The genesis secret by Tom Knox

Author:Tom Knox [Tom Knox]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Policier
ISBN: 9780452296336
Published: 2010-05-04T04:00:00+00:00

31

That evening Rob told Christine that he had to go to Lalesh, and explained to her why.

She looked at him without saying anything. He told her, again, that Lalesh was the obvious place to finish the story. The answers to most of their puzzles lay with the Yezidi. The sacred capital was the only place he could find truly learned Yezidi. Scholars who could unwrap the enigma. And obviously it made sense for Rob to go alone. He knew Iraq. He knew the risks. He had contacts in that country. His paper would cover his enormous insurance bill, but they wouldn’t pay for Christine. So he had to go to Lalesh-and he had to go alone.

Christine seemed to accede and accept. And then she turned and walked, wordless, into the garden.

Rob hesitated. Should he join her? Leave her alone?

His reverie of indecision was broken by Isobel, humming a song as she walked through the kitchen. The older woman glanced at Rob, and then at the silhouetted figure, sitting in the garden.

‘You told her?’

‘She seemed OK about it, but then…’

Isobel sighed. ‘She was like this at Cambridge. When she’s upset, she doesn’t chuck things at walls, just bottles it up.’

Rob was torn. He hated to upset Christine, but the journey was a necessity: he was a foreign correspondent. He couldn’t pick or choose where his stories led him.

‘You know, I’m slightly surprised,’ Isobel said.

‘By what?

‘That she fell for you anyway. She doesn’t normally go for men like you. With cheekbones and blue eyes. Dashing adventurers. It’s usually older men. You do know she lost her dad when she was young, don’t you? She’s like any girl with that in her background. Always been attracted to the missing father figure. Advisors. Tutors.’ Isobel looked Rob in the eye. ‘Protectors.’

Across the waters came the hooting of a ferry. Rob listened to the echo rebounding. Then he stepped through the kitchen doorway, into the garden.

Christine was alone on the garden seat, staring through the moonlit pines. Without turning, she said, ‘Isobel is very lucky. This house is so beautiful.’

He sat down beside her and took her hand. The moonlight made her fingers seem very pale. ‘Christine, I need a favour.’

She turned to look at him.

He explained. ‘While I am in Lalesh…’ He paused. ‘Lizzie. Watch over her a little. Can you?’

Christine’s face was shadowed. A passing cloud had obscured the moon. ‘But I don’t understand. Lizzie’s with her mother.’

Rob sighed. ‘Sally works very hard at her job. Her studies. She’s got legal exams. I just want someone I really trust to…keep another eye on her. You’ll be staying with your sister, right? In Camden?’

Christine nodded.

‘So that’s barely three miles from Sally’s house. Knowing you were there, or just nearby, would make it a lot easier for me. Then maybe you could email me. Or call. I’ll ring Sally to make sure she knows who you are. She might even welcome the help. Maybe…’

The pine trees murmured; Christine nodded. ’I’ll go and see her. OK. And I’ll email you, every day…while you are in Iraq.

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