CHAPTER 9

‘Hey girlfriend. I didn’t expect to see you in the office today. How’s the head?’

‘Pounding, then moving to a dull ache. How’s yours?’

‘Think of a large drum, imagine yourself locked inside, and then immerse yourself in the sensation that would result if someone rolled the drum over a very steep cliff to smash into the sea below. If you can imagine that, then you have some idea of how my head is.’

‘That bad hey?’

‘Worse.’

‘Then why be here? Surely a day under the duvet is in order.’

‘You’re here. So I must suffer in the line of duty.’

‘Duty; never a good reason to do anything my friend. Duty is the path leading to resentment.’ Claudia tapped the intercom button, ‘Sarah, I wonder if you could send in a pot of very strong coffee.’ She paused, ‘and a packet of Panadol Plus, please.’

‘Sure. Do you have a headache? Sarah enquired with concern.

‘The Panadol isn’t for me. Katherine is feeling rather poorly.’ Claudia smiled.

‘So what’s the latest?’

‘On?’

‘On the doc delivery. Have they arrived?’

‘It seems not. There’s been no phone call from New York.’ Claudia poured herself a coffee. ‘It’s still too early to panic, but I thought we would have heard by now.’ She said as much to reassure herself as Katherine.

‘No sense getting your knickers in a knot. It won’t be long now.’

‘I hope not. There’s a lot riding on this deal.’

‘You can say that again.’ Katherine rolled her eyes skyward, ‘Your parent’s extremely beautiful, and very valuable property, will be up for grabs if the wheels fall off this deal Audi.’

Time dragged and the two women tried hard to focus on the reports they were reading; or trying to give a good impression of reading.

‘Wow cop a load of this’ Katherine cried out. It says here, it’s estimated that when New York slips below the sea line, eighty million will be made homeless.’ She looked thoughtful, ‘of course when NYC goes, all the American coastal regions go with it.’ She let out an exaggerated whistle, ‘Bloody hell Audi, where the fuck can eighty million people be resettled to?’ 

Claudia didn’t answer immediately. She glanced at the world map on the wall, and said wistfully, ‘Most of them won’t resettle Kate. From all reports the Americans are even more resistant to the idea of early re-settlement than Australians are. You’ve seen the latest survey, over sixty percent of Australians said no matter what the predictions; they would not leave their homes.  Even if they change their minds when they see the physical proof, it will be too late for them.  If people don’t relocate in the next two years, they may as well stay where they are. Think about it Kate. If forty percent relocate over the next two years, there just won’t be enough arable land left to accommodate any more people.

Remember we live in the driest continent on earth.  Take away our fertile coastal regions and what’s left?  Desert, that’s what!’ Claudia sighed, ‘Even if there is an increase in the annual rainfall in desert regions, as predicted, it wouldn’t change the landscape quickly enough for it to support agriculture. No agriculture, no food. No food, no people.’

Kate’s expression changed to one of despair.  ‘I know you’re right, but we have to keep believing there will be a miracle. That somehow, somewhere, things will shift again. That Global warming will stop, the polar caps will stop melting and life will just continue pretty much as it has for billions of years.’

Claudia wanted to hug her friend and tell her that just like the Y2K panic, global warming was the greatest scientific stuff up of all times.  She wanted to tell her to have faith in a miraculous divine intervention. She wanted to tell her the whole thing was just a great test; designed by a benevolent heavenly being. A huge test to see if humans would turn to a supreme creator in their time of need. A test to see if they would all cry out from the wilderness and the supreme one would point a staff and the weather patterns would obey and revert to their pre-test condition.

Oh, if it were only that easy, she sighed. If only there was a great divine being sitting patiently, just waiting to hear his children call for forgiveness and salvation. How wonderful it must be to live with a belief like that. What a comfort to operate in total denial; to take no responsibility for ones actions. To rape and pillage global resources, then when things go horribly wrong, cry for forgiveness and have the wizard come. The wizard who would, single- handed, fix the mess and for payment ask only that people love him. ‘Kate there is no magic cure’ she said firmly, ‘It’s taken thousands of years to create the mess. It will take even longer for the earth to evolve and adapt to the changed conditions.’

She smiled, ‘Oh Katie, I wish I could tell you faith is all you need.  But of course it isn’t. We need a new species of humans to take over; humans who will treasure the earth, not plunder it. We need humans who can love each other and care for each other. These humans must understand the errors of the past and have the wisdom to work in harmony with the planet and the universe.’ Claudia stood and crossed to the window. ‘You know Kate if you just look at Christoph and me, you couldn’t find a better metaphor for the impossibility of humans working in harmony with the universe.’

‘How so?’

‘Well just four weeks ago we were united spirits; totally in tune with each others thoughts, and totally aware of each other physical and emotional needs. Now we can’t even talk to each other. It’s as though we have a cancer that’s eating us away. It’s like a disease that is poisoning every cell in our brain and body.’ She turned to look at Katherine, ‘Yet can we stop it?’ she paused, and then added, ‘There’s nothing we can do to put it right.’

Kate jumped up and threw the report across the room. ‘You’re wrong Audi.’ She cried, ‘You can stop it. You can be those spirits again.’

