The Explorer's Code by Kitty Pilgrim

Author:Kitty Pilgrim
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, Inc.
Published: 2011-06-28T06:00:00+00:00

Jim Gardiner and Sinclair were at the Coburg Bar in the Connaught Hotel drinking single malt and deep in conversation. Cordelia sat across from them, sipping her Campari and looking around the room. The décor was sophisticated yet cozy: gray green walls; deep velvet wingback chairs upholstered in shades of plum, gray, and persimmon; and flickering amber candles on each table. To think this place was just a few blocks from her new town house.

When the waitress came over, Sinclair and Gardiner stopped talking. She placed a bowl of hand-cut potato chips, a dish of green olives, and some spiced nuts on the low table. She dallied, fussing over the exact placement of the dishes and glancing sideways at Sinclair, looking him over. Sinclair ignored the woman, gazing out at the town houses of Carlos Place. Cordelia rolled her eyes at Gardiner, who pressed his lips together to hide a smile.

When the waitress left, they resumed their discussion. The jazz music drowned out their conversation to the rest of the room.

“The way I see it,” said Gardiner, “this deed does exist. Otherwise we would have had claims against the property. No one has legally contested the rights since Norway ceded them to Elliott Stapleton in 1906.”

“Why the big rush to claim it now?” asked Sinclair.

“I think the construction of the seed vault raised a hornet’s nest of competing interests.”

“Competing interests of the Norwegian government, the Russians, the Bio-Diversity Trust, and some old Russian miners,” Sinclair said, counting them off on his fingers. “Anyone else?”

“There is also a group called Citizens for World Survival. The Department of Homeland Security told me they’re some kind of domestic terrorist group, survivalists or some such thing,” said Gardiner.

“It seems to me Norway has a pretty good claim on it, if we can’t find that deed,” said Sinclair.

“Correct,” said Gardiner. “The land rights will revert to Norway if we can’t find that deed in a reasonable time.”

“Revert? Why?” Cordelia asked.

“The mine hasn’t been in operation for more than thirty years. Norway will try to argue that the land is not being used for its original purpose, which was commercial mining. Without the deed, they would say the land is ‘terra nullius,’ no-man’s-land, and under law it belongs to Norway.”

“What about the Russians?”

“They are doing a modern version of claim jumping by bringing up the historical rights of the Russian miners.”

“Would that fly in court?” cut in Sinclair.

“Probably not. But a private Russian company is offering ninety-seven point six million dollars for the land.”

“Ninety-seven point six million dollars!” Cordelia slumped back in her chair.

“Yup, you find that deed, you could just sell it to the Russians and walk away,” said Gardiner.

“Norway would contest it,” Sinclair pointed out.

“You bet they would, but it wouldn’t be her problem. She would be sitting pretty,” said Gardiner to Sinclair.

“What about donating it to the Bio-Diversity Trust?” asked Cordelia.

“You could do that,” agreed Gardiner. “But there is one problem.”

“We don’t have the deed,” said Sinclair.

“Bingo,” said Gardiner, and drained his whiskey.

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