Damned!

Contact

To get to Median Cruces, Ein had bought a train ticket. Once he arrived at the western edge of the country he could wait for the city bus, an ancient double decker object that would fit as many people as could be squeezed in, but he had better ideas. Approaching the village bazaar, he approached a fresh produce market and bargained a ride with the rancher with a crisp $50 bill. This served two purposes, he did not want

word to spread whom he was visiting, and also facilitated a much more comfortable transportation arrangement.

It had been an early rise for him from the dingy hotel room he had secured with his former identification card. Reaching Medium Cruces in the early afternoon, he was pleased to hear the ring of his phone.

"Hello, are you on the government campus or in your apartment?" he asked, skipping all introductions.

"Yes, I am in my office...", a female voice answered.

"Damn Thomas!" he swore, under his breath.

"Excuse me?", the voice returned.

"Listen, call me again, but outside somewhere, away from your job and apartment. This is a very private matter."

"Okay..." Laura replied slowly with a hint of sarcasm.

"Really, I'm sorry to inconvenience you. This will be important. In return, I promise to help you with whatever you want to know about my, well my former position."

Ein heard a click on the other end of the line. He was not sure if this was a good sign or not and hoped he had not sounded too abrupt. It had been a long time since he had spent time with anyone outside of work. He was afraid he might still be sounding like the take command type of leader he had been. He was quite sure this would rub the wrong way with female acquaintances, but he was stuck in an awkward position of trying to stave off conflicts between two different quarreling entities that would have an impact on the people of Medium Cruces.

When he had first learned of the plan to divert the Jungle Waterway, he knew the church could be influential in dissuading President Hoveting. The priest had long worked with the government, providing trade route exchanges from the native Gandan people for valuables that were not to be found elsewhere in the country. Watershed fish, wild pigs, sweet goat's milk, and Gandan birds- raised to perfection by the natives were imports that traveled to the city via waterways. If the river was damned and diverted, the rich abundance of fish would diminish as well as the lifestyle of the Gandan people.

As he approached the familiar church doorways, decorated with the ornately carved cross above its wooden archways, the door was unexpectedly thrown open and an older man, with a tanned ancient clean shaven face that was completely bereft of facial hair, stepped out stiffly to greet him.

"Ein, my traveler from abroad. What news do you have to give to me from the city? "

Ein, eyeing the man, approached the priest cautiously. The old priest, who had made his fortune from taming the Gandan people and connecting them to their European counterparts in the city, was clever as well as powerful. Ein had a suspicion from the tone of voice that had spoken, perhaps his news had already been relayed. Most likely not to Ein's advantage.

"Well grandpa," Ein said. "That depends on what you already know."

At the mention of his familial name, Heinrich looked uncomfortable, cleared his throat and then replied, "Why don't you come inside?"