But the Delta commander was already organising it and beckoning them. “This ain’t England, guys. Let’s get movin’. I’ve had about all the Hawaii I can handle on this vacation.”
TWENTY-NINE
Drake, Kennedy, and the rest of the assault team rendezvoused with Ben and Hayden several hours later at a military base near Honolulu.
Time passed. Red tape was cut. Bumpy roads were smoothed over. Governments bickered, then sulked, then finally started talking. Jumped up bureaucrats were appeased with the political equivalent of milk and honey.
And the end of the world drew ever closer.
The real players talked and worried and reasoned, and slept in a badly air-conditioned series of buildings near Pearl Harbor. Drake immediately assumed that Ben’s pensive greeting meant they had little progress to report on the hunt for the next Piece of Odin — His Eyes. Drake concealed his surprise; he had truly believed that Ben’s expertise and motivation would have cracked the clues by now.
Hayden, the Secretary of Defence’s sharp-witted assistant, had been helping him but they had made little progress.
Their single hope was that the other apocalyptic contestants — the Canadians and the Germans — were faring little better.
Ben’s attention had initially been broken by Drake’s revelation.
“Abel Frey? The German mastermind? Bog off, dickhead.”
“Seriously, mate. Would I lie to you?”
“Don’t quote Whitesnake at me, Matt. You know our band have a problem playing their music, and it’s not funny. I just can’t believe… Abel Frey?”
Drake sighed. “Here I go again. Yes. Abel Frey.”
Kennedy backed him up. “I saw him and I still want to tell Drake to stop spouting bullshit. The guy’s a recluse. Has a place in the German Alps — the ‘Party Chateau’. Supermodels. Money. A superstar life.”
“Wine, women and song,” Drake said.
“Stoppit!” Ben said. “In a way,” he mused, “it’s the perfect cover.”
“Easy to fool the ignorant when you’re famous,” Drake agreed. “You get to choose your destination — wherever you want to go. Smuggling must be easy for those people. Just find your ancient artefact, choose your diplomatic suitcase, and…”
“… Slide it in.” Kennedy finished seamlessly, and turned laughing eyes on Ben.
“You two should…” he spluttered. “…You two should get a fuckin’ room.”
Wells came over at that moment. “This Abel Frey thing… it’s been decided to keep it low-key for now. Watch and wait. We’re putting an army around his chateau, but we’re giving him free reign, in case he ends up knowing something we don’t.”
“On the surface that’s sound,” Drake began, “but-”
“But he has my sister,” Ben hissed. Hayden held up a hand to calm him. “They’re right, Ben. Karin’s safe… for now. The world isn’t.”
Drake narrowed his eyes, but held his tongue. To protest would achieve nothing. It would only help distract his friend even more. Again, he had trouble fathoming Hayden out. Was it his new-found cynicism eating at him? Had she thought quickly for Ben, or had she thought prudently for her government?
Either way, the answer was the same. Wait.
Drake changed the subject. He probed another one close to Ben’s heart. “How are your mum and dad?” he asked carefully. “They cottoned on yet?”
Ben gave an anguished sigh. “No, mate. Last call, they mentioned her, but I said she’d snagged a second job. It’ll help, Matt, but not for long.”
“I know.” Drake eyed Wells and Hayden. “As leaders here, you two should help.” Then, without waiting for a reply he said: “What news on Heidi and Odin’s Eyes?”
Ben shook his head in disgust. “Plenty,” he complained. “There’re snippets everywhere. Here — listen to this: to drink from Mimir’s Well — the Well of Wisdom in Valhalla — everyone must offer up a critical sacrifice. Odin sacrificed his Eyes, symbolizing his willingness to gain knowledge of events both current and future. Upon drinking he foresaw all the trials that would affect men and Gods throughout eternity. Mimir accepted Odin’s Eyes, and they lie there still, a symbol of what even a God must pay for a glimpse of ultimate wisdom.”
“Okay,” Drake shrugged. “Standard historical stuff, yeah?”
“True. But it’s all like that. The Poetic Edda, the Saga of Flenrich, another I have translated as The Many Travelled Paths of Heidi. They explain what happened, but they don’t tell us where the Eyes are now.”
“In Valhalla,” Kennedy made a face.
“That’s the Norse word for Heaven.”
“Not a chance I’ll ever find ‘em then.”
Drake considered it all. “And there’s nothing else? Jesus, mate, this is the last Piece!”
“I’ve followed Heidi’s path — her travels. She visits the places we know of, and then returns to her home. This isn’t Playstation, mate. No side trips, no hidden achievements, no alternate paths, zilch.”
Kennedy took a seat beside Ben and shook her hair out. “Could she have deposited two Pieces in one location?”
“It’s possible, but it wouldn’t play well with what we know so far. The other clues, followed over many years, have all pointed to one Piece in each place.”
“So you’re saying that’s our clue?”
“The clue has to be Valhalla,” Drake said quickly. “It’s the only phrase that hints to a place. And I remember you said something earlier about Heidi telling Odin she knew where his Eyes were hidden, ‘cos he spilled all his secrets whilst hanging on the cross.”
“Tree,” Torsten Dahl entered the room at that moment. The Swede looked worn, more battle weary from the administrative side of his job than the physical. “Odin hung on the World Tree.”
“Whoops,” Drake muttered. “Same story. Is that coffee?”
“Macadamia,” Dahl looked smug. “The best Hawaii has to offer.”
“Thought that was Spam,” said Kennedy demonstrating her New Yorker condescension.
“Spam is widely loved in Hawaii,” Dahl agreed. “But coffee rules all. And Kona Macadamia Nut is king.”
“So you’re saying that Heidi knew where Valhalla was?” Hayden tried her best to look confused rather than sceptical as Drake signalled someone to bring them more coffee.
“Yes, but Heidi was human. Not a God. So what she would have experienced was a worldly Heaven?”
“Sorry, dude,” Kennedy joked. “Vegas wasn’t founded ‘til 1905.”
“To a Norsewoman.” Drake added, trying not to smile.
Silence followed. Drake watched Ben mentally clicking through everything he’d scrutinized so far. Kennedy pursed her lips. Hayden accepted a tray of coffee mugs. Wells had long since retired to a corner, feigning sleep. Drake remembered his intriguing words — I have a few things to tell you. Things about Mai.
Time for that later, if at all.
Ben laughed as he shook his head. “It’s easy. Christ, so easy. A person’s heaven is… their home.”
“Exactly. The place she lived. Her village. Her hut,” Drake affirmed. “My thoughts too.”
“Mimir’s well lies inside Heidi’s village!” Kennedy looked around, excitement shining in her eyes, then gave Drake a playful punch. “Not bad for a grunt.”