"Your name is Jayewardene? Any relation to President Junius Jayewardene?"
"No. It's a common name. How do you like it here?" He sat down next to her. The steps were uncomfortably hot. "Well, I've only been here a few days, but it's a beautiful place. A bit too hot for my taste, but I'm from North Dakota."
He nodded. "We have every kind of beauty imaginable here. Beaches, mountains, jungle, cities. Something for everyone. Except cold weather of course."
There was a pause. "So." Robyn slapped her hands on her thighs. "What is it you do that your government decided to stick you out here with us?"
"I'm a diplomat of sorts. My job is to make foreign visitors happy here. Or at least to try. We like to maintain a reputation as a friendly country"
"Well, I sure haven't seen anything to contradict that. The people I've met practically kill you with kindness." She pointed to the line of trees at the edge of the camp. "The animals are something again, though. You know what they found this morning?"
He shrugged.
A cobra. Right over there. Uffda. That's something that you definitely don't get in North Dakota." She shuddered. Most animals I can handle, but snakes ... " She made a face.
"Nature is complete and harmonious here." He smiled. "But I must be boring you."
"No. Not really. You're certainly more interesting than Roger, or the gaffers and grips. How long will you be here? I mean, with the film company."
"Off and on for your entire stay, although I'll be going back to Colombo tomorrow for a few days. Dr. Tachyon, the alien, and a large party from your country will be arriving here then. To study the effect of the virus in my country" A shiver eased up his spine.
"You are a busy little bee, aren't you?" She looked up. The light was beginning to dim around the swaying treetops. "I'm going to go get some sleep. You might want to do the same. Paula will show you where. She knows everything. Danforth wouldn't ever finish a film without her." Jayewardene watched her walk away, sighing at the . memory of pleasure he thought best forgotten, then got up and headed in the direction Paula had gone. He would need sleep to be fresh for the trip back tomorrow. But sleep never came easily to him. And he was afraid to dream. He'd learned to be afraid.
He woke up biting his right hand hard enough to draw blood. His breathing was ragged and his nightshirt was bathed in sweat. The world around him shimmered and then came into focus. Another vision, snatched from the future.
They were happening more and more often in spite of his prayers and meditation. It was only a small comfort that this one wasn't about him. Not directly anyway.
He pulled on his pants and shoes, unzipped his tent, and stepped outside. Jayewardene walked quietly toward the truck where the ape was chained. Two men were on guard.
One was leaning against the cab; the other was sitting with his back to one of the huge, mud-covered tires. Both had rifles and lit cigarettes. They were speaking softly to each other.
"What's up?" asked the man by the cab as Jayewardene approached. He didn't bother to raise his rifle.
" I wanted to look at the ape again."
"In the middle of the night? You'll see more tomorrow morning when it's light."
" I couldn't sleep. And I'll be returning to Colombo tomorrow" He walked up next to the monster. "When did the ape first appear?"
"Blackout of '65 in New York City," said the seated man. "Showed up in the middle of Manhattan. Nobody knows where it came from, though. Probably had something to do with the wild card. At least that's what people say."
Jayewardene nodded. "I'm going to walk around to the other side. To look at his face."
"Just don't put your head in its mouth." The guard flicked his cigarette butt onto the ground. Jayewardene crushed it out with his shoe as he walked past.
The ape's breath was hot, organic, but not foul. Jayewardene waited, hoping that the beast would open its eyes again. The vision had told him what was behind them, but he wanted another look. The dreams had never been wrong before, but his reputation would be destroyed if he went to the authorities with this story and it proved wrong. And there would be questions about how he could have known. He would have