Luden’s flight stopped in Frankfurt, where it had a two-hour layover. The Professor and Chen wandered the airport, searching for coffee and strudel. They found a small café next to a porn shop. Luden’s coffee was strong, just how he liked it, and he enjoyed watching travelers scurry here and there, trying to make their flights on time. Never having been to Nepal, Luden wondered what awaited him. He hoped Ashford wasn’t camped out at 15,000 feet, as the Professor could barely make it up three stories at M.I.T.
When they arrived in the capital, Luden and Chen were exhausted. People and animals were scattered at the airport, and chaos was the best word to describe the terminal. A couple of children tried to sell him and Chen some local trinkets, but Luden told them to leave. Finally, he spotted his contact person, Dr. Togay, from the university in Kathmandu. Within minutes, he and Chen had cleared customs and were zooming through the backstreets of the capital city in a Ford Escape.
At the scientist’s home, the man drank hot tea as Luden explained the purpose of his visit. William Ashford had fled to Nepal under an alias to avoid arrest in the United States. Luden hoped to locate the disgraced judge and return him to Boston to face his charges.
Dr. Torgay arranged for Luden and Chen to use the university’s supercomputers the following morning. After a rest period, the group would go to the Yak and Yeti Hotel for dinner. Before heading to dinner, he provided his host with a list of supplies he would need. Included on the list were a rope, a backpack, a pair of hiking boots, a small caliber pistol, a knife, and a drone.
At 6:00 PM, a taxi drove the group to the Yak and Yeti. After gin and tonics, Dr. Torgay ordered white shrimp with peppercorns and coconut curry, followed by Tandori pork chops with buttered vegetables. The food was delicious, and after dinner the men smoked cigars and drank cognac on a veranda overlooking the lights of Kathmandu. The evening was sultry with thick air, leaving the Professor peaceful. He realized danger might lie ahead, but for now, the heavy air of Kathmandu, coupled with the sounds of the Nepalese city, was enough to leave him ready for sleep.
