

"The concentration of methane in the jet column is surprisingly high." Johnson hesitated, "Speaking of the Japanese—forgive me for my intuition that often pops up, Dr. Stone—I also have a feeling that I feel as if Matsumoto's researchers want to tell me the inside story." They have a duty of confidentiality, but if you want to hear my honest opinion, no free researcher, no institute, would come up with the idea of skillfully handling this information that may be vital to the survival of many people. There is no legitimate reason to keep this kind of thing a secret, only..."

He folded his hands and did not finish the sentence. Scottan looked at him with a furrowed brow, "Only when it's a matter of economic interest," he added, "that's what you're trying to say." ”

"Yes, I was trying to say that."

"Do you have anything else to add?"

Johnson nodded and drew a fax from his file. "Apparently, we have found much more unusual values of methane spills only in Norway, Japan and eastern Latin America. However, Lucas Bauer also found out. ”

"Bauer? Who is he? Scogen asked.

"He studies currents in Greenland. He let the flotator drift with the waves and recorded the data. I sent a message to him on his boat. He wrote back. ”

Johnson read aloud, "Dear colleague, I don't know of your bugs. But off the coast of Greenland, we did measure abnormal methane spills at different locations, with high concentrations of methane entering the ocean. This may have something to do with the intermittentness we observe here. We believe that something bad has happened. Forgive me for not being able to elaborate, I'm so busy. Enclosed is a detailed report document from Karen Weaver. She's a journalist, here to assist me, annoy me, is a diligent girl, she will be happy to continue to help you inquire. Please contact [email protected]. ”

"What does he mean by intermittent?" Lund asked.

"Not clear. When I was in Oslo, I felt that Bauer was often a little absent-minded, although he was amiable and had a high professional level. He forgot to attach the document he promised me, and I replied with the email, but I haven't gotten a reply so far. ”

"Maybe we should find out what Bauer is up to." Lund said, "Polman must have known, you say?" ”

"I guess the female reporter knows." Johnson said.

"Karen...?"

"Karen Weaver, the name I'm familiar with, once looked at some of her stats. Her education was fun, with information science, biology and physical education. She loves marine subjects, and interest is the biggest factor. Ocean surveys, continental plate movements, climate change... these are all things she's written about the oceans recently. Speaking of Polman, I'll call him if he doesn't have news by the weekend. ”

"Where will all this take us?" Westenda asked all the people here.

Scott's blue eyes stared at Johnson.

"You heard Dr. Johnson's words, too. It is rather despicable for industry to block messages that affect human happiness and bring suffering. Yesterday afternoon, I had an important conversation with the highest echelons of the Navy, and I made a clear proposal. The National Oil Company then informed the Norwegian Government. ”

Stone's head lifted, "What? We haven't found a definitive result at all, no..."

"About bugs, Clifford, about the melting of methane, about the dangers of a methane zone, about the possibility of a deep-sea collapse. If you think about it, even the discovery of unknown creatures by deep-diving robots is worth mentioning. I think enough results. Scoogon looked gloomily at the crowd, "Dr. Johnson's intuition is a reliable indicator of the real situation, and he must have been quite pleased to hear this. This morning, I had the privilege of speaking to the technical director of Japan National Petroleum Corporation for an hour on the phone. The National Oil Corporation of Japan is certainly indisputable. Let's imagine that Japan is bent on being ahead of the mining of methane, and they want to be the first to do it at all costs. Second, we venture to assume that they will take some risks to conceal the concerns raised by the experts. ”

Scott's gaze swept over to Stone, "Besides, we admit that it is unlikely, but it is also a ridiculous situation, and it is true that some people will conceal their opinions out of pure vanity and disregard warnings." If all this were true, it would be terrible! Then we must assume that the National Oil Company of Japan has adopted a disgraceful approach to the discovery of the bug, because if the impact of the bug is announced, it will disillusion their dream of winning the title of methane country overnight. They must have been silent for weeks. ”

No one spoke up. Scott gritted his teeth, "But we don't want to be so strict, if Armstrong, who landed on the moon, stayed in the cabin just because of a ridiculous bug, what would happen in the end?" As I said before, these are nothing more than hypotheses. So Nippon National Petroleum Corporation has repeatedly assured me that it has seen similar animals in the Sea of Japan, but they did discover them three days ago. Isn't that remarkable? ”

"Ghost pull." Westenda whispered.

