For the most part, however, Lamont enjoyed working in the Oriental Institute’s air handler room for another reason. He could play music—to which he was even more devoted than puns—and play it loudly. The air handler room was isolated from everything else, as well as being noisy in its own right. So nobody could hear the music and complain.
Lamont had always found that Tina Turner and a nice collection of jazz improved any work environment immensely. So, pulling out his tools, he began his day’s labor with a willing spirit. Five minutes later he was oblivious to the outside world. The demands of the job itself, and the loudness of the air handler room, isolated him. So did Miles Davis’ Sketches of Spain, played at a respectable level.
* * *
Dr. Elizabeth De Beer, sitting at her desk in the nearby building which headquartered the University of Chicago’s biologists, was also completely oblivious to the rest of the world. The cause, in her case, was grief.
It was a quiet kind of grief. More in the way of melancholy than anguish. Liz had long known that her marriage was gasping its last breath. So the final gasp, coming over a restaurant table the night before, had come as no surprise. Nor could she even say it came with any real regrets.
Still . . .
She remembered a day once, in her native South Africa, when she had worn a wedding gown instead of the utilitarian work clothes she was wearing now. The sun had shone so brightly that day, it seemed.
So, at least, she remembered. True, it was not a memory she particularly trusted. Looking back now, she could easily see how foolish she had been to think that a marriage with such a self-centered man as Nick would ever work.
Still . . .
She remembered another day, and was oblivious to the present one.
3
Anyone causing a disturbance within the library will be
asked to leave.
Ten hours after its arrival, the object just sat there. True, the team of scientists (which had now grown to seventeen) found the manner of its sitting there very impressive.
Harkness, who had just arrived, did not. You’d have thought that this bunch of supposedly high-powered scientists could have come up with something better. That black pyramid wouldn’t fool anyone with common sense, least of all him.
Harkness’ lip curled. What fools these so-called scientific experts always turned out to be. Fancy being suckered by what was an obvious hoax. The thing didn’t even do anything. Well, their asses would flame out, when the “UFO” proved to be a fake.
Harkness turned to study his prey: Professor Tremelo. One of Harkness’ assistants was busy with background security checks right now. Harkness didn’t like Tremelo’s attitude. Not one damn bit.
He decided to turn on the pressure. But first—
He turned to the Chicago police officer who had attached himself to Harkness’ group. A classical ass-kisser by the name of Lieutenant John Salinas. Harkness recognized the type perfectly.
“John, I can’t abide this crap.” He waggled the packet of powdered creamer and tossed it into a nearby wastebasket. “See if you can find me some real cream somewhere, would you? I can’t think clearly with my mouth tasting like mud.”
It was a staged performance—Tom Harkness would have cheerfully stirred turpentine into his coffee if that was the preference of his own superiors—but it helped to establish control. Nodding eagerly, Salinas took off at a half trot.
Harkness turned to the swarming scientists, fiddling with their electronic toys. “Tremelo!” he said loudly. “Come over here. We need to talk.” The tone said that it wasn’t going to be a nice talk.
* * *
Those who knew Miggy Tremelo well would have been running for cover. Academics are easygoing about titles—among their peers. Chairs of departments are small tin gods within their own firmament. And generally speaking they stick within that firmament, believing all else to be of lesser virtue. This former head of High Energy Physics, otherwise known as HEP, was one step worse. He was a big platinum god. As a consultant for certain very secret Department of Defense projects at Nellis proving grounds, he was a big platinum god with the Pentagon too. As it happened, he had a higher security clearance than Tom Harkness. And he was totally unused to a lack of respect.
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