Beneath the Ice (40 page)

Unlike any traditional salute, Mahoney
raised his right arm, fingers straight, in a slow tribute, held the
position for several long seconds, then slowly lowered his arm.

“As you were,” he ordered. Then he turned to
Perry and Jack.

“Can I give you a lift?”

EPILOGUE

“
Have some more pie, Jack,”
President Calvert said.

“I’m on a diet.”

Perry smiled as Calvert looked at Jack.
“You’re kidding, right?”

“Yes, Mr. President. It’s a fault in my
character. And I would love more pie.”

“Try the cherry,” Calvert said. “It doesn’t
matter how bad things are in life, cherry pie makes it better.”

Perry took a bite of pumpkin pie, one of the
six kinds on the large table. He, his parents, Jack, Gleason,
Sarah, Griffin, and Gwen were all jammed into the White House
kitchen at the president’s request. Dr. Curtis was eating his third
piece of pecan.

“Offices are for diplomats and politicos,”
the president had said. “The kitchen is for friends.”

It had been two weeks since Captain Mahoney
had snatched Jack and Perry from the ice. Two weeks of relaxation
and reflection. Perry had gone home to Seattle, which by comparison
to Antarctica seemed balmy.

“I’m glad you all could make it. I’ve wanted
to meet you. You have done a wonderful service for your country.
Unfortunately, I can’t give out any medals. This remains top
secret.”

“I don’t understand that,” Dr. Curtis said.
“The discovery is monumental.”

“It is,” the president agreed. “And the last
word hasn’t been heard on that. It’s just that we’re in a dicey
situation. You were rescued by a team that flew in on navy
transports and included a Special Forces unit. That in itself isn’t
bad, but they flew out of an area we’d just as soon the world
didn’t know about. The Antarctic Treaty doesn’t allow for military
bases on the continent.”

“So we’re in defiance of the treaty?”
Griffin said.

“Yes, we are,” the president answered. “So
are six other countries. And that, my friends, is the end of that
conversation.”

“May I ask about your situation here?” Perry
said. “I understand that Enkian had men entrenched in the
government.”

“He still does,” Calvert said. “And not just
our government. I’ve received reports from most European and Middle
Eastern governments that Enkian had made inroads there. Even China,
of all places.”

“How could he achieve that?” Sarah asked.
“It seems impossible.”

“All things are possible, given enough time
and patience,” the president said. “This wasn’t an overnight plan.
It spans generations.”

“And to think he got away,” Jack said. The
president didn’t respond. “He did get away, didn’t he?”

“Have some more coffee, Jack,” Calvert said.
“It goes great with the pie.” Then he winked. “Life is like pie.
Anyone can open a can of cherries and pour it into a store-bought
crust, but the best pies have a little something added by the
baker, something only the baker knows. Secrets can be tasty.”

“I think we get your drift, Mr. President,”
Perry said.

Henry Sachs leaned over the table. “Perhaps
this falls under that category of tasty secrets, Mr. President, but
your chief of staff is not with us tonight.”

“He’s on vacation,” Calvert said. “Spending
time with his wife and daughter. If you promise not to talk to the
media, I’ll let you in on something—he’s resigning when he gets
back. The Secret Service agent that picked up his daughter was rock
solid. That was lucky.”

“Or providential,” Perry said.

“Yes, of course.”

“When we last met,” Henry said, “you told me
a few others were connected to Enkian and that they were not as
noble as Mr. Jeter turned out to be.”

“Jeter is noble; he was willing to risk his
life and that of his family to expose the conspiracy. He’s a true
patriot. That’s what we’re finding. The heads of state that I’ve
been speaking to have told me that several people connected to
Enkian found loyalty to their country more important. You can only
push an honest man so far.” Calvert leaned back and took a sip of
coffee. “As for the two close associates that found Enkian’s dream
more important than their own country . . . Well, they’ve both
retired and moved out of the country—far out of the country.”

Perry knew better than to ask, so he
inquired about a different matter. “Enkian was in charge of the
world’s largest mining company. What happens to his assets?”

“The courts have seized them,” the president
said. “They will arbitrate everything. My guess is that the company
will be split up and sold off to competitors. His mines in other
countries will be released to the local governments. It’s not for
me to say for sure, but it’s a good guess.”

“And what about Lake Vostok?” Griffin said.
“We had just begun our research.”

“You gathered a great deal of information,”
Calvert said. “The data revealed some interesting things.”

“Is the lake still growing?” Gwen asked.

“Yes,” Calvert answered.
“Ice is melting in the Arctic and Ant-
arctic, and it seems to be melting from below. We are keeping
a close eye on it. The data from your work, data you haven’t had
opportunity to analyze yet, shows the lake to be warmer than
expected.
Geothermal activity is probably
the culprit, but more testing needs to be done.”

“And what of the artifacts?” Dr. Curtis
questioned. “The one below the ice and the one discovered by Dr.
Harry Hearns?”

“Unfortunately, the one in the iceberg found
by Hearns has broken off and sunk to the bottom. I imagine someday
scientists will be taking a closer look. As for the ziggurat, well,
it’s still there.”

“When do we get to go back?” Griffin
wondered.

“I’m not sure,” Calvert said. “This whole
Enkian thing has muddied things up. We have some explaining to do
to the Russians. Their research station is the closest. The UN may
get involved.”

“It could take years,” Griffin
complained.

“I’m certain it will,” Calvert said. “I’m
certain it will.”

The informal meeting ended twenty minutes
later when the president excused himself to take a phone call.
Secret Service agents led them down the corridor and out into a
pleasant Washington, D.C., night. Two black Lincoln Navigators were
waiting for them. Perry climbed into the first and was joined by
Gwen and Griffin. The others loaded into the second vehicle.

“Well, that was interesting,” Gwen said.
“I’ve never had pie with a president before.”

“Me either,” Perry admitted.

The car pulled from the curb. “I found him
evasive about the future of Vostok,” Griffin said. “If the call
comes, will you go, Perry?”

Perry thought for a moment. The time he’d
spent at the bottom of the world was the most grueling of his life.
He had suffered pain, hardship, and cold, and had nearly died under
two miles of ice. “Yeah, I’d go.”

“Me too,” Griffin said. “Do you really think
they’ll call us again?”

“I hope so,” Perry said.

A moment later, Griffin spoke again. “I have
another question for you, Perry.”

“Shoot.”

“I’ve been thinking. Maybe I should at least
hear a little about your faith before I continue to denigrate it.
Do you know anyone who would be willing to tutor me?”

Perry smiled. “It just so happens that I
do.”

The call never came.