"What does Nippon National Oil Company want to do?" Lund asked.

"Oh, I reckon they'll inform the government that they're as state-owned as we are. Now that they know that we know everything, they can't keep it hidden. This – I'm sorry! Of course no one wants that, either here or there. I'm sure that if you discuss a related topic with the South Americans today, it is quite likely that tomorrow a bug will suddenly burrow into their net. They must have been quite surprised to call us immediately to inform us—so as not to be thought that I would only insult others, but we were not much better than them. ”

"All right." Westenda said.

"Any other comments?"

"We only recently learned how sinister the situation is." Westenda looked exasperated, "Also, I myself proposed to report to the government." ”

"I didn't accuse you at all." Scottan said slowly and logically.

Johnson began to feel as if everyone was acting. His idea was that Scogen had orchestrated the shooting of Stone, and a satisfied expression appeared on Lund's face.

But didn't Stone spot the bug?

"Clifford," Lund said, breaking the brief silence, "when did you first see the bugs?" ”

Stone's face turned a little pale, "you know that," he said, "and you're here too." ”

"Never seen it before?"

Stone looked at her, "Before? ”

"Before. Last year. When you dive to the bottom of the ocean on your own initiative on an FMC Technology prototype. At a depth of 1000 meters. ”

"What do you mean?" Stone asked in a low voice. He looked at Scogan, "That's not acting alone. Someone supports me, Finn. Fuck, what the hell am I going to suspect? ”

"There must be someone to support you." "You propose to design a new subsea plant with a maximum depth of 1,000 meters for testing," Skogen said. ”

"Exactly."

"It's a theoretical design."

"Of course it's theoretical, and everything was theoretical until the first experiment. But in fact, you agreed to give the green light. Stone looked at Wisdenda. You too. You've tested the Towasson thing in the pool. ”

"That's right." Westenda said, "We agreed. ”

"What else is there to say?"

"We entrust you with an investigation of the area," Skougen went on, "to write an appraisal of whether it is really worthwhile to build a piece of equipment that has not been fully tested..."

"This is despicable!" Stone yelled, "You agreed to build this device." ”

“...... Try it to work. Yes, we take responsibility for this adventure. The premise is that all identification must be clearly beneficial to it. ”

Stone jumped up. "It's advantageous!" He cried out, trembling with excitement.

"Sit down." Scogan said coldly, "Last night, all contact with the FMC sample machine was interrupted, and you must be very interested in this news." ”

"This..." Stone froze, "I'm not very good at surveillance. It wasn't me who designed the factory, I just pushed it. What the hell are you accusing me of? Blame me for not knowing this yet? ”

"No, it's not. However, under the pressure of one incident after another, we also checked the installation process of the FMC sample machine at that time with great accuracy. When we re-examined, we found two appraisals, and you were... How to say it? Forgot? ”

Stone's fingers clutched the tabletop, and for a moment Johnson was sure he had seen the man fall. Stone's body shook for a moment, and then he controlled himself and slowly sat back in his chair with a cold look. "I had no idea."

"One appraisal mentioned that the distribution of hydrates and oil fields in this area is difficult to map. The report claims that the risk of encountering natural gas during oil exploration, although negligible, cannot be ruled out 100%. ”

"It's almost possible to rule it out." Stone said in a hoarse voice, "The results of more than a year have exceeded all expectations. ”

"It's hardly 100 percent."

"But we didn't drill into the gas!" We exploit oil. The factory was functioning normally, FMC Technology was a huge success, very successful, so you decided to build another factory, this time officially. ”

"The second identification mentions," Lund said, "that you have found a bug that you have never seen before, nesting in hydrates. ”

Yes,. It was an ice worm. ”

"Have you checked it?"

"Why should I check?"

"Have you checked it?"

"This... We definitely checked it. ”

"The appraisal said it could not be confirmed that the bug was an ice bug. The number of discoveries is so large that it is impossible to definitively determine its impact on the local environment, and in any case, methane penetrates into the water around it. ”

Stone turned pale, "This is not... Not exactly. Those animals appear in a very limited range. ”

"But there's a lot of it."

"We were already building a factory next to that, and I think this appraisal ... It doesn't matter. ”

"Are you sure which kind of bug it is?" Scottan asked quietly.

"Definitely..."

"Are you sure which one it is?"

Stone's jaws were grinding. Johnson felt that Scogen would lose his temper next.

"Nothing." After a while he said in a low voice.

