by Ann Turner
Before I left I phoned Georgia, but she didn’t pick up. I sent an email, telling her about the man and the odd behaviour of the penguins and seals; asking her to call me.
• • •
The air was freezing and a deep blue light hung over the glistening ice. It was almost midnight by the time Travis and I arrived at the party, which was still in full swing. At the door Travis’s friend Moose – his moose T-shirt now coupled with a pair of moose horns on his head – offered a choice of masks. He had the glazed expression of someone who’d drunk too much alcohol. Travis already had his Venetian cat mask; I took a simple piece of black cardboard that hid my eyes.
‘I hadn’t realised it was a masked ball,’ I said as Travis crooked his arm through mine and drew me close.
‘Aren’t we all in masks down here all the time, anyway?’ he whispered.
‘Why do you say that?’ I tried to keep my voice steady.
‘Just joking. Let’s get a drink.’
I ordered us two strong whiskies and found they weren’t on the house after all.
‘Only white wine, sorry,’ said a sweet skinny boy behind the bar, his arms so thin and strong you could see the sinews. His sandy hair was cut stylishly around a narrow face, and he wore a black velvet mask through which his green eyes peered. He introduced himself as Guy. ‘Any spirits are full cost.’
‘Guy, start a tab for me,’ I said.
‘Way to go, Laura.’ Travis’s teeth shone white beneath his sequined cat’s head. He slapped me on the back. Hard. He was over-excited. The only man here with a date. I could feel eyes upon us. The band seemed to be made up of scientists and they were playing very daggy cover tunes. To my horror the lead singer was Connaught. He had a deep, hypnotic voice and wore a beaked mask and a body-hugging leotard.
‘This is more like Venetian Carnevale,’ I said.
Travis shrugged. ‘We have limited outfits. We do Venetian Carnevale quite often. I suppose it’s always a bit of a variation. But you look different.’ He stroked my arm and I pulled away, aware of how much younger he was.
‘You know I think of you like a little brother,’ I said and he looked alarmed. ‘I just want to be friends, Travis. Is that okay?’
His lips tensed. I could see he was hurt, even behind the mask. But he pretended otherwise.
‘Of course. That’s what we are. So what happened today? You gave me a scare, Laura. And then I guess I gave you one.’ He smiled sheepishly. ‘But what did happen?’
I thought for a minute. I was tired and he had entered my room uninvited. ‘Another time,’ I said. ‘And thanks for the food. It was very thoughtful. Shall we dance?’
Travis moved well on the dance floor, which was just the dining room with the tables and chairs pushed against the walls. He kept pressing closer and I kept moving him away. My eyes were on the scientists who were grooving around me, generally looking like idiots as they swayed and stomped along. All were wearing masks. Most seemed like they’d been drinking.
‘So why’s your fantasy a cat?’ I asked as I moved quickly to avoid Travis touching me again.
‘We always had cats growing up. I love them. I love penguins and whales too. But a cat’s sexier, don’t you think?’
I had to admit that in his well-fitting black jeans and tight V-neck jumper revealing a strong, toned chest, I noticed his muscles and was less aware of his puppy fat. And the more I looked, the less I saw any overweight bulges. Maybe I’d been mistaken and thought he was pudgy because of the way he’d been dressing? We all wore a lot of layers down here.
Right now, Travis’s physique seemed very desirable. Romances were common in Antarctica and could just be short-term. What went on in the ice, could stay in the ice, no strings attached. But the last thing I wanted was a holiday romance with my little brother. Therapy bills would cost a fortune in years to come if that happened.
I quickly looked around the room, wondering if the man who had been in the blubber cookery was here, dancing, watching. Knowing who I was and enjoying the fact that I didn’t know him. Or did I? Had we met? Was he one of the horrible scientists from the first night? I tried to find them in the crowd. With the masks and outfits, I couldn’t tell if they were here. The image of the red material by the vat flashed before me. It could have been a T-shirt; the more I thought about it, the more convinced I became. Had the man been trying to retrieve it? Something that gave away he’d been there? I closed my eyes and tried to picture the silhouette and the size of the man as he fled. He was medium height and thickset. Fit. There were at least two dozen men in the room who matched that description.
