The Loch Ness Legacy by Boyd Morrison

Author:Boyd Morrison
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: General Fiction
Published: 2013-07-18T18:30:00+00:00

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Geoffrey Ashburn, an affable man in his fifties with white hair and a shaggy beard, puttered behind a bus while continuing his ongoing narration, infuriating Grant with his sluggish pace. When Ashburn heard that Alexa was a biologist visiting the library to get information about Charles Darwin, the drive from the Cambridge train station became a tour of landmarks dedicated to showing them the university with an entire college named after the legendary scientist. Grant fumed silently in the back seat, his back stiffening up and his head pounding from the blood pressure that had skyrocketed during the trip over.

Grant wanted to go directly to the library, but Ashburn insisted on showing them his city first. The place was undeniably charming with tea rooms and shops lining narrow alleys, stately stone buildings, and green lawns bordering a narrow river carrying visitors on flat boats called punts that were pushed along with poles by men standing on the back. They reminded Grant of Venetian gondoliers, except these men were dressed in casual tees instead of black hats and striped shirts.

Gordian provided Ashburn, a mechanical engineering professor, with a good portion of the funding for his research into high-energy storage batteries to power low-emission vehicles, an offshoot of the university’s famed solar racing team. Grant knew that he and Alexa wouldn’t be given access to the library’s oldest documents without a sponsor, so he’d let Ashburn go on as long as it took to get the information from Tyler at Versailles.

“As I’m sure you are aware,” Ashburn said, “Cambridge is the fourth oldest university in the world, after the universities of Bologna, Paris, and to our continued chagrin, Oxford. I find it refreshing to know we have some stability in this world. When I think of that awful attack at the Eiffel Tower or those vandals who spray-painted walls inside Windsor Castle to protest austerity measures last week, it’s comforting to know that our institutions can stand the test of time. Just a few years ago, Cambridge celebrated the eight hundredth anniversary of its founding.”

“That is incredible, Professor,” said Alexa, who was sitting in the passenger seat. She patted Ashburn’s arm to punctuate her amazement. She sure knew how to butter up someone, but Grant felt a twinge of jealousy. Not because he thought she might be flirting with the professor, but because now he wasn’t sure if she had been flirting with him.

Grant yawned. Insomnia wasn’t typically a problem for him. He could sleep almost anywhere. During the flight, Alexa had nestled against his shoulder as she slept, but Grant couldn’t get more than a few winks. It left him plenty of time to ponder the progression of the chemical weapon coursing through his system, noting the progressive deterioration of his body. His inability to do anything about it was maddening.

“You say you’re a Darwin expert, Dr. Locke?” Ashburn asked.

“Please, it’s Alexa. Well, all biologists are well-versed in his theories, but my expertise is in endangered species.”

“Oh, really. What

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