"Very well," said Scott, "Clifford, you are temporarily relieved of all duties and Dinah will take over your work." ”

"You can't..."

"We'll talk about that later."

Stone looked at Wistenda pleadingly, but Wisdenda stared blankly ahead.

"Thor, hell, the factory is working fine!"

"You idiot." Westenda whispered.

Stone looked dejected, looking at this and looking at that. "I'm sorry." He said, "I don't want to... I really just hope that our factory will make progress. ”

Johnson felt embarrassed. To that end, Stone has been working to minimize the impact of bugs. He knew he had made a mistake and wanted to be the founder of a sample machine that worked successfully. The undersea factory was Stone's child, a rare opportunity for him to soar.

It worked successfully for a while, successfully conducted a year of secret testing, then publicly piloted operations, and finally successfully mass-produced and advanced to new depths. It could have made Stonegong famous, but then the bugs reappeared, this time not just a few square meters.

Johnson suddenly felt sorry for him.

Scott rubbed his eyes, "I don't want to bother you with these things, Dr. Johnson. "But you're a member of the group." ”

"Yes, that's just nominal."

"All over the world is losing the norm. Unfortunate accidents, abnormal behavior... National oil companies have always played the scapegoat, and we can't go wrong now. Can we continue to trust you? ”

Johnson sighed and nodded.

"It was good. In fact, we don't expect anything else from you – don't get me wrong, it's up to you! However, you may have to devote more time to your task as a scientific investigator, so we talked to the Norwegian University of Science and Technology about it out of the interest of precaution. ”

Johnson straightened up, "What good deeds have you done?" ”

"To tell you the truth, we asked for your temporary removal, and then I recommended you to the government department."

Johnson looked first at Scogan and then at Lund.

"Wait." he said.

"It's a veritable research institution," Lund hastened to interject, "and the National Oil Company has allocated funds to support you with all its might." ”

"I'd rather..."

"You're angry," Scottan said, "I understand that. But you can also see how tense the situation is on the slopes of the continent, and there is hardly anyone at this stage who knows better than you and the personnel at the Geoma Research Center. You can of course refuse, but then... Think about it, this is a pressing task for the survival of the masses. ”

Johnson almost fainted. He wanted to refute it sharply, but he resisted. "I totally understand." He said bluntly.

"How do you decide?"

"I certainly don't ignore this task."

He glanced at Lund, hoping to unload her at least eight pieces with his eyes. She resisted for a moment, then looked to the side.

Scogan nodded solemnly. "Listen, Dr. Johnson, National Oil is so grateful to you. Everything you have done for us in the past has earned us a high degree of appreciation. But there's one thing I want you to know: Speaking of me personally, I'm your friend. Norwegian University of Technology, we gave you a big blow. But conversely, if necessary, I will also accept any contingencies of yours, and I will insert a knife in both ribs for you. ”

Johnson looked at the stout Scogen and looked directly into his clear blue eyes. "Well," he said, "I'll remember." ”

"Sigur, stop me!" Lund ran after him, but Johnson continued striding along the tarmac leading to the parking lot. The research center was located in the middle of the woods, on a hill near the reef, quiet and far away, but Johnson had no intention of appreciating the beautiful scenery, he just wanted to get back to his office as soon as possible.

"Sigul!" She caught up. He continued walking.

"What's going on, you stubborn donkey?" She cried, "Do you really want me to chase after you?" ”

Johnson suddenly stopped and turned. She almost bumped into him. "Why not? You're usually moving fast. ”

"Stupid."

"Really? You speak fast, you think fast, you move so fast that you plan your friends even before they have time to say good or bad. A little catch-up, it won't be so. ”

Lund glared at him angrily. "You self-righteous bastard! Do you really think I want to change your goddamn weird life? ”

"Don't want to? Then I'm relieved. He dropped her and went on. Lund hesitated slightly, and then followed him closely.

"Well, I should have told you first. Sorry, really. ”

"You should ask me!"

"We were thinking so. Scogen is so direct that you misunderstand everything. ”

"My understanding is that you are trading me as if I were a horse."

"No." She grabbed his sleeve and forced him to stop, "We're just trying to probe first, and if you agree, they won't be relieved of your duties indefinitely." ”

Johnson sighed and said, "It sounds like two completely different things. ”

"Things unfortunately went well. God, I swear to you. What else can I do? Tell me, what should I do? ”

Johnson was silent. Their eyes moved simultaneously to the fingers she still held on to his jacket, and she released her hand and looked at him.

