The Valuable Family

Agnes, sitting alone at a small table outside a cafe, placed her hand protectively over her jacket pocket, feeling the outline of its contents. Agnes’ hand paused for several moments while she reassured herself the contents therein were safe. A few moments later Agnes looked up at the sign above the cafe entrance, the words Le Roche Dure Cafe seemingly evoking a wistful smile.

Spying her friend Elizabeth approaching, Agnes stood slightly and raised a hand, making sure Elizabeth sighted her. With an obvious excitement, and grinning broadly as Elizabeth approached, the two embraced, a hug ensuing. Taking the unoccupied chair, Elizabeth sat opposite Agnes. It was obvious there was a familiarity between these two young women borne of long friendship.

”So,” began Elizabeth, forgoing the usual exchange of pleasantries, “twenty thousand dollars! Any idea what you’ll do with it?”

“Deep end, huh?” said Agnes.

“Sorry,” said Elizabeth. “It’s just so incredible!”

“Well, I haven’t any inkling,” replied Agnes, somewhat vacantly. “I’m still trying to grapple with the whole ordeal. There’s still some wrist business to attend to, but I’m told the money will be mine in a matter of days. You know something, I’ve signed more documents in the last few days than I have in my entire life. I even had to sign a non-disclosure statement. Bewildering.”

“I didn’t even know the reward was still on offer,” said Elizabeth with a sense of intrigue.

“Nor did I,” replied Agnes. “Apparently the reward for discovery was never withdrawn. Holding on to hope, that type of thing I guess. Listen, I’m sorry I haven’t been able to see you in person these past weeks. Ever since this thing erupted I’ve been swamped. You’ve no idea the amount of officials and the like I’ve had to deal with.”

“No bother. I still can’t get my head around the enormity of it,” began Elizabeth earnestly. “You read about these things happening but never expect your best friend to be the one making headlines. It’s absolutely incredible. The press release is pretty soon, right?”

“Anonymity no more,” said Agnes almost ruefully before checking her wristwatch. “About ten minutes. All will be revealed.”

“So, were the rumours true?” asked Elizabeth cautiously. “Something about a wealthy family, wasn’t it?”

“Look, I’m not really supposed to say until after the news has broken, but it was, well, let’s just say it was a valuable family,” replied Agnes.

“Valuable?” said Elizabeth, confused. “One and the same, no?”

“Not quite. It’s an odd turn of phrase, I’ll admit,” said Agnes. “You know the legend of course - the disappearance without a trace, rumours around the cargo... Huge reward for discovery...”

A waiter, carrying a bottle of champagne and two glasses, approached the table. He places a glass each in front of Agnes and Elizabeth and began pouring the champagne into the glasses. The two young women seem a bit surprised.

“Courtesy of the owner,” said the waiter in a heavy French accent. “Congratulations from one rock hound to another. Romain was a little boy when it happened. Even at his age he still remembers the event. The awful crash of nineteen twenty nine that triggered a great depression for so many. I’ve heard the story countless times.”

“Very kind,” said Agnes, delighted at the unexpected gesture. “Please do thank Romain for us.”

“Of course,” replied the waiter. “I’ll call you in when the announcement begins. We have a television set up. No need to watch it on your ‘phones.”

“I don’t mean to be a bother, really,” said Agnes bashfully.

“Nonsense!” exclaimed the waiter. “This is big news. Romain even thought of buying a bigger television.”

Agnes laughed at the waiter’s utterance.

“Very well,” said Agnes, “thank you again.”

With a smile and a nod of his head the waiter retreated inside. Agnes raised her glass, with Elizabeth following suit. The two clinked their glasses together before sipping at the champagne.

“I could easily get used to this,” said Agnes whimsically.

“Beats traipsing around digging in the dirt, foraging for rocks?” asked Elizabeth.

“By a small margin,” replied Agnes. “Though I have been known to drink champagne on the job.”

“Haven’t we all?” quipped Elizabeth. “So, twenty thousand dollars... Not an amount to be sneezed at, even today.”

“True,” started Agnes, “but in nineteen twenty nine that sum was of more significance. Makes you wonder why more people never persued it.”

“Certain world events at the time getting in the way?” said Elizabeth, somewhat facetiously.

“Yes,” said Agnes. “the other caper of nineteen twenty nine. The whole thing eventually faded into legend. There were searches, of course, but no one ever found it. A few came close, but it was covered fairly well. Most folks were thrown off by the inability to take true bearings in the region.”

“Something I don’t get,” began Elizabeth, “is why such a large sum of money was offered. Hardly pocket change for the time. What was it carrying? And what’s this valuable family business?”

At that moment a passerby paused after sighting Agnes. Carrying a briefcase, and with the air of that of a librarian, a bespectacled gentleman pointed at Agnes.

“Heroine of the hour!” exclaimed the gentleman. “A veritable rock star! Ha ha!”

A bus, slowing down to stop nearby, caught his attention.

“Ah, that’s me,” said the gentleman. “Anyway, well done you!” Turning towards the bus, the gentleman scurried off.

“Not sure I’ll get used to that,” sighed Agnes, taking a sip from her glass.

