“Lars must spend a lot of time in caves studying rock art.” Cassie held up a flashlight from among several scattered in the cargo area of the minivan. “Do you think we should bring these?”
“If past experience is any indication, I imagine so,” Griffin advised.
The pythia distributed lights to her colleagues.
The scrivener studied the mountain’s snow-capped peaks. “I’d also recommend another layer of clothing. It’s going to be cold up there.”
“After Mount Kailash, this little hill will be a piece of cake,” Cassie countered.
“A frosted piece of cake, nonetheless. Even in mid-summer, the temperature at that altitude will be barely above freezing.” Griffin donned a sweater followed by a lightweight jacket.
The pythia removed a cardigan from her pack and slipped it on underneath her windbreaker.
Daniel swatted at his neck. “I hope the mosquitos won’t be this bad away from the shore.”
“Here’s some bug spray just in case.” The pythia tossed him a small bottle.
After dousing his clothing, Daniel tucked the spray into his own pack.
By this time, Lars came jogging back to join his companions. “The pilot is ready to go when we are.” He quickly loaded his own backpack with necessary items, grabbed an LED camping lantern, and locked the van.
Cassie regarded the chopper quizzically. “Does the pilot just hang around here like an air taxi waiting for fares?”
“Oh, no,” Lars said. “I had to call to make special arrangements. His company has many helicopters that carry hikers and fishermen during the summer season. They land and take off in marked places in the mountains, so people know where to wait. But where we are going...” He faltered, searching for the right idiomatic words. “It is off the beaten path, as you would say.”
They ducked down under the chopper’s blades and climbed into the cabin which was big enough to seat six passengers plus the pilot.
“Everybody, this is Einar.” Lars introduced the pilot who tipped the brim of his cap and smiled.
Cassie and Griffin were experienced helicopter passengers thanks to their Botswana trip, but Daniel needed coaching on the proper use of seatbelts and headsets. Once they’d gotten him squared away, the chopper lifted off.
It rose over the sparkling waters of Akkajaure and crossed the lake, moving in a slow arc toward the southwest. The view ahead consisted of a series of low rounded peaks attesting to the great age of the mountains in the region. Lars told them they were traversing four national parks which adjoined one other. The area was called Laponia—the largest remaining tract of unspoiled nature in all of Europe. In the summer, hikers flocked to the parks to trek the “last wilderness.” In the winter, snow sport enthusiasts hauled their gear to the tops of the mountains in order to ski down the glaciers. There were no roads through the park lands and only a few cabins for shelter. Camping in Laponia was strictly a rustic affair.
As the chopper reached the opposite shore of the lake, Daniel craned his neck to catch a glimpse of something below. “What is that?” he asked.
Cassie looked out the window in time to see a lumpy brown object hurtling through the forest at breakneck speed.
“Is that a bear?” the scion demanded in a shocked tone.
“Oh, yes,” Lars said matter-of-factly. “A brown bear. There are many of them in the parks. We are still flying low, and so maybe we scared it.”
“You didn’t say we’d have to defend ourselves against wild animal attacks,” Daniel accused.
Their guide grinned. “You do not bother them, and they will not bother you. Besides, there are none where we are going today. Too high up. Nothing for them to eat.”
“Except us!” the scion retorted.
“You worry too much, Mister Daniel.” Lars patted him on the shoulder.
The scion crossed him arms and lapsed into a fretful silence.
The terrain changed gradually as they rose to higher elevations. The clumps of trees which had been plentiful along the water’s edge thinned out. Eventually, only a lone sapling here or there clung to the mountain slopes. Lars informed them that birch was the only tree capable of surviving at high altitudes but even these spindly specimens finally gave way to an undergrowth of low-lying shrubs which their guide called “alpine heath.”
The helicopter continued its climb up the face of Ahkka Mountain until they were so high above sea level that nothing would grow at all. The ground was covered by shards of loose rock which would have been a challenge to navigate even for experienced hikers. They could see a dusting of snow on the tallest peaks and on the glaciers which appeared as rivers of ice running down broad ravines.
Much to everyone’s surprise, the pilot lifted the helicopter above the mountain’s crest and kept on going. He didn’t begin to make his descent until they had cleared the peak. Cassie glanced out the window to see a plateau of green heath below them which she assumed would be their makeshift landing pad.
The chopper touched down long enough to allow its passengers to alight. Up the hill from them lay bare rock. Fortunately, this side of Stortoppen rose upward at a gentle incline, unlike the vertical drop on the side facing Lake Akkajaure. As they moved out of range, the helicopter immediately took off again.
“The pilot is coming back for us, isn’t he?” Daniel asked tensely.
“Yes,” Lars assured him. “I told him to return here in two hours. That will give us plenty of time to look at what I brought you to see. It is only a little ways from here. Come.”
Cassie jammed her hands into her pockets for warmth. Even though it was a sunny summer day, the temperature at this altitude was nippy.
Their guide marched purposefully up the mountainside through the shrubs and short grass, dodging the occasional boulder sticking out of the dirt. The others followed his lead. They had hardly walked two hundred paces before Lars stopped abruptly.
“Here is the place.” He pointed toward an odd rock formation
