But when all or as much as possible was done, and Nathan returned to E-Branch HQ after one last trip - to a graveyard in the north-east of England where he'd talked awhile and said a fond farewell to a personal friend, the revenant spirit of a small girl called Cynthia, dead before her time - then, even he was weary. It showed in his face as he stepped out of the Mobius Continuum into Harry's room, where David Chung was no longer required to act as a homing beacon, for Nathan had the co-ordinates now.
And it also showed when he reported to Ben Trask, as he had been instructed to do after each Mobius trip ...
II
Trouble at E-Branch - The Mobius Route
The Head of Branch wasn't looking too good himself. Trask's voice was more than a little testy when he reminded: 'It's Friday, Nathan, and we've a plane to catch - you, me and a couple of minders. There'll be more of our people waiting in Belgrade, in case Turkur Tzonov is watching and has agents there. In fact, you can bet your life he has! And while we're on the subject of Tzonov: you may not know it, but I worry when you're away from here on your own - that you might stray too far into his territory, that he might somehow trap and kill you. So maybe you'd like to tell me why you've kept me waiting? I was beginning to think you'd left it too late. Our plane leaves in just three hours' time. It's a standard flight of around two and a half hours; maybe you can catch up on some lost sleep in the air. Frankly, you look like you could use it.'
But Nathan shook his head and said, 'No, I don't think so. Flying isn't for me. I don't really care for airplanes.'
It took the wind right out of Trask's sails. He frowned and said, 'What the -?'
'I wasn't much for riding on Wamphyri flyers, either.' Nathan's smile was wan, despite the tan he'd picked up in the Ionian. 'And in a way planes are just as bad - perhaps worse. It was exciting enough at first, I suppose, but .. . let's face it, nothing that heavy should jump that high! So why don't you take David Chung to Belgrade, and I'll do my sleeping here and catch up later?'
'You'll catch up -?'
'Later,' Nathan repeated it. 'My way. As soon as you're in the Refuge at Radujevac .. .'
After a moment's silence: 'Your way ...' Trask said. The way he breathed the words, they were like a sigh. And in that same instant of time, both men realized how much the older envied the younger. But then, perhaps in an attempt to disguise the fact, Trask asked, 'Does it come that easy to you now?'
'It's getting easier, yes.'
'With Harry, it was like walking, talking, breathing. But he'd had practice.'
'And I'm getting it.'
'You .. . you brought Zek here that way. I mean yesterday.' Trask had had plenty of time to think about it; the idea should be old hat to him, but it wasn't and never could be. 'You just, well, brought her here, from Zakynthos.'
That's right, I did.' Nathan wasn't boasting; in the main, it was still a mystery to him, too; he was just stating an anything but simple fact. And even without his telepathy, somehow he knew what was on Trask's mind, what was coming next.