“Indeed,” Prasad said. “Which only means one thing: the stone is still in Jalung Phodrang, in Tibet.”
“Or it doesn’t exist,” Rocky pointed out.
James expected the man to be offended, but he simply smiled again.
“That could be the case, yes. But the evidence in Shäfer’s writings, all the strange things he felt when he was there... I believe the stone is hidden there. He just wasn’t able to find it.”
“But why?” Rocky said, looking unconvinced. “He came so close. Why would he just give up?”
Prasad closed the book and put it back on the table. “I have asked myself that many times. The ancient Roman texts I attained say the stone will only give itself to those truly worthy of its power. I believe this must be true. Shäfer? He was a mere lackey, sent across the world to chase after a myth. But someone like Calico, a Super?” He spread his hands.
“And you told him this? Calico?” James said.
“I did, and he paid me handsomely. If there’s anywhere in the world your Supers will be, it’ll be there.”
“Did he say why he was after the stone?” Rocky said. “I mean, they’re already powerful, right?”
“Unfortunately, he did not, nor did I think to ask,” Prasad said. “Though I have found that those with power often seek it the most, yes?”
James nodded, still confused. But they had a lead, finally. They knew that coming to Nepal hadn’t been a waste. The Supers could be close, a mere country away.
James and Rocky thanked Prasad for his help and hastened to leave, excited to plan their next steps. Prasad led them up the stairs and pushed the bookshelf back into place. He opened the door and shepherded them back into the sunlit alley. Before he closed the door, James looked back at the strange man, with his scraggly beard and long hair. He really would fit in perfectly with the Bigfoot-hunters. James stopped as a question came to his mind.
“Why did you tell us all of this? And Calico? Don’t you want to find the stone for yourself?”
The man smiled. “When I was younger, perhaps. But I have come to realize the search is often more joyful than the attainment. The stone has already given me a great gift—a meaningful life. That’s all I can ask for.”
With that, he shut the door, leaving James and Rocky standing in the alley outside the square, still confused but finally with a sense of purpose.
They were close.
Chapter 18
The sun was setting by the time their driver wove through the city and up the steep roads leading to the hotel, casting the sprawl of Kathmandu and the surrounding mountains in an orange and pink light that made the scene even more beautiful. James surveyed the picturesque landscape, thinking of ancient myths and powerful stones. It couldn’t be real, could it? It seemed too good to be true. But was the existence of a stone that could grant its holder powers any more unlikely than the existence of the Supers?
When James and Rocky exited the car and walked into the lobby of the hotel, they were immediately intercepted by Agent Banks.
“How’d it go today?” he asked brightly.
“Are you asking, or is Roche?” Rocky said.
“Well, yes, Roche asked me to check up on you regularly, to see if you’ve made progress.”
“We haven’t,” James said flatly.
“Saw some cool temples, learned a bit about Nepal. That’s it,” Rocky added.
“Why can’t Roche check on us himself?” James said.
“Ah, well, he’s not... currently in,” Agent Banks said.
“Where is he?”
Agent Banks smiled. “Obviously I can’t tell you that.”
“Obviously.” Rocky yawned loudly. “Is the interrogation over? It’s been a long day.”
“Yes, of course,” Agent Banks said, stepping aside. “I hope tomorrow will be more... productive.”
The way he said it wasn’t threatening, but there was something in his voice—a hint of warning. James figured he was just trying and failing to be like his boss by pushing them to work harder.
“It’s the first day. What more do they want from us?” Rocky said as they entered their room several minutes later.
“Bit impatient, I suppose.” James flopped onto the couch as Rocky explored the fridge.
They spent the next two hours planning their next move. James was still reluctant to speak freely in the apartment for fear of being overheard, but he decided to risk it. They had to discuss their next steps and make a solid plan on how to escape Roche and the SIA.
“I mean, we were in that Prasad guy’s house for a while, and no SIA agents came kicking down the door,” Rocky said. “Maybe they’re not as up on us as they’d like us to believe.”
“Maybe...” James said. “But we still have to be careful. If we make a move and get caught, we’ll never be given such a long leash again. This is our one shot.”
“So, what, we get away, find the next flight to Tibet? Then find the Supers just chilling at this abandoned city place?”
James shrugged. “Escaping here and getting to Tibet is a start, right?”
“Always a start. So how are we doing this?”
They spent the next hour hammering out the details. When they were done, James didn’t feel very confident with their plan, but it was better than nothing. He feared getting caught and being retaken by Roche, but they had to try. For Derek.
By the time they finished, night had completely fallen. James flipped on the TV. Most of the channels were local, with people chattering in the Nepali language, impossible for them to understand. But the TV was also preloaded with a bunch of movies, and after scrolling and debating for a while, they settled on Creed.
As they watched Adonis Creed and Rocky Balboa (who Rocky proudly claimed was his namesake) meet up and train together, they cracked jokes and chowed down on snacks. It felt, momentarily, like everything was back to normal. Instead of being prisoners in an SIA building in Nepal, they could be chilling in James’s basement,
