“I’ll tell you here and now, just for the record,” Marlon said.

“If you’d told us earlier that the Prime Minister was planning some kind of meeting with the sadhu big-wigs up on that God-dammed mountain we would have sorted it out real quick I assure you. We are specialists in this type of operation. We can penetrate any group on the planet.”

“Not this one, you can’t,” Singh said, behind a curious smirk.

Marlon waved him away –

“I have no doubt we could have gotten someone up there.”

Singh smiled cynically –

“Who do you mean – “we”?”

Marlon visibly swelled with pride – it was a ridiculous gesture and Julia caught Buck’s quick roll of the eyes – wait for it…

“The United States of America.”

Singh giggled openly and looked to Buck and Julia for support.

“I’d like to see you try.”

“Don’t worry – we can do anything we want.”

“We all know you can start things…”

“What’s that?”

“But can you ever finish them?”

Marlon set himself for a fight – glaring –

“What are you talking about Singh?”

“Never mind…”

“Never underestimate the power of the United States.”

As the harbingers of a new debate descended, Julia relaxed a little. At least the pressure was off her. In fact, the tension between Marlon and Singh felt quite bearable now that she clearly had Buck on side.

Unfortunately, her moment of peace didn’t last long. Eventually, greedily, as if looking for tastier fish to fry, Marlon turned to face her –

“Anyway,” he said, with a snide grin. “Hopefully we won’t need anybody up on that godforsaken mountain, will we?”

Julia remained perfectly still, trying to maintain a calm façade. She had no idea what he was referring to.

He pressed –

“Hopefully that won’t be necessary will it?”

She could clearly see the dark glint of menace in his bleary, blood-shot eyes.

“No. I suppose not,” she said, looking away.

The Hummer rolled on, leaving her to sit and think –

Julia…

Are you missing something?

4.6

The ochre sky with its gentle pink hue settled over the mountain like a serene giant, silencing all in awe. As the seconds became minutes, and the minutes rolled on, the P.M. was able to free his mind from the daily struggle he’d left in the valley below.

Just do it…

Just relax…

Just for one day.

It was a very simple, natural meditation.

Just relax…

Just for one day.

Soon he was lifted, somehow, by a golden silence.