I was unsettled as I shimmied about. I should be meeting new people, forging contacts . . . There was a man beside me who I hadn’t seen before. He was thin and extremely tall with huge glasses, dressed in a giant squid outfit with a mask beneath the glasses shading most of his face. He had long blond hair. He was a dork but he danced with good rhythm. If only it wasn’t Connaught singing I might be able to relax a little.
‘Hi there,’ I said, ‘I’m Laura.’ If they went by first names only, I would too.
‘Jasper,’ he replied in a richly toned English accent. ‘Very pleased to meet you, Laura.’ He squeezed my hand.
‘So what brings you here?’ I asked.
‘Research.’
‘What kind?’
He danced around me. I could feel Travis close, dancing behind the pair of us. I didn’t look back.
Jasper was weighing up his answer. ‘A few clinical experiments, down here amongst the ice and all that. Can’t say more, unfortunately. I know that’s unusual. I was at Halley before. Much more open. Connaught keeps us on a tight rein.’
As I nodded, frustrated, he leaned forward and breathed into my ear. ‘No real reason not to tell you more, of course. Just orders. I think Connaught likes the drama. Look at him, writhing like a worm.’
I laughed; Jasper was refreshing. ‘Can I have a few guesses what you’re doing?’
‘Why not?’
‘Are there viruses involved?’
Jasper stepped back. ‘Why would you ask that?’
‘Something I read a few years ago. Alliance is a fascinating place.’
‘Well, you know. Yes, in a word. We have excellent lab facilities,’ he breathed in, ‘and yes we are doing some cultures to test various viruses. Now that’s all I’m telling you, Laura. Has that earned me a drink?’
‘Whisky? Or white wine?’ I asked, hoping he’d tell me more if alcohol loosened his lips.
He roared with laughter. ‘Anything but the white.’
I flashed Travis a smile and touched him lightly on the elbow. I couldn’t afford to put him offside. ‘Another drink?’
‘You bet. I’ll come and help.’
Travis walked close beside me but didn’t speak. Jasper joined us as I ordered three large single malts, dreading to think what my tab would be by the end of the night. The skinny barman, Guy, was generous with his pour, the amber liquid flowing freely into the tumblers. ‘I won’t forget that,’ I said, and he winked.
Travis, Jasper and I chatted as we downed our whiskies swiftly, and then we started dancing as a trio.
• • •
Was I dreaming or was I awake? My head felt like I’d been ten rounds in a boxing ring – and lost. I groaned, disoriented, and tried to work out where I was. My limbs seemed to be stuck under a steam roller. My mind was blank, my vision out of focus. I thought I should panic. I fell back to sleep.
• • •
‘Laura, wake up. What the hell happened to you?’
I opened my eyes a crack and the light blinded me. I covered my face with my hands.
‘Laura, can you get up?’
‘What?’
‘I’m going to lift you.’
Slowly I realised I was talking to Kate. She hauled me to my feet and propelled me across the room. My room. I could see the snow-covered mountains through the window. The sun was shining in a vivid blue sky.
‘How long have you been here?’ she asked.
‘What do you mean?’
‘You were slumped in the corner. Here, get into bed.’ She flung back the sheets and lowered me in. I sprawled out, trying to gather my thoughts. I felt my body to check that all my clothes were intact; relief flooded through when they were. The combination of stockings and leotard would have made it difficult to do anything that wasn’t immediately obvious. My memory was blurred.
‘What time is it, Kate? When did you get here?’
‘It’s six o’clock in the evening, and I arrived at midday. I only barged into your room a few minutes ago when I thought it was absolutely absurd you weren’t up. I heard there was a party last night.’
I nodded, trying to recall what had happened. My mind remained stubbornly blank.
‘There’s a guy called Travis. Cute. Young,’ said Kate. ‘He’s really worried about you but he wouldn’t come into your room. He was the one who pushed me – your door wasn’t locked. And Georgia’s been on my back too. You were meant to call her.’