“When they make a film who do want to play you?” asked Elizabeth.

“Someone with a solid background in geophysics, at least,” quipped Agnes. “Has to be believable. The Hollywood types never know how to wield a trowel.”

Elizabeth smiled broadly.

“Ok, so, how did you find it?” asked Elizabeth. “The nitty gritty.”

“You’ve read the accounts, surely?” Said Agnes quizzically.

“Horse’s mouth,” said Elizabeth.

“Pure luck in the end,” offered Agnes. “I knew the legend and some of the details but it was essentially rain that did in the end. A lot of it, mind you.”

“Rain?” asked a confused Elizabeth. “Not sure I follow.”

“The rain had triggered a landslide,” said Agnes matter-of-factly. “I was taking core samples of a newly exposed section when I pulled up the first metal piece.”

“From the top section, wasn’t it?” asked Elizabeth.

“Very near the top,” replied Agnes. “It was just pure luck I struck a section that had the remains of a rivet in it. I would have discarded it otherwise. It was barely recognisable from the corrosion and rust, but it was undeniably a rivet.”

“Thank goodness for happenstance,” remarked Elizabeth. “But why did they go over the mountains in the first place? Wouldn’t it have been safer to go around them or avoid them altogether?”

“Know what magnetite is?” asked Agnes.

“It’s your bag if I’m not mistaken,” said Elizabeth, slightly squinting with a smile.

“Indeed. It can play havoc with a compass,” began Agnes. “Get enough of the stuff and it can create a magnetic anomaly.”

“Ah! So they were off course?” exclaimed Elizabeth.

“Drastically. By taking what they thought was a northerly route would have lead them into the highest peaks,” said Agnes. “The appalling weather would have reduced visibility to nothing, and they couldn’t climb any higher due to the weight of the cargo. They went overboard in protecting the family you see, and it ironically contributed to their disappearance. But, in the end, it protected them well.”

“My head is swimming,” said Elizabeth, shaking her head. “I’m starting to lose the trail. So this family, they were what, really important or something to warrant this protection?”

“Oh yes, extremely important. They still are,” stated Agnes. “They’re of immense value. Now, perhaps, more than ever. They’ll fill some gaps.”

“How?” asked Elizabeth, growing a little impatient. “So how come no one knows who they are?”

“We didn’t know about them until fairly recently,” replied Agnes. “There simply weren’t others.”

“Huh?” said Elizabeth. “No other family members?”

“Well, in a sense, no,” replied Agnes. “We didn’t know of them until recent times.”

“An unknown, valuable family that no one had heard of and weren’t known about previously with no other family members, that’s what you’re telling me?”

“Yes,” replied Agnes.

“Well, what was their family name?” asked Elizabeth. “Surely you can give me that?”

“I think I’d do them a disservice by mispronouncing it,” said Agnes. “It’s a two-parter type deal though.”

“A double-barreled surname?” asked Elizabeth, growing increasingly confused.

“Not quite...” said Agnes.

Elizabeth leaned back in her chair, looking confused. After a pause Elizabeth finished the contents of her glass in one go.

“None of this makes any sense!” exclaimed Elizabeth.

The waiter appeared in the doorway and beckoned to Agnes.

“Come on,” said Agnes, “you’ll have it in a nutshell.”

Agnes, in one quick motion, downed the remainder of her champagne. The pair stood, taking their glasses with them. They entered the cafe and positioned themselves near the television. The waiter, noticing their glasses were now emptied, filled them both with more champagne.

“Any moment now,” said the waiter gesturing to the television. A few moments footage appeared on the television of a man approaching a lectern, with an audience comprised of what appears to press staff and photographers. The waiter pointed a remote control at the television, unmuting it.

“Good morning everyone,” said the man on the television. “As you’re no doubt aware, the remains of the long lost Ford Trimitor Northern Cloud have been discovered after crashing in nineteen twenty nine. The aircraft crashed in torrential weather after deviating from its plotted course. The pilot and copilot perished on impact. Shortly after the crash a landslide buried the aircraft under several metres of dirt. A subsequent recent landslide had removed a great deal of the original dirt, though not enough to expose the ‘plane. A few weeks ago a geologist taking core samples in the mountains brought up a section of the fuselage, leading to the discovery. There have been rumours circulating since the crash of a mysterious cargo. I’m here to today to put the rumours to rest. Contained in the aircraft were three reinforced cast iron ossuaries, each containing the remains of what we now know are the first discovered Australopithecines. Reconstruction is still taking place, and at this early stage we think we have fairly complete examples of an adult male, an adult female and a juvenile of the extinct species Australopithecus afarensis. This valuable family represents a huge breakthrough in our understanding of the species, and will serve to fill some gaps in that branch. There will be more to come, but now I’d be happy to field some questions.”

There is a commotion from the audience as the reporters raise their hands and began speaking all at once. Agnes gestured to the waiter, who muted the television. He then picked up a champagne bottle before refilling Agnes’ and Elizabeth’s glasses.

“My god,” said Elizabeth. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Give it time,” replied Agnes. “My own head