Free Insects: A Novel by John Koloen Page B

enthusiastically shaking her hand. “I thought this might take awhile, but you did it so fast. You young people know how to use today’s technology much better than me. Thank you very much.”
    Montes smiled and led Azevedo to the elevator. They shook hands again and as the doors closed his cell phone rang. It was Howard Duncan.

25
    “Professor Azevedo? Professor Azevedo, are you there?”
    Azevedo put the phone to his ear.
    “ Olá, olá ,” he said.
    “I can barely hear you, Professor. Are you in a tunnel?”
    “No, I’m leaving the chemistry building. Just a minute.”
    Azevedo exited the building and looked for a place to sit, holding the phone at his side. Nearby was a small plaza with several tables with umbrellas to block the sun. He moved toward them. Duncan fretted on his end and started to pace. He wondered whether the call had been dropped. He heard neither static nor any sound from the phone.
    “Hello, Dr. Duncan, are you there?”
    “Yes, yes, I thought I’d lost you.”
    “No, I wanted to sit down. Actually, I’m glad you called; I have something important to tell you.”
    “And I’ve got something to tell you,” Duncan interrupted. “A member of my group has offered to help underwrite our expedition, as long as she goes along, of course. Now, what were you going to tell me?”
    “I think I know why we saw so many blaberus in the forest.”
    “Really?” Duncan set his cup on the table. “Why?”
    “Tree bark. I found a crystal,” Azevedo said matter-of-factly.
    “Tree bark?”
    “Yes, the inner bark of a Lapacho tree,” Azevado said, paraphrasing from the printout that Montes gave him. “It’s a big tree with medicinal qualities that seem to derive from quinoids that are bioactive. Interesting, no?”
    Duncan could barely contain himself. Boyd noticed his boss’ excitement and gestured toward him as if to ask “What’s up?” Duncan waved him off and started pacing. Already his mind whirred. No longer would this expedition be about discovering an insect. They would document an incredible transformation in real time where a living creature suddenly adapts to and overcomes a limitation that may have affected its species for untold generations. There was much to learn and many papers to write.
    Meanwhile, Boyd texted to Stephanie Rankin “He’s @ it again! manic faze,” then listened intently to Duncan’s conversation, which he understood was with Professor Azevedo.
    “This is incredible,” Duncan said.
    “Yes, I suppose it is,” Azevedo said. “It pretty much puts me back to the beginning of my research. I don’t think I can make any assumptions about these insects if my new hypothesis proves correct. But what was it you said you had, a member of your group offered to underwrite the expedition?”
    “Yes, yes, Maggie, ah, Maggie, God, I’m blanking on her last name. Anyway, she’s wealthy and can cover any cost we can’t. Cross that’s her name, Maggie Cross. Of course, she can’t pay for the entire thing, so I think we need to make plans immediately, get estimates for a guide, boats, I think we’ll need at least two, maybe three, some security, she’s insistent on that, and since you live here, perhaps you know some businesses that can accommodate us. I’ll take care of locating equipment, camping gear and the like.”
    “Security?”
    “Yeah, she’s afraid of, you know, druggies and bandits, you know the stuff you see on TV movies. I figured since she’s paying for it, there’s no reason to talk her out of it.”
    Azevedo understood Duncan’s breathless excitement. He shared it. And even though it was mid-April, the last month of the wet season, he agreed any delay could be costly. Before ending the call, they agreed to meet the next afternoon at Maggie Cross’ place, which Duncan said he would arrange, believing she would not refuse though it hadn’t occurred to him that she might have other plans.
    On the walk across campus back to his office, Azevedo