Free Nirvana Effect by Craig Gehring Page A

Mahanta started at him intently , as though he were again fighting a panther.
    “I thought.  What do you mean?”
    Mahanta sighed.  “Perhaps you might have a better mind for science, but I apparently have a better knack for survival patterns.  All we do here, every day, is survive.  Survival of the fittest.”
    That got Edward thinking.  “You think…” he started.
    “Once someone knows about this drug, that knowledge will get to someone else.  That will leak to someone else.  Eventually someone who recognizes its value will expend the necessary effort to obtain it.  And that will mean everybody who knew about it is dead.  It’s a simple equation, Edward, one that I’m surprised you haven’t already arrived at.”
    Edward was tongue-tied.  He wanted to deny the truth of what Mahanta said.  Deep down, however, he knew.  This discovery was like a billion dollars in a suitcase.  Who could you trust with it?
    Only this is worth trillions.
    “Well, what do you propose, then?” asked Edward.
    “It is not a matter of my proposal, right now.  I wish to have you on my team, to help me research this drug.  I will trust you with it, within reason.  And you must trust me , within reason .  But first, before all of this, you must come to decide that this is what you want.  You have some hard decisions to make, Edward.  You must make them tonight.”
    “Like what?”
    “You’ve sworn an oath of allegiance to your Jesuit General.  Not even your pope can supersede that. But this project must.  You’ve sworn yourself to a regimen of prayer and meditation.  For that we have no time.  You’ve sworn to abide by a Bible and commandments that may have no place in my jungle world and in our scientific method.  If you agree to start this project with me, not even God himself will be able to get you out of it until it’s done.”
    “ Until w hat is done?” asked Edward.
    “ That’s the question you should ask yourself.  You must sort out what you want done , and whether it’s worth it.  It’s your choice.  Good night, Edward.”  Mahanta walked out of the hut.
    Edward lay back down on his pallet to think .

11
     
    Where is that idiot going? thought Dook as he watched Tien creep from hut to hut. 
    No moon lit the village that night.  Were Dook not a hunter, he wouldn’t have be en able to spot Tien at all.
    Dook didn’t trust him.  He spied on Tien from the outlying brush.  Surely Tien was up to no good.  Dook hadn’ t directed him to do anything since the last debacle. 
    Idiots are not to be trusted .
    Tien approached the chief’s hut.  Its larger size and little flag demarked it from the rest.
    Dook debated with himself.  Either Tien is ambitious and wants to assassinat e Nockwe as amends for his errors, or else he has turned and wishes to join my enemy.   I’ll break his neck either way .  Maybe tonight.  Let’s see what he does.
    Tien slumped to the bamboo door of the hut, and knocked gently.  Only the chieftain had a door.
    If it’s a murder he’s after, Tien makes the worst and most polite murderer I’ve ever seen , thought Dook.
    Tien glanced furtively behind him .  Dook resisted the urge to duck.  There was no way he could be seen in the brush, but the movement might have give n him away. 
    Getting no answer, Tien knocked again , fidgeted more.  Dook could tell he was getting spooked. 
    Tien knocked one more time.  He started to lurk away.  The door opened slowly, and Tien jumped up nearly a foot as he turned back in surprise . 
    “Tien?” It was the voice of Nockwe.
    Maybe I should kill them both now and frame Tien…But Nockwe is awake, and in his own home…I only have my dagger tonight.  Who knows what traps Nockwe has in wait…
    There was the matter of Nockwe’s wife, too, nearly as fearsome an adversary as Nockwe, himself.
    Tien nodded in answer to Nockwe. 
    “Come in, Tien,” beckoned the chieftain.  Tien entered the hut. 
    Dook was shocked.