Part 37 (1/2)
”Let's suppose he told me that if I ever showed my face in Katmandu again, he'd have me drawn and quartered.”
Annja smiled. ”Sounds about right.”
”When Tuk told me that Tsing was involved I kept an even lower profile. Specifically, I flew to India and stayed there until I knew what was going on. Once you were off to Jomsom and Mustang, something didn't feel right, so I flew back into the country, waiting for Tuk's phone call.”
”But when it came,” Annja said, ”we'd already crashed.”
”Exactly. By then, I didn't much care if Tsing knew I was back. I went to him, prepared to offer a truce until I could find you, but he'd already chased you up to Jomsom. Or actually, I think he was chasing Hsu Xiao because she tried to poison him.”
”So, by the time all of this was happening, we were already at the fabled Shangri-La.”
”Yes, well, that does sound better than nuclear waste facility masquerading as a mystical land.”
Annja hefted her bag. ”You ready to go?”
Garin rose. ”Sure am.”
They walked out of the hospital together and the weather was spectacular. Annja took a deep breath and exhaled. Her body felt good. Not perfect, but really good. And well on the mend.
She felt rested. Better than in a very long time. ”I'm looking forward to going home,” she said.
Garin smiled and handed her a plane ticket. ”Here you go. It's first cla.s.s.”
”First cla.s.s? What did I do to deserve this?”
”As if you didn't know.”
Annja laughed. ”What about you, Garin? Where are you off to now?”
”Ah, well, you know how it is. Lots of things to do and see. Lots of other activities to keep me busy.”
Annja looked at him for a moment. ”Maybe someday you'll stop doing whatever it is that you do.”
”Maybe,” Garin said. ”And maybe someday you'll stop what you do, too.”
”I don't know if I can. The sword seems to have my destiny all mapped out but d.a.m.ned if I can fathom it.”
”We all have our destinies to play out, Annja,” Garin said. ”But play them out we will. And maybe when they're done and finished, we can actually live how we want to. You know, if you happen to believe in free will and all.”
”Free will,” Annja said. ”That's quite a concept.” She turned her gaze away.
”Looking for something?” Garin asked.
”I was hoping to see Mike. I haven't seen him since the mountain. He left me a message saying something about his brain tumor, but then it got cut off and I never learned what was going on.”
”Maybe Mike's got his own destiny to play out, too.” Garin smiled. ”Remember, nothing's ever quite what it seems, is it?”
”What's that supposed to mean?”
Garin kissed her on the cheek. ”Goodbye, Annja. I'll be seeing you around. We won't always be friends, but we won't always be enemies, either. Remember that the next time you want to kill me.”
Annja looked at him for a long moment and then stood on her tiptoes to kiss him on his cheek. ”You do the same.”
”I shall.”
She watched him walk away and vanish into the crowd. Annja never knew how such a large man could so easily disappear, but somehow he always did.
Annja looked around. She needed a taxi and then it was a trip to the airport followed by a long flight home. She wondered if they served ice cream sundaes on the plane?
A taxi sidled up next to her and she got in. ”Airport, please.”
”Why the h.e.l.l do you want to go there?”
Annja looked up and then saw the face of the driver. ”Mike!”
He grinned at her. ”Hey, kid.”
”What are you doing driving a cab?”
Mike nodded at her ticket. ”You got time to take a ride? Maybe have a conversation about stuff?”
”My flight's not for hours yet. I've got some time.”
”Good.” Mike eased out into the traffic and they drove through the congested streets of Katmandu. Gradually, the city limits fell behind them and they pa.s.sed into more rural areas. Annja looked out of her window and watched the children playing soccer and laughing and running through the streets.
”What's going on?” Annja asked.
”You'll see,” he said.
He pulled over near the airfield where they'd been stowed aboard Tsing's plane and switched off the cab's engine. Then he got out of the car and leaned against the hood.
Annja followed him. ”It's great to see you again, you big lug.”
He hugged her and then set her back down. ”Sorry, I haven't been around. I had to take care of some things.”
Annja nodded. ”I heard. Tuk said something about your cancer being in remission. That's wonderful news! Congratulations.”
”Thanks. But it's not in remission.”
”It's not?”
”No. It's gone. Completely.”
Annja felt her heart leap. ”Even better! Wow, how did that happen?”
Mike shrugged. ”I don't want you to get mad at me, okay?”
Annja backed away. ”What is it?”
”I never had it to begin with.”