The Whale Song Translation: A Voyage of Discovery To Neptune and Beyond (45 page)

Andrew tapped Dmitri on the shoulder. “Hey boss, how about the four of us go bowling after the show? There’s an alley in the student center.”

“Andrew, you’re so inappropriate.” Dmitri felt the sadness in Seema’s flat voice.

“It’s okay, Seema,” said Dmitri. “We could all do with a bit of distraction. These are cool seats, aren’t they?”

Greg grimaced. “Maybe for a Laker game.”

Andrew’s face brightened. “You’re not gonna believe it, but I thought I saw a familiar face.”

Absentmindedly, Dmitri scanned the crowd. “I don’t see anyone. Who was it?”

Andrew appeared to survey the room, but he shook his head. “Sorry, I must have been mistaken. Hey look.” He pointed at the stage. “That man in the . . . that’s Mitchell Gyre.”

“You’re right,” declared Seema, staring through opera glasses. “And Yumi Hermann is beside him.” She sounded excited.

“What did you expect.” Greg frowned. “This is Hollywood, and Lama Dawa Cham has a worldwide following of celebrity groupies.”

Despite Greg’s caustic tone, Dmitri had to admit it was an ideal setting for a celebrity lecture. An array of crystalline chandeliers glistened overhead. Intense spotlights hung from the ceiling, directly above the center of the large stage, illuminating a pair of oversized and sumptuously appointed golden velour chairs. Directly behind them, attached by thin cables to the rafters in the ceiling, hung the spectacularly oversized red, white, and yellow flag of Khutan, also known as the “thunder-dragon” flag for its depiction of a fierce, white dragon.

They’d decided to dress up for the occasion: the gentlemen attired in the same suits and ties they’d worn for the disciplinary hearing, and Seema wrapped appropriately in a stunning floral-blue, formal sari.

Once again, Andrew tapped his boss on the shoulder and directed Dmitri’s gaze down to the end of their row. “Look who’s coming.”

“My God, you were right!” exclaimed Dmitri.

“I told you so.”

Dmitri waved at the couple awkwardly tiptoeing toward them. “Hey, guys, fancy meeting you here.” Once she’d navigated through the gauntlet of feet of those already seated, Melanie drifted into Dmitri’s outstretched arms. After he’d planted a lingering kiss on her lips, he turned to Chris Gorman and asked, “So who’s the mastermind behind this chance encounter?”

“It was Professor McPinsky’s idea,” replied Gorman, exchanging handshakes with Greg and Andrew. “He told me Lama Dawa Cham might have something to say about the humpback deaths in Maui. He also said that two airline tickets were waiting at the airport, that I should bring Melanie along to cheer you up, and that he owed us for failing to prevent the disappearance of the data.”

“Disappearance, my foot,” muttered Greg. “Grand larceny is more accurate.”

Melanie squeezed Dmitri’s hand and briefly turned to Greg. “Of course I agreed to come along. I’m so sorry to hear about your suspensions.”

Dmitri couldn’t help but to smile. “To put it mildly, I’m very happy you’re here.”

She pulled him closer and whispered into his ear.

“Where’s Lila?” Seema sounded disappointed.

Melanie sighed. “Lila has the flu. Otherwise she’d be here. By the way, Seema, you look gorgeous.”

“She’s a vision.” Andrew, for a change, sounded dead serious as he assessed Seema’s jewelry-accented ensemble with an art-patron’s appreciative eye.

“And look at you guys, so sartorially splendid.” Melanie brushed a finger across Dmitri’s silk tie. “
Très chic
.”

“
Merci
.
Et toi aussi
,” replied Dmitri, with a smile. “It’s a shame about Lila, though. We’re one big family now.”

“She’d have enjoyed Lama Dawa Cham,” said Andrew. “We’re sitting so close. I’ll get to see the color of His Holiness’s eyes.”

Given the short notice and the popularity of the event, Dmitri wondered how his mentor had come by six contiguous prime-location seats. The first few rows were reserved for California University faculty and dignitaries. Most were engaged in animated conversations. Every seat seemed to be filled.

Dmitri clasped Melanie’s hands. “Maybe McPinsky was right. I’m enjoying myself more than I thought I would, present company included, of course.”

