Free Antarctic Affair by Louise Rose-Innes Page A

times during the day and she didn’t know what to make of it. It
unnerved her because she knew he didn’t appreciate having her around. Don had
been right, though, he was opening up now that they were in the wilderness and
he was doing what he loved. He looked so at ease as he strode up the snow
covered hill, camera bag over his shoulder, and trusty Nikon around his neck.
His easy forward-propelled gate indicated strong legs and a level of fitness
one only gained from hiking and climbing over difficult terrain. He was also
broad, but not as wide as Don. Taj had a more streamlined build, like an
athlete.
    The group reached the rim of the volcano, but this
time Don refused them a break.
    “This is the easy bit,” he told them as they headed
down towards the beach where the zodiac was waiting. Out in the bay the sturdy
figure of the Explorer could be seen,
her red hull creating a bright contrast to the more subdued frosty-grey tones of
the ocean. The wind had indeed got up and now they were out of the protection
of the crater and seaward facing, it felt bitterly cold against their skin.
    Taj waited at the top while the group filed past
him, all zipping up and huddling forward against the icy breeze. He fell in
line with Georgina and she noticed that he wasn’t even remotely out of breath.
    “You obviously do a lot of exercise,” she told him
dryly. “And you don’t strike me as the type who has a gym membership.”
    “No, you’re right about that. Never in town long
enough anyway.”
    “So how do you keep fit? Climbing volcanoes?”
    Now he did laugh. “That, amongst other things.”
    “Like what,” she pressed.
    “I go surfing or kite boarding when I’m home, but I
get a lot of exercise in the field.”
    “I believe you,” she panted.
    After a pause, “I did a story on Russian
fire-fighters last year which involved a lot of rappelling out of helicopters
into the dense forests. It’s the only way they can get in there. It took days
to hike out once the fires were out.”
    “Rappelling? You jumped out of a helicopter?”
    “Not exactly. We climbed down ropes dangling two
hundred feet in the air, from helicopters. I had a helmet-mounted camera.”
    “Into the forest?”
    “Into a burning forest, yes.”
    “You’re crazy, has anyone ever told you that?”
    “Repeatedly,” he grinned. “Once we had to camp in
the forest for five days before we got rescued. It was five days of rain and
bugs and noodle soup, waiting for a helicopter that seemed as if it would never
come.”
    “Sounds absolutely awful,” she said in amazement.
    “Yeah, that was pretty bad, still it was quite an
experience.”
    “I think I’d prefer to sit at a computer.”
    He cocked his head. “Don’t you get bored? All that
inactivity would drive me nuts.”
    “At least its safe and a computer won’t explode and
blow me to bits either,” she said pointedly.
    “You never know,” he said sardonically.
    She gave him her best, ‘don’t be ridiculous’ look.
    “Some people just don’t like high risk situations,”
she said matter-of-factly.
    “Like you?” he asked.
    “Correct. I prefer knowing I’m safe. I happen to
like my life the way it is. I don’t need heart-stopping adrenalin to feel
alive.”
    “Do you feel alive staring at a computer for nine
hours?”
    “No, but I feel alive when I’m writing. Nine hours
of anything is exhausting.”
    “True, I suppose. So what do you and your fiancé do
for fun?”
    “We actually go out a lot. Charles has many social
engagements and there are media functions, book launches, fashion shows…” she
faded off.
    “I see,” he gave her a funny look. “Different
strokes, I guess. I can’t think of anything worse than hob-knobbing with a
bunch of boring, rich people.”
    “Rich, maybe, but boring they are defiantly not.
Writers, actors, artists and creative people in general are seldom boring. In
fact you’re one of them too, you know.”
    “But I don’t live in a