Empire of Gold

‘What?’

‘I rather fancied coming along with you this time,’ said the Scot amiably.

‘Are you kidding?’

‘Not at all. I’d quite like to see one of these incredible discoveries first-hand. And to be perfectly honest, that little jaunt around Caracas the other night . . . well, it made me realise that in some ways I rather miss the action.’

‘But you really want to come on an expedition?’ Nina asked.

‘Why not? Dr Osterhagen said the place you’ll be exploring is fairly accessible. And just because I’ve got a tin leg doesn’t make me helpless. I’ve run a couple of half-marathons on it.’

‘Well, if you think you’re up to it, I’d be happy for you to come with us,’ said Nina. She saw from her husband’s face that he had a different opinion, but he said nothing. ‘So,’ she went on, addressing the whole group, ‘this could be it. We might actually have found El Dorado.’

‘What’s the next move?’ asked Kit.

‘The first thing is to contact the Peruvian government via the UN and ask permission to mount an expedition. Considering what we’re looking for, I think we’ll get an answer fairly quickly. Once we have that, organising everything shouldn’t take too long. As Leonard said, we can drive there.’

‘And if we actually find El Dorado?’ asked Mac.

‘Then we’ll probably be sticking around for a while! But you won’t have to stay if you don’t want to. As much as I love getting down to the real nitty-gritty of archaeological work, I know it’s not for everybody.’

‘Does that mean I can leave too?’ Eddie asked, raising a few laughs.

Kit had more to add. ‘When you talk to the Peruvian government, Nina, make sure you emphasise the need for security. If word gets out about what we’re searching for, the entire region will fill with treasure hunters – or worse.’

‘Wait, “we”?’ said Eddie. ‘You want to come an’ all? Thought the case was closed now that we’ve got back the stuff Da— de Quesada nicked.’ Only Kit noticed his near-slip, but the Interpol agent’s knowing look assured him that their mutual secret would remain that way for now.

‘Technically, it is,’ said Kit. ‘But . . . well, I agree with Mac. I want to see the lost city of gold! And I also want to see what happens when Nina puts all the statues together.’

‘Okay,’ said Nina. ‘I’ll talk to the UN tomorrow. Until then, we’re still honoured guests of the Venezuelan president, so we might as well make the most of it. Dinner, I think?’

There was a chorus of agreement from round the table. The group broke up, heading back to their rooms to freshen up and change. Eddie followed Mac out, catching up with the Scot in the corridor. ‘Mac. A word?’

‘Something the matter, Eddie?’ Mac asked innocently.

‘You know bloody well there is. Why do you want to come with us?’

‘For exactly the reasons I told Nina. I’m honestly keen to see what she’s going to find. And since I flew halfway round the world, I think it would be a shame to go home right before the interesting part.’

‘You didn’t think being shot at by a Hind was interesting?’

‘There’s interesting, and there’s interesting.’ Mac smiled; then his expression became more serious. ‘I may be getting on, Eddie, but I’m not some invalid. And I want to make the most of life before I become one. As I told Nina, I ran some half-marathons after I recovered from losing my leg, but I doubt I could manage another one.’

‘Good job you don’t need to. You’ve got a free bus pass now.’

‘Very amusing. Although I do like being able to get home without having to pay. Once I’m there, though . . .’ A regretful tone came into his voice. ‘It’s rather an empty place, truth be told. Especially in the evenings. I want something to do, and people to do it with.’

Eddie was taken aback by his friend’s confession. ‘Why didn’t you say something before? I could have come over to England more often.’

‘I don’t want sympathy, Eddie,’ Mac snapped. ‘I want to play my part!’

‘But you do, though. You do that consulting work for MI6, you’ve helped me and Nina out of trouble – Christ, you even saved a roomful of world leaders from getting blown up last year.’

‘We mostly have Kit to thank for that,’ said Mac. ‘But the point is, I don’t want to suffer a gradual slide into senescence—’

‘Into what?’

‘Crumbling decrepitude. I’d rather keel over dead on the spot from a heart attack before I reach seventy than shrivel away in a hospital ward stuck full of tubes.’

His words summoned up an image in Eddie’s mind: his grandmother, small and helpless in the hospital bed, face covered by an oxygen mask. ‘Yeah,’ he said quietly. ‘That’s no way to end up.’

Mac recognised his change of mood, and understood its meaning. ‘Sorry. I didn’t mean to be quite so . . . blunt.’

‘That’s okay.’ He forced away the depressing mental picture. ‘So what you’re saying is, you want to fight to the end.’

‘To coin a phrase, yes.’ A wry smile crinkled Mac’s features. ‘Although I could do without literally fighting. I’ve had more than enough of that!’

‘But you really think you’re up for it? Jungles, mountains, death roads?’