‘Someone’s exploded a firecracker in my brain.’
Kate laughed, her red hair falling forward in a shining veil as she leaned over me, tucking the bedclothes snugly about.
‘It’s called a hangover. I’ve heard the Brits are even bigger boozers than we are.’
‘But I swear I didn’t drink that much. I know my limits.’ I tried again to remember last night. Nothing. ‘I think my drink was spiked,’ I said, alarmed.
‘Yeah, sure, Laura. Try convincing Georgia.’
I stared ahead, squinting in an attempt to remember. All I could recall was dancing with Travis and the tall scientist. Was his name Jasper? And then it was just a huge blank. I’d lost hours.
‘Seriously. I’m certain I didn’t drink enough to feel like this.’ I had no idea how I’d got back to my room.
‘You probably just imbibed more than you thought. No big deal, just don’t make a habit of it. But you’ll have to flag away today. We won’t be able to go to Fredelighavn until tomorrow.’
‘No, trust me, Kate. Someone spiked my drink.’ I tried to think if Jasper or Travis could have done it. I remembered gulping down whisky. The skinny barman Guy was a possibility. I had a vague recollection he’d winked at me.
And that was everything I knew.
‘Do you have any idea who?’ Kate’s freckled face had tightened. ‘That’s absolutely awful if it’s true. You’ll have to report it.’
‘To Connaught?’ I snorted. ‘If he’d seen someone do that he would have egged them on. That’s if he didn’t do it himself.’
‘But why would he?’
‘To humiliate me. Hoping I’d humiliate myself in any case. Or to frighten me. Make sure I don’t step out of line.’
‘It’d be very risky. He’d lose his job if he got caught. I can’t imagine it. He met me at the airport. A very slippery snake. But I do agree he’s not fond of you.’
‘I don’t think he wants me doing my EIA.’
‘Mmm. It seemed a bit more personal. Did you have a run-in?’
‘What did he say?’
‘When I mentioned you he made a couple of snide remarks.’
‘Like what?’ I sat up, my stomach feeling sick now as well as my head.
‘Acted like you were a troublemaker.’
I let out a strangled laugh. ‘I’ve barely spoken to him.’
‘Said you were nosy and ask too many questions.’
So, he was telling stories about me. I’d had that before. With the professors. ‘That’s a lie. And anyway, no one gives answers.’
‘I stuck up for you.’ Kate sat beside me on the bed. ‘I told him I’ve known you for years. He glared at me and shut up, like I’d poked him in the eye.’ Kate grinned, the skin around her pale eyes creasing with laughter. ‘He’ll be telling stories about me now too. And I’m glad. He’s a fully minted cretin.’
‘From a very insignificant university. He’d been in the Ivy League and now isn’t, but he gets this post. I can’t work it out.’
‘How about the other scientists?’
‘Well, if you can get some surnames out of them we can look them up. Connaught’s got them all on a first-name-only basis with me.’
Kate frowned. ‘That’s unusual.’
‘Highly irregular. The whole place is.’ I filled her in on what happened at Fredelighavn. Unlike last night, I could remember that with crystal clarity and gave her a blow-by-blow description.
Kate pulled back the covers and hopped in beside me. ‘Now I’m creeped out,’ she said. ‘You have to tell Georgia.’
I checked the time: we’d talked so much it was almost eight o’clock. I hurried to the computer and Skyped Georgia.
By the time I’d told her everything, for once Georgia’s face wasn’t warm. It was a sea of anger.
‘I’d like to come down myself,’ she said. ‘But unfortunately that’s not possible with everything going on here. There’s thirty scientists arriving tomorrow and I need to supervise safety drills and the inevitable rooming crisis and whatever.’ She tapped her desk and stopped, deep in thought.
‘My strong feeling is we don’t say anything to Connaught at this point. Put it in writing, Laura, and send it to me. I’ll draft a report, which I’m going to sit on until we know more. It’s very serious that anyone was down there at Fredelighavn, and if Connaught’s responsible, I’m going to advise he lose his job. So we have to do this methodically and by the book. And watch your back. Kate needs to as well.’