Claudia looked sad, and said gently, ‘No Katie, we can never go back. It’s like global warming. The change has already taken place.  And now the universe has evolved into something new; something different, and it has to develop a new environmental balance. Christoph and I are the same. We’ve changed, and now we’re evolving into a new species.  We can never be the same as we were.  Chemical changes have actually taken place inside our bodies, and now those chemicals are re-defining us. We’re mutating Kate. We’re not the people we were, yet we still haven’t evolved into the people we will be.’

Tears welled up in Katherine’s eyes. ‘Oh Audi. It’s a tragedy.’

‘You’re right Katie. And global warming is a tragedy too.  We can’t go back. We must move forward. And we need tremendous courage to get there. Many people won’t make it.  They’ll give up before they even begin.  But some will make it Kate’, Claudia said earnestly, ‘and that’s the real miracle.  Some very strong willed human beings will be the evolutionary result of an ever changing universe.’ She turned back to the window, her eyes piecing the atmosphere beyond the office. Her emotions were raw, her voice was paralysed. 

She wanted to say so much, but the words were imprisoned by fear. She knew that no matter what changes she initiated, whether physical or emotional, she was somehow responsible for a chemical realignment that could last for many generations. Her heart longed for a permanent fusion with Christoph. She felt their atoms realign whenever they had contact. Their unity was as finely tuned as a perfectly synchronised musical score. Every thought, gesture, aspiration and breath were vital elements of the symphony their life rhythm resonated to.

Katherine walked over and stood beside her.  Without touching her, Kate inhaled deeply, ‘You know Audi, I might be a little crazy, but I really do understand what you’re saying’, she smiled weakly, ‘But it just doesn’t wash; I’ve seen you two together. I’ve listened to the way you talk to each other, and I’ve felt the electric current that swirls around you both. I’ve heard you complete each others sentences.’  

She inhaled and continued, ‘And I’ve felt the cosmic energy you each have stored inside. Audi what you have is more real than any of Einstein’s theories. You are like electricity’s negative and positive force. Alone you are intelligent robots; together you are the Alpha and Omega.’ She placed her hands on Claudia’s shoulders and looked deeply into her eyes. ‘Don’t let pride keep you apart Audi. Tell him you love him. Tell him nothing can stand in the path of pure love.’

‘I can’t Kate.’ Claudia swallowed hard and struggled to control her emotions,    

‘I wish to God I could tell him Kate, but I’ve given my word that I won’t contact him.’

‘Your word? To whom?’ Katherine’s pupils dilated with frustration.

‘To Ursula.’

‘What?’ Katherine almost screamed, ‘You spoke to her?’

‘Yes’

‘When for God’s sake?’

‘When I was at the New York, Climate-Change Summit.’

Katherine starred blankly, she could hardly believe her ears.  She shook her head slowly ‘I don’t get it.’ She said as she let her limp body slide slowly to the floor, Claudia took her lead and the two sat side by side on the carpet, their backs against the wall. 

Claudia spoke first, ‘If you remember, when I attended the summit, Sarah booked me into the New York Palace.’ Katherine nodded, and waited for Claudia to explain. ‘On the day I arrived I delivered back to back lectures at New York University. Christoph attended one of them; maybe more, but after one session he came to the front and spoke to me. There was a huge crowd and many people had stayed back to ask me questions. I guess I continued to chat with them for over an hour; just listening to their comments and responding to their questions.   Around 11.30pm a security guard said we had to leave because the University grounds were always locked at midnight. I said goodbye to everyone, left the theatre and returned to the hire car.  Christoph was waiting for me.  We went for coffee and he told me he and Ursula were going to try to reconcile their differences. He asked me to understand and to forgive him.  He held me for a moment, told me he would never stop loving me and he thanked me for loving him. Then he walked away.’ She stopped speaking; she needed a little time to regain her courage. Katherine got up and made fresh coffee. ‘I stayed in the car for a while, and then told myself I had to go back to the hotel and get some sleep. I had a big day ahead of me.  

On the drive back to the city I got myself lost; which was a good thing really. It took my mind of my troubles, and when I finally found the hotel, I was so relieved and exhausted that all I wanted to do was find my room and sleep.

Someone from the hotel parked the car and I headed for the elevators. It was very late, so there weren’t many people about. Only one other person was waiting to go upstairs. The elevator stopped, I got in; so did the other person; a woman. The doors closed and she spoke to me. She called me by name and asked if I knew who she was. I turned around and recognised her immediately. I’d seen a photo of her and Christoph in some NY promo material; I guess I took notice.’ She said trying to lighten the mood.  ‘I don’t think I said much; I was still in shock.  We arrived at my floor, the doors opened; we both got out and stood in the hallway looking at each other.

Ursula did all the talking. She told me she knew I loved Christoph, but she would never make divorce an easy option for him. She then told me she was pregnant. She said, ‘I hope you understand what I’m saying here. Christoph will never leave an unborn child.  You may love him. And he may even love you back. But I win Claudia. You may have his mind and his heart.’ She almost spat at me when she said, ‘but I have his body.’ Then without another word she walked to the stairs and vanished.

I went into my room and lay on the bed. I didn’t even bother to undress.  I must have dozed off.  But the phone rang and woke me.  It was Ursula. She said Christoph had told her he’d said goodbye to me.’ She swallowed hard to clear the lump in her throat ‘Ursula said if I didn’t promise to stay out of his life, she would get rid of her baby and that would break his heart.’ 

Claudia searched Katherine’s face for signs of understanding. ‘I promised’ she said; her words were barely audible.

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