When the lights in the hall blinked twice, Greg said, “Okay, folks. For whatever it’s worth, the show’s about to begin.”

They sat down sequentially from left to right: Andrew, Seema, Melanie, Dmitri, Greg, and Chris. The teammates chatted until the main lights in the chamber were dimmed. All conversations ceased. Then, without any fanfare, the spiritual leader of Khutan, Lama Dawa Cham, walked humbly across the stage and removed both sandals. In one motion, he bowed to the audience and coiled into a cross-legged pose as he sat upon one of the chairs. Dmitri was fascinated by the contrast of his bare-shouldered saffron robe and his contemporary, black designer-frame glasses—a spiritual figure adapted to modern times.

“So who’s the surprise guest?” whispered Greg, sitting to Dmitri’s right.

“What do you mean?” Dmitri whispered back.

“The empty chair. Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

“Nah, can’t be.”

Lama Dawa Cham closed his eyes, clasped both hands together, and uttered a silent prayer. The audience grew respectfully hushed. As his lids fluttered open, a beatific smile adorned his face. He raised both arms in ceremonious greeting.

“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming tonight. I know you are expecting me to discuss the subject of compassion. However, there’s been a change of program. Like a bolt from the blue, I’m here to tell you that something truly wonderful has happened.”

The sounds of many voices combined as one, like the low murmur of a forest of pines fanned by a breeze. He waited for the sound to subside, his shaved head glistening in the stage lights.

“Earlier this week, I received an urgent message from a dear friend, a distinguished scientist. He informed me of a great discovery that has been confirmed beyond all conjecture and controversy.” Greg tapped Dmitri on the leg. “You’ll soon see for yourselves.”

Lama Dawa Cham paused to scrutinize the audience. When he resumed, Dmitri heard his mesmerizing British-Asian-accented voice sounding much more subdued, almost reverential. “The human race is no longer alone. The second sun of consciousness has finally been discovered. It will illuminate all of humanity’s future generations so that we can extricate ourselves from the shadows of ignorance.”

While the audience struggled to process his revelatory message, silence prevailed. Some turned to gaze into the eyes of their neighbor, searching for a response. Many appeared dazed. Dmitri clasped Melanie’s hands and felt the mingling of their throbbing pulses.

“Before I say more,” Lama Dawa Cham continued, “I’d like to introduce my friend. He will describe the technical details of this transformative discovery. Please welcome the distinguished Ivy Tech professor, Theodosius McPinsky.”

The bulky McPinsky ambled onto the stage, attired in an ill-fitting, grey suit and his trademark vest. The audience welcomed him with a warm round of applause. Dmitri was surprised to see his distinguished mentor shoeless in deference to the holy ground he now occupied. He was relieved to observe that McPinsky’s paisley socks were respectfully without holes. Lama Dawa Cham rose from his chair to lead the assembly in a standing ovation. Squeals of joy abounded from the Research in Paradise team.

“Unbelievable!” exclaimed Andrew, “McPinsky comes through big-time once again!”

“You’re so right.” Dmitri’s face glowed with delight. “By orchestrating this joint appearance with Lama Dawa Cham, he’s literally broken the back of the connivance between Prescott and his goon squad. I think we’re gonna be ok.”

Seema sighed. “Thank God.”

Dmitri gazed at Melanie, her face luminescent. “McPinsky must have recovered the lost data he needed to confirm our discoveries.”

“Were you aware your mentor was a friend of Lama Dawa Cham?” she asked.

“I had absolutely no idea. A good thing too, else I might have been intimidated by his very presence.”

As the applause continued, Greg leaned forward to stare at Dmitri’s lips, not wanting to miss any remarks. “It’s fascinating how we’re conditioned to respond to the persona of fame peddled in the media,” said Greg. “I’ll bet if Lama Dawa Cham was an anonymous dinner party guest, many would judge him simply as an eccentric character.”

No one in their group spoke until Seema said, “But Professor McPinsky looks like he really belongs on the same stage with His Holiness.”