‘Hi Georgia, I’m right here!’ called Kate, from the bed.
‘Oh. Now this is what I mean – by the book. Laura, you should have told me Kate was listening. Think every bureaucratic thought and do it.’
‘That sounds like fun,’ mumbled Kate.
‘What was that?’ said Georgia sharply.
‘We definitely will,’ I said. ‘Sorry. I’ll write everything up tonight.’
‘I hope you’re wrong about the drink spiking. If it happens again, I’ll be over in a flash. In a police capacity.’
‘But do you have any jurisdiction at a British base?’ I asked.
‘I have contacts.’ Georgia was very serious. ‘Have you heard anything from Professor Koch?’
‘No, have you?’
‘He has to have a second operation. They removed the gallbladder but found gallstones in his bile duct. He’ll be there for another week. I thought he might have contacted you.’
I grabbed my phone and checked my email. There was a message from Rutger explaining just that. ‘Sorry, Georgia, yes, he has told me.’
She glared at me. ‘If your drink was spiked I’m not blaming you, but do keep abreast of things from now on, okay?’
I apologised again.
‘Look after each other,’ she said. ‘And get back to me sharp on your return from the whaling station tomorrow.’ She snapped off the connection.
‘Wow, I’ve never seen her so angry,’ said Kate.
‘Me neither.’ If Georgia was that furious, it made me frightened. I knew she wasn’t really angry with me but with the situation. ‘I’m never drinking again,’ I said.
‘Famous last words. Make a bet?’
I groaned. ‘I guess we’d better get to dinner.’
‘How about I bring something back to the room?’
‘That would be the best thing that’s happened in my life.’
‘People say that about me all the time,’ said Kate, hopping off the bed. ‘And I’ll let Travis know you’re okay.’ She paused. ‘You don’t think he did it, do you?’
‘No. I certainly hope not.’
‘He didn’t seem the type, but then I guess you never know. I take it you don’t want wine?’
I threw a pillow at her and she darted out the door.
• • •
Kate’s red hair was sprawled over the pillow beside me: we’d both felt more comfortable not sleeping alone. It was 6am and the sun was blazing, high in the sky
.
‘Did you know you snore?’ Kate said grumpily. ‘I’ve barely slept.’
I didn’t know I snored, that was new. It hit me with a thud the things you can be ignorant about when you’re single.
‘Don’t believe you,’ I said. ‘Anyway, you never mentioned it before in the hut.’
‘I’d meant to.’ Kate grinned.
I whacked her arm. ‘Want the first shower or will you go to your own room?’
‘I guess I’ll go to my room. But can I stay here again tonight? Alliance is scaring me. I’m used to penguins.’
I didn’t want to remind her the penguins we were about to meet could be nasty too. ‘Promise I won’t snore,’ I said.
‘Lucky I have a forgiving nature.’
Half an hour later we were clomping through snow that had fallen in drifts overnight. When we entered the breakfast room conversation stopped. Everyone stared at Kate, who, with her tall, statuesque figure and flaming hair, was used to attention. She smiled at everyone and yelled to the room. ‘I’m Kate. Look forward to meeting you all.’ Occasionally she was just as loud as her penguins.
A few tables of men stood to invite her to join them. I wondered what I always did wrong: it couldn’t have been more different to my introduction. Kate made a beeline for Travis and his friends – Moose and Simon-the-good-pilot – who all tried to pull up a chair for her.
‘So how are you?’ Travis asked me stiffly when the others went up for second helpings.
‘Has anyone heard what happened?’
‘Everyone. You know how rumours fly.’
‘What are they saying?’ My heart beat faster. I hated being the centre of gossip.
‘You were blind drunk.’
‘Travis, how much did I drink?’
I watched him closely. He looked concerned but not guilty.
‘I don’t know. You were dancing with me and that Jasper guy, and then you sat down. I went to get more drinks and when I turned around I couldn’t see you.’
‘Where was Jasper?’