CHAPTER Thirty-fifth.
Around nine o'clock in the morning when Chantal leaves home to go to the meeting with the historian and the Chapman. It is too early because they must meet at ten, but Chantal could no longer stay home, worried the whole thing and even the previous day's interview with Chapman, who did not raise it. Starla's sudden decision to close and even the odd request to know the first thing he thought of her, after taking it as a concern for him, she had appeared increasingly a false note.
The bag with all the documentation has carefully prepared the night before, reviewing tens times all the way in time of its deductions. Does this seem slim even if they think at all hours and nights dedicated to figure it out. Sale car and puts it on the seat next to the player, then start slowly. The morning is cool but not cold, the pale sun. There are not many cars on the road, who was commuting to work has already arrived, the other s move that should please atend still half an hour to do so, the traffic rules are strict, given the still limited space. Chantal runs in a hurry to walk ten kilometers separate it from the location of the appointment, ending the last traffic light, look in the rearview mirror for their hair ... From a side street sees il profilo di un auto che si pone dietro di lei, mantenendo una certa distanza.
Chantal ha un sussulto, poi dcide di continuare, ma le mani sul volante tremano un poco: non c’è alcuna ragione di sospettare che la vettura la stia seguendo, ma tale è la sua sensazione a pelle, istintiva, immotivata razionalmente ma per questo ancora più minacciosa. Guarda ancora e scorge due uomini seduti nei posti anteriori, ma le sembra di vedere qualcun altro accomodato nei sedili posteriori. Mancano poche centinaia di metri e Chantal decide di non far nulla, di comportarsi come se niente fosse, solo di allungare il percorso in qualche modo, per arrivare sul posto insieme agli altri. Passa davanti alla palazzina dove si svolgerà l’incontro and continues, the car is always behind you, turn left towards the lake and accelerates gently, the car behind her losing ground and when svlta left again to return to the place of the meeting continued on the other lakefront. Chantal sighs, then smiles to herself and her fears, and continue straight and take the vìbreve leading to the building, Chapman sees walking on maricpiede: ocn uncolpo of clacso greets her and invites her to go.
"lacks a little but I get happy ..."
Parking: the historian, Dmitri Smirnov, experience in population genetics and population flows is already there on the spot. It slautano quickly and enter, but the view of this man something to remember Chantal, but fails to focus on what cirsotanza have already seen.
"Dr. Chantal is to see you again, reminds me of evenings meeting ..."
She frowns, then finally his memory is released.
"Of course, two years ago! ... But she did not deal with demographic problems then! "
" Yes, only for population genetics, but then I found out ... I found interesting things in this area. "
" We are already in the topic? "Chapman spoke peremptorily.
Smirnov remains forbidden for a moment, then throws un'chciata to both.
"Yes ... You can say this ... "
taking a corridor that leads into an inner room soundproofed.
"I preferred to meet you here ... we are safer" and say it targeted a puzzled look at Chapman, who does not bat an eyelid.
Chantal feels the anxiety of new mount in the body. The room appears to be shrouded nell'ovatta, Smirnov off any electrical function connected with the outside world and puts the device that blocks attempts to telepathic connection. Chantal does not understand the reason, but does not want to raise the issue at the moment.
"It may seem excessive. But it's better ... "Chantal
resumes again from his fears.
Doctor Smirnov, thank you for accepting my request. I understand that the procedure is not the best, but I understand where both of them this was the answer that we all fear ... "says Chantal, addressing in particular, those words that relaxes and opens the bag. The sense of unease, however, has not entirely abandoned, and this makes the nervous because she will have to talk first. Everything seems confused in his head.
"I left a couple of minutes to sort the ideas?"
Both agree, smiling.
"A coffee can help?" Smirnov's voice, warm and inviting contruscie a bit 'relax the tense atmosphere and heavy man fumbles already close to the fire, while the Chapman lit a cigarette. Chantal away quickly with his head and then plunges through the papers. When Smirnov
back to the table with the tray and three cups of coffee she is ready and refreshed.
Without much preamble and a new authoritative voice of Chantal Devis retraces the entire sequence of data in its possession that you have generated a growing alarm, formulating and discarding all assumptions which in turn has made epr give a definitive answer to problem. The other two followed closely without touching; Smirnov just moves his head a few times in assent. Chantal When he finished, there is a long moment of silence.
"Miss Devisè, posso fare io domanda?”
Chantal lo guarda come se non capisse, poi la Chapman le mette la mano sul braccio, con un gesto protettivo.
“Vedo dalla paura di tutti e due che mi devo assumere io questa responsabilità… credo pleonastica a questo punto. Pensa dunque anche lei dottor Smirnov che su questa benedetta bolla vitale, la distribuzione di nascite fra maschi e femmine, sia non solo anomala, ma che stia ad indicare un trend irreversibile, che porterà nel giro di un numero x di anni alla quasi totale estinzione di uno di due generi?”
“Sì penso anche io e….immagino anche lei Signorina Chantal.”