The renowned scientist and the august holy man remained standing with their hands clasped. They gestured for silence, and the energy in the room was instantly quenched. Lama Dawa Cham resumed. “For the past ten years, Professor McPinsky and I have shared a special bond forged by an ongoing dialogue about the human condition. We first met at the World Conference on Cosmology and Consciousness, where we all grappled with humanity’s existential crises, the spiritual vacuum that is extinguishing the life force from our souls. Since nature abhors a vacuum, it has attracted all of mankind’s spurious attempts to fill it, which is why our species is still grasping for stability and meaning. At that conference, I became intrigued by the Professor’s proposals for a solution: his bold challenge to the scientific community to break the interspecies communication barrier and his Unified Field Information Theory.

“The sage professor is with us tonight to explain how his protégé’s research team has responded to the McPinsky Challenge with a millennial discovery.” He paused to glance at McPinsky, then turned back to face the audience. “Unfortunately, because certain elements in our society cannot cope with the enormity of this breakthrough, these heroes were imprisoned and their data illegally confiscated. Although they are temporarily free on bail, they face serious criminal prosecution. I personally beseech the authorities to drop the unjust charges against these special ones. They have an extraordinary story to tell us. So that you will know them for who they are, I have invited them here tonight.” He pointed in their general direction. “I’d like them to stand and accept your greeting.”

Dmitri heard Lama Dawa Cham’s words but could not respond, paralyzed by disbelief. He glanced at his colleagues. No one moved. Professor McPinsky stood, waved in their direction, and flapped his outstretched arms. “Dmitri, everyone with you, please rise so we can honor you.”

Heads turned their way and those nearest urged them on. Andrew popped up first, sporting a huge grin and waving toward the stage. One by one, the members of the Research in Paradise team joined him in a group salute to the professor and the guru. Scattered applause gained momentum, intensifying when Lama Dawa Cham clapped his hands above his head.

As Dmitri turned to acknowledge the approbation, he felt chills. In his entire life, he’d never imagined the possibility of such a transcendent moment. He thought about his father, the ice cream man and the maker of his childhood dreams. In spirit, Michael Dmitri was with him now. Dmitri’s mentor and father figure stood on the stage. In sharp contrast to his earlier despair, he now wondered how life could get any better. He looked at Melanie and felt great tenderness. Seeing tears rolling down her cheeks, he turned and hugged her.

When Lama Dawa Cham and McPinsky settled into their chairs, the audience followed suit, and Greg turned to Dmitri. “Worth the price of admission?”

“Most definitely,” he replied, still dazed by it all. “Now we can enjoy the rest of the presentation.”

Once the excitement had waned, Lama Dawa Cham resumed. “Fellow members of the human race . . . abandon all of your preconceptions and prepare yourselves for a quantum leap in earth consciousness, for we are blessed by the dawn of the second sun.” The tone of Lama Dawa Cham’s voice struck a delicate balance between solemnity and passion. “It was an imaginative leap of faith by a man of science that made this remarkable discovery possible. I would now like Professor McPinsky to explain the details of the marvelous event.”

Sensing McPinsky’s struggle to untangle his intertwined legs, Dmitri suppressed his mirth with a bite of the tongue. When he’d finally liberated himself from the lotus position, McPinsky dropped both feet onto the hardwood floor. Turning to face the holy man, he steepled his hands and bowed.

McPinsky turned back, and the beacon of his intense gaze swept the audience. “Ladies and gentlemen, because mathematics is the universal language, there is no longer any doubt that humanity has shattered the millennial silence. The sleeper has awakened. You may have heard media accounts about a controversial interspecies communication experiment in the waters of Hawaii. About a week ago, the group of scientists whom you just met successfully conducted this experiment with astounding results. The team was organized by my former student, David Dmitri, now a professor in his own right. It includes his SoCalSci University research associates in concert with the marine biologists at the Pacific Institute for Cetacean Educational Studies.”

Another wave of applause rippled across the audience.

“I’d like the projectionist to play the first in a series of remarkable videos recorded during the breakthrough experiment on the PICES research vessel.”

When the spotlights illuminating the stage had been dimmed, the first Speakeasy images flooded the screen. “As hard as it is to believe, you’re witnessing the first-ever game of logic played between a humpback whale and a human being.”