Part 23 (2/2)

'Man camps?'

'Trailers, cheap motels and rent houses, ten to twenty men living in each, because there's not enough housing in these boom towns. Men leave their families so they can work in South Texas or out here, send money home to Houston or Chicago, to mama and the kids like Mexicans send money home to Chihuahua. I guess we're all migrants when it comes to jobs.'

He added his thumb.

'And most important of all, Professor, shale gas is single-handedly causing a s.h.i.+ft in the world's geopolitical balance of power.'

'How?'

'I'm fixin' to tell you how.' Back to the world map. 'Seventy percent of the world's conventional natural gas-that's everything except shale gas-is located in exactly two countries: Russia and Iran. What's that tell you?'

'G.o.d has an odd sense of humor?'

Billy Bob chuckled. 'That He does. What it tells us is that we can't let the bad guys control the world's natural gas supply like they do the oil supply. See, most of Europe is tied to Russian natural gas, the rest to Iran. So Putin carteled up with that loony b.a.s.t.a.r.d Ahmadinejad, put European countries in a political and economic vise. Remember back in oh-eight when Russia invaded Georgia-'

'The Russians invaded Georgia?' Nadine said. 'OMG, my aunt lives in Atlanta. Will she be okay?'

Billy Bob regarded Book's intern as one might Paris Hilton giving financial advice.

'She gets her news on Twitter,' Book said.

Billy Bob grunted. 'Anyway, the Euros, they opposed UN sanctions because they couldn't risk Putin cutting off their gas supply. Which is how Putin operates-he ain't selling gas, he's wielding a political sledgehammer. And he vetoes every UN sanction on Iran because they're partnered up, so Iran just goes merrily down the path to a nuclear weapon. And where does that path end? With Israel bombing Tehran back to the fifties. Which ignites the Middle East and puts U.S. troops on the ground again.'

'And shale gas can prevent all that?'

'd.a.m.n straight it can. Shale gas makes the U.S. energy independent and gives Europe the chance to tell Putin and Ahmadinejad to pump their gas up their-'

He glanced at Nadine.

'-where the sun don't s.h.i.+ne. If they'll just go get it. Poland's got almost two hundred trillion cubic feet of shale gas-that's a two-hundred-year supply-and they're d.a.m.n sure going after that gas. But France, they're not, even though they've got a hundred-year supply. They'd rather depend on nuclear power. How stupid is that? Waiting for another f.u.kus.h.i.+ma? But that's what happens when environmental socialists are making the decisions. They'd rather hand the world over to Putin and Ahmadinejad. They don't get it. This ain't about a frackin' well dirtying a little water-it's about the future of the G.o.dd.a.m.n free world!'

He caught himself.

'Hydraulic stimulation,' he said carefully. 'What happens then, Professor? What happens when no one in the world needs Russian or Iranian gas? When Putin can't tell the Euros how to vote at the UN? Putin's power drops with the price of gas. The UN pushes Ahmadinejad back under his rock. Which makes the world a safer place. A better place. The good guys win, and the bad guys lose. That's got to sound good even to a liberal.'

'I like it!' Nadine said. 'And I don't even know who Putin and Ack ... Achjim ... that guy are. His name probably has too many characters for Twitter.'

Billy Bob smiled at her, as if she were a precocious child.

'You're a pistol, Honeywell. You sure you don't want a job?'

'I'm sure.'

'All the donuts you can eat.'

'On the other hand ...'

Billy Bob turned back to Book and put the cigar in the air.

'And never forget, Professor-we are the good guys.'

'But we need clean water. And fracking is dangerous.'

Billy Bob shook his head with a bemused expression on his face. 'Liberals. G.o.d bless the children. Professor, people texting while driving is dangerous. Riding that Harley is dangerous ...'

'Amen,' Nadine said.

'... Life is dangerous. h.e.l.l, yes, drilling is dangerous. Accidents happen. Get over it. Or start riding a bike, and not that Harley. The kind you pedal.'

Billy Bob stepped over to another map that depicted a satellite view of the world at night. Most of North America was brightly lit. As were the UK, Europe, India, j.a.pan, and the perimeter of South America. But much of Russia and China was dark, as was all of Africa except the northern nations and South Africa. It was a telling view of the world.

'You want to live with light or in the dark? You don't get light without electricity. You generate electricity with oil, coal, nuclear, or natural gas. Pick your poison, Professor.'

He turned his hands up.

'Gas is the best choice, and shale gas gives us that choice. The world needs to cut carbon emissions, the world needs a bridge from oil to alternative energy sources, the world needs to get off Middle Eastern oil and Russian and Iranian gas ... Shale gas does all that and more. Is it perfect? No. But what is? But shale gas makes for a more perfect world. It's a no-brainer, Professor, even for a liberal like yourself.'

He stepped over to the desk, grabbed the thick doc.u.ment under the handgun-lighter, and returned. He handed the doc.u.ment to Book then gestured with the cigar.

'Don't take my word for it, Professor. Take MIT's word. And Harvard's. And the Baker Inst.i.tute at Rice. Read their reports on shale gas and geopolitics. I'm not making this stuff up.'

Nadine raised her hand.

'You got a question, Honeywell?'

'Where's the girls' restroom? Coffee goes right through me. Sorry, that's an over-share.'

'Down the hall, past the donuts.'

Nadine pivoted and walked to the door; Billy Bob's eyes followed her out.

'Boy, I'd sure like to have her on my payroll.'

'She's my intern.'

'Keep your p.r.i.c.k out of the payroll-I learned that lesson the hard way. Several times. You know, it's outrageous what a gal can get for s.e.xual hara.s.sment these days.'

He chuckled then walked around his desk and sat in his leather throne. Book took his seat again. Billy Bob chewed on the cigar and regarded him.

'Professor, why do you care so much about Nathan Jones?'

'I owe him.'

'You rode that Harley four hundred miles just because you owed Nathan a favor?'

'Because he wrote me that letter.'

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