"No one wants to give you a punch all of a sudden, if you can think from a different angle, it will be different."

A bird chirped from nowhere, and the wind blew from the bay farther and farther away from the speedboat motor.

"If I think about it from a different angle," he finally said, "you're not going to get any better, are you?" ”

"Oh—" She smoothed the sleeves of his shirt.

"Say it."

"You don't have to worry about me, I have to put up with it. I didn't have to recommend you, I decided for myself... Forget it, you know me. I promised Scottan too soon. ”

"What did you tell him?"

"Say you're going to do it." She smiled and said, "Pure honor." I've already said you don't have to get into this trouble. ”

Johnson felt his anger dissipate, and he really wanted to get angry a little longer, just to get in the way of principle and not want Lund to get away with it. But now that the anger was gone, she always got there.

"Scoogen trusted me," Lund said, "and I didn't go to the café to meet you because we had a private meeting first, and he told me that they had found an appraisal report that Stone had concealed in Stavanger." Stone, this damn bastard, was all his responsibility. If he had spoken out publicly at that time, we would be in a different position now. ”

"No, Tina." Johnson shook his head, "He never thought bugs would pose a danger. He didn't like Stone, but he suddenly heard himself defending the engineering leader, "He just wants things to go ahead." ”

"If he didn't think they were dangerous, then why didn't he just put that appraisal on the table?"

"That might slow down his project, and you won't take bugs seriously." But you will do your duty to postpone the project. ”

"You see that we are serious about the bug incident."

"Yes, that's because there are so many of them now that you're scared. But Stone only found bugs in a small area, right? ”

"Hmm."

"Although densely distributed, the area is limited. This happens every day. Small animals often appear in large numbers, what harm can a few bugs cause? Believe me, you're not going to do anything at all. When they spotted ice bugs in the Gulf of Mexico, a state of emergency was not immediately declared, although the bugs lay densely packed in the hydrate. ”

"It's a matter of principle to make everything public. He has an unshirkable responsibility. ”

"It must be," Mr. Johnson sighed, looking out over the bay, "now I'm on my shoulders." ”

"We need a person in charge who understands science," Lund said, "and I don't trust anyone but you." ”

"Oh my Goodness." Johnson said, "You're drunk, aren't you?" ”

"I mean really."

"I'm serious too."

"Come to think of it," Lund rejoiced, "we can finally work together." ”

"You don't want to convince me anymore, what's next?"

She hesitated, "Well, you hear you—Scottan wants me to replace Stone." He could order this for the time being, but not the final decision. For this he needed Stavanger's consent. ”

"Scotten," Johnson mused, "why would he punish Stone like this?" What do you want me to do? Fire support for him? ”

Lund shrugged, "Scott is quite upright, and some people think he's overly upright and can't hold a grain of sand in his eyes. ”

"If that's the case, you have to make him a little human first."

"He actually has a soft heart, and if I suggested he give Stone one last chance, he might agree."

"I see," Johnson said in a long, dragging voice, "you're thinking about whether or not to do it. ”

She didn't answer.

"Great, you're such a nice guy."

"Skogan gave me a choice," Lund continued, laughing at him, "Stone knows this undersea factory very well, much more than I do. Skougan now wants to get the Tovasson out to sea to see what's going on beneath there and why we can't receive records anymore. Stone would have had to be in charge of the operation, but if Scottan removed him, the job would have fallen to me. ”

"What's the other option?"

"I said, we give Stone a chance."

"Salvage near that factory."

"If anything else can be salvaged." Or make it work again. Either way, Scogan must help me. But if he turned a blind eye, Stone would stay and get on the Towason. ”

"Then what do you do?"

"I went to Stavanger to report to the board, which gave Scogan a chance to plant me there."

"Congratulations!" Johnson said, "You're about to soar." ”

There was a brief silence.

"Do I want that?"

"How do I know what you want?"

, am I going to do this?

Johnson thought of the weekend spent by the lake, "Not clear. "You can have a boyfriend and soar like that, if you can't make up your mind about it." By the way, is your boyfriend still here? ”

"It's not certain yet."

"Does poor Carre know what's going on with the two of you?"

"We don't often get together, since... Ever since I and you..." she shook her head reluctantly, "when we stay in the familiar Swegsonoz or sail to the island, but that has nothing to do with real life after all. I always felt like I was part of a show. ”

"That's at least a great show, right?"

