New Birds

The Invitation Part 8

Keitin was on the veranda by the time she left the shade of the trees for the view of the house. She got off the bike and pushed it with the last of her energy, dropping it near Keitin's car. Hal was still inside the vehicle. A half jug of water sat on the hood. She started up the veranda's steps, stopping when the Lugar finally crested the top of her waistband, threatening to fall to the ground. She reached up under her poncho and grabbed the barrel. Keitin raised an eyebrow as she placed the gun on the railing.

"I thought you had no use for them. Now you're pedalling about with a loaded one stuck in your pants?"

"It makes me feel safer," she said, removing her glasses in order to remove her poncho. She was now much too hot. "Especially with Louis gone." She added.

"Safe? You're lucky you still have your lady bits." He was studying her now, as she cleaned her glasses with the edge of her blue t-shirt. She imagined her usually untamable hair has crossed the line into feral about now.

"Just tell me why you're fetching more of my water? And how this could possibly be good news?" she asked.

Keitin fished through his coat pocket, producing a beautifully designed invitation on heavy cream stock with raised scripted letters. He handed it to her. "It wouldn't seem polite to arrive without a gift, and since they value your water so much."

"Yes, my water, which you're getting pretty generous with, Keitin." She snatched the card from him.

It was a dinner invitation from Jason and Malti Anson, along with a tour of their research and genetic engineering facility in Upstate Montana, near the old border.

"I can't possibly go," she said.

"Are you kidding me? Do you have any idea how rare an invitation like this is? This speaks volumes about how much he wants to work with you. Once we get down there and start talking numbers, I'm sure I can double the proposed lease money. Perhaps triple it."

"That sounds opportunistic."

"Because it is."

"I won't allow greed to enter into this. It has to be strictly about what is best for this place. These trees."

"Yes, exactly. Why else do you think I am breaking my balls to seal this deal for you. This is necessary for the mountain."

Tilly studied the invite. What if she could speak directly to Jason Anson? Could she dare hope that he was a reasonable enough person to give her honest answers to at least some of her many questions? To find out once and for all just who and what she was dealing with? Maybe she could sway him to see the errors in the water contract. Maybe he could sway her in to seeing the importance of this new research centre. A tour of his facility would also give her more insight.

"To arrive tired and disheveled would only put us at a disadvantage." Keitin reached out and touched one of her wayward curls. She batted his hand away.

"I am just saying we should plan on an extra day of travel. A little leeway in case of trouble and a rest stop to arrive fresh. We'll leave first thing Sunday morning," Keitin said.

"If Louis advances into the final rounds, he won't get back until Sunday evening," she said.

Keitin gave her a look of half jest, half pity. "Advance?"

"It is very possible. You saw the size of Simon."

Keitin shook his head and walked to the far end of the veranda to look up at Louis's aviary. "A show of that caliber has designs only on taking Louis's money. Filler birds are only that. Here's a bit of information for you; Mr. Anson has no marabou DNA stored at his facility. 3500 bird species at his ready, but not a drop of marabou. That should tell you something about these relics."