Page 80

Olivia pulled it out of her jacket pocket. ‘Sorry. Iwasn’t even thinking. I turned it down – I thought it was more if I needed to contact you. What is it?’
Liam’s eyes flicked from Olivia to Janine. ‘It’s OK,’ said Olivia. ‘She knows about the situation.’
‘We’re almost in Paradise Bay. The moment we anchor, you’re coming on shore with me.’
39
Olivia held her breath as she watched the two Zodiacs filled with passengers leave the MSVigil. She’d spent the last two hours helping Liam and Melissa ferry equipment from the ship to the shore, stacking it up in neat piles ready for the overnight camping. There was a surprising amount for how many were coming ashore – fifteen additional passengers, plus three staff.
Cutler and Ingrid were coming, of course, although their children were too young – they’d be staying with a nanny and camping on the deck of theVigil.
Robert and Aida. Greg and Tariq. Maxwell and Lucinda. Delilah, in a long dark wig this time. That was almost all the VIPs – hardly a surprise, considering the spaces were extremely limited for the exclusive experience. Three spots were her bunkmates from cabin twelve: Patty, Annalise and Janine. The rest were people Olivia hadn’t really interacted with on board. Like Yara, one of the influencers, carrying Helena’s drone. (Helena was feeling too unwell to make the excursion.) And a sweet older couple, who’d introduced themselves to Olivia as Dave and Kathy from southern California. They spoke excitedly about the ‘investment’ they’d made in a Yennin piece. This was the point of the showcase … so that even non-art lovers would hear of him and spread the word.
The other crew member was Arthur Vance, theglaciologist, who was going to explain Antarctic phenomena to them – although Olivia kind of wished it was Dr Ranjeed. Having a medical doctor with them seemed like good sense.
They had to keep the excursion numbers small to minimize the impact on the environment, and it was part of the treaty to vow not to take external food or waste on to the continent, so they ate beforehand, and were only allowed water to drink. The plan was for them to sleep outside, under the open air in oversized sleeping bags known as bivvy sacks fitted with thermal mats.
The hard physical work unloading the bivvies and barrels meant she wasn’t constantly thinking about poor Stefan, or what had happened to her and Ingrid, or about theClarissa IIsomewhere out there with Sergei on board. She instead focused on the landscape. Paradise Bay certainly lived up to its name. For most of the afternoon, the sky had been an intense cobalt blue. The sun sparked against the pristine white landscape, an almost agonizingly bright glow. The mountains hugged the bay, making it feel sheltered and protected. There was a cluster of red-painted buildings near the far edge of the shore – Almirante Brown Base, a scientific outpost run by the Argentinian government. Arthur had told her there were no personnel there; the base was shuttered for the season.
As the evening drew on, the sun dipped lower in the sky, casting a more gentle, serene glow across the bay.
‘Look at this – it must have washed ashore after a recent calving,’ Arthur said, picking up a block of ice so clear, deep and black, it was like a piece of onyx. ‘Aren’t glaciers amazing?’
Olivia kneeled down next to him. ‘What is it?’
‘This is history. The air bubbles within this glacial ice could have formed millions of years ago. And now I’m holding it in my hands.’ He placed it carefully back down on the shore. ‘It’s also a shame. That we’re the ones to see it. Every time I come here, the continent has changed. Glaciers shift and move. I expect that. That’s in their nature. But it’s happening quickly. Way too quickly.’
He stood up abruptly, staring off at the icy cliffs.
Olivia stood up next to him. ‘Are you waiting to see if it will happen again?’
‘Inevitably it will. Just hopefully not while the Zodiacs are unloading.’
‘I also don’t recommend being in a kayak at the time.’
‘That was you?’
She nodded, and he laughed. ‘Well, you’re an Antarctica crew legend now. A capsize on an excursion is everyone’s worst nightmare but as rare as Ice VII.’
She wanted to ask more but was wary of setting him off on another lecture about the different kinds of ice. There was only so much ice talk she could take.
A strong breeze swirled around their boots, lifting her hair. She expected the wind to come from the ocean, like when she had been standing in the harbour at Ushuaia. But this wind came from the interior. Everything was topsy-turvy here.
It was only a few more days until the trip was over. Then she could go to the police and find out what was happening.
The first Zodiac pulled up on to the stony beach, and Liam leaped out. He held out a hand to Cutler, who ignored it.
‘I don’t think I can do this,’ declared Ingrid. She still looked pale from their terrifying sauna experience. Olivia spotted Annalise rolling her eyes, and she wished she could tell her what she and Mrs Hughes had gone through. Then Annalise would understand.
Unless she had been the one to give them the scare …
‘I want to be back with my boys.’
‘I’ll take her,’ said Melissa, who had just pulled up in the second Zodiac. Liam did a double take as one of the passengers swung her legs on to the shore. Delilah. His face drained of colour.
‘You OK?’ Olivia asked Liam under her breath.
‘That woman … she looks suddenly familiar.’