Chapter 11

Two rings

"We'll now open the Q&A session."

At the end of Linka's presentation, the audience reacted with more enthusiasm than with other posters. She had spoken not only with the academic authoritativeness of someone who had done a thorough study of the application of inference statistics to weather science, but also, it appeared to many, with the first-hand experience of someone who had lived to see the consequences of neglecting good advice.

"My name is Leyla Abdanur. My husband and I work in the power generation business in Egypt. Your estimates about increased rainfall are an understandable warning for an island nation like Puerto Rico, but in North Africa we need more rain, not less. If the world adopts environmental standards that on a large scale are aimed at decreasing the likelihood of unexpected storms, what will be the effect on drought-prone countries?"

Linka replied, "One important thing to keep in mind when analyzing complex systems such as worldwide weather patterns is that a single change to the system does not have just one single effect. The ramifications of consequences always extend beyond even the most lenient thresholds of uncertainty. A forecast model like the one I described is therefore unfortunately not powered to account for variations at the local level. You can only depict reality with so much resolution, as it were. That being said, Professor Mahendra, who will be presenting her paper in a few hours, has done very interesting research on the feasibility of subverting human-made climate change by doing it in reverse: if we as a species have been so effective in bringing about change for the worse, we should expect to have at least the same power to responsibly handle the forces of nature and create change for the better. More specifically, she has been working with a variation on an old chemical compound that used to be scattered by planes among the clouds to cause rain. I hear she has even brought a demonstration balloon here, but I don't want to spoil you her brilliant exposition."

The rest of the questions were comparatively less interesting, in Rodrigo's appreciation. Eric was not present in that hall; he had said he'd attend a debate session on clinical trial design two floors above. When Linka's time was officially over and she stepped down from her stand, Rodrigo approached her with what he hoped was not too long a list of questions of his own. But a voice coming from the loudspeakers interrupted him.

"Your attention, please." A man Rodrigo recognized from the hotel personnel had taken the microphone. "I have just been informed that, due to unforeseen circumstances, the presentation scheduled for 1:30 this afternoon, which was to be given by Professor Lakshmi Mahendra, has been cancelled."

Over the murmurs Linka managed to tell Rodrigo, "I hope I didn't put her in the spotlight too harshly. I know she's very shy, but I've never known her to cancel a scheduled appearance for that reason."

The sudden arrival of a panting, panicked-looking Eric was the second thing in a row that interrupted whatever Rodrigo was going to say. "Professor Pluschak, I need my ring. Now."

"Calm down and talk to me with more respect. I already told you I'd give it back—"

"This is urgent."

Linka's face shifted immediately. "What is this?"

"Come and see."

The three of them went into a roofless terrace halfway up the building. Eric pointed at the sea, but he didn't need to. The horizon was nowhere to be seen. Far in the distance, innumerable vortexes of fearsome gray connected the surface water up to the hugest storm clouds any of them had seen. The row of vortexes ("tornadic waterspouts," Rodrigo called them) spread as far as their eyes could see, and the storm was advancing fast toward the island.

"This is not hurricane season," said Rodrigo.

"Then someone has been messing seriously with the clouds," replied Eric.

Linka's heart jumped. "Profesor Mahendra! She just cancelled her presentation. Now I also remember we were to meet shortly before mine for a cup of coffee, but she didn't show up."

Eric couldn't see the connection. Rodrigo, who had listened to Linka's comments earlier, knew the right question to ask:

"Did she bring her formula with her?"

"I suppose so. It was the entire subject she had prepared."

Eric breathed deeply and appeared satisfied. "The air humidity is just perfect. My ring, please."

"I get how obvious this emergency is, but it is not yet time for you to go public."

"What? What do you suggest I do instead? Let the hurricane wipe the island?"

"A hurricane is more than you can handle alone."

"How do you know that?"

"After a while, you get a very keen sense of when you need extra help."

"OK, I'll grant that you have much more experience in this than me. So I'll let the expert do the job. Use your own ring. Do something."

"Wait here. No, seriously. Wait. As for you," she pointed at Rodrigo, "you come with me."

At the hotel's flat roof, Linka showed Rodrigo the balloon brought by Professor Mahendra.

"Why are we here?" he asked.

Linka began untying the ropes without pausing to look at him. "As you will notice by yourself, it is difficult to fly and speak at the same time. Though we'll be investigating that hurricane, we'll do it comfortably."

Still not understanding anything, Rodrigo pointed out, "I'm a bit afraid of heights."

"Soon you won't be. Come into the basket."

"Are you serious? This balloon isn't even yours. I will probably throw up for the entire trip. And I don't think your Math degree included flying lessons."

"By this point, Professor Mahendra is either kidnapped or in hiding. In either case, she has little use for this balloon. We are old friends, and colleagues, so she'll understand. And as for flying this thing," she said as the took two rings from her purse and put one on each hand, "all you need is hot air."

Linka stood at the center of the basket, directly below the frame that held the bottom of the deflated balloon, with her arms raised and her hands clenched together.

She looked up and said, "Wind… and Fire!"