"It's as if you're always going to a place you love," Lund said, "and every time you're drawn to it." Whenever the curtain fell and had to leave, tears rolled out. I wanted to stay there, but I kept asking myself if I really wanted to live in the most beautiful place in the world, whether there was a more beautiful place in the world. We're used to the way we get along... Oh my God, how do you talk about it? Lost the charm! A little bit is lost every day, so we're looking for something that doesn't exist at all. Can you understand? She smiled shyly, "I'm sorry, it all sounds like a mess. I'm not good at saying that. ”

"No, it really isn't." Johnson looked at her, looking for signs of being overwhelmed, but what he saw was a man who had made up his mind, but she didn't know it yet. "If you're not ready to settle down in one place, you just don't love it." He said, "Do you remember when we said the same thing by the lake?" At that time, we were talking about houses, and the objects were replaceable. Maybe you should hurry up and go to Carré and tell him you love him and want to grow old with him. You're doing this a big favor for me, or I'd have to wade into the mire with you again every few days. ”

"What if it fails?"

"You're not a coward."

"No," she whispered, "I'm a coward. ”

"You doubt the feeling of happiness, and I've been like that before. That's not good. ”

"Do you feel happy today?"

"Yes."

"Literally?"

Johnson raised his arm and made a helpless gesture. "Who would be happy without compromise?" You fool. I don't deceive myself, nor do I deceive others. I want to flirt, I want my wine, I want my pleasure, I have to decide for myself what to do. I like silence, and every psychologist with me gets bored to death because I'm sure I just want to be comfortable. My inner life is colorful, but I am who I am. My happiness is not the same as your happiness, I know what kind of happiness I want, this part of you have to learn more, and fast. Carré wasn't a place or a house, and he wouldn't have waited forever. ”

Lund nodded. The wind blew through her hair, and Johnson found himself enjoying her. He was glad that that lakeside date didn't become the resting point that dominated his love life.

"If Stone goes out to sea to the continental slopes," she mused, "I will take responsibility in Stavanger." That's good. The Trausson was ready for Stoneming to board the day after tomorrow. Stavanger, it will be a while. To that end, I have to write a detailed report. So I had a few days to go to Svegoson Nords... Go there to work. ”

"Go to work." Johnson smiled faintly, "Why don't you go?" ”

She pursed her lips. "I've got to think about it, I've got to talk to Scottan."

"Think about it," Johnson said, "hurry up!" ”

Back at the table he checked the email he had just received, which was of little use, and did not pique his interest until he saw the sender of the last letter: [email protected] Johnson opened the message.

Hello Dr. Johnson, thank you for the email. I have just returned to London, and I can only tell you that I have no idea what happened to Lucas Bauer and his ship. We have lost all contact. If you wish, we can meet briefly and it may be helpful to each other. Next Wednesday or so, you can come to me in my office in London – if you're interested in meeting before that, now I'm on the Shetland Islands, and we can arrange to meet there, please tell me which way you think is better.

Karen Weaver

"Look," Mr. Johnson murmured, "it's possible to work with people in the press like this." ”

Is Lucas Bauer missing?

Maybe he should look for Scottan again, if telling the other person his higher connection conspiracy theory is at best to make himself ugly. But is that really a theory?

If he wants to think seriously about this, he should immediately build a file.

He thought he should meet Karen Weaver as soon as possible. Why not go to Shetland now? Flying over can be a bit of a hassle, but there won't be a problem, and NPG will pay for everything.

No, he thought suddenly, it wasn't complicated at all. Didn't Scottan say a few hours ago that he would stick a knife in Johnson's ribs?

There is no two-rib knife as serious, just prepare a helicopter is enough.

That's a great idea! One business helicopter, one helicopter for use by the Management Board. Not that kind of flight, but something fast and comfortable. Since Scogan forcibly requisitioned him, he should also do something about it.

Johnson leaned back in his chair and looked at his watch. An hour later he had a lecture and then met with colleagues in the lab to discuss DNA analysis.

He picked up a new binder and wrote the file name: Day Five.

It was momentary inspiration, perhaps a little poetic, but he really couldn't think of a better name. The Bible says that God created the ocean and its inhabitants on the fifth day, and the sea and its inhabitants are causing trouble. He began to write, and the more he wrote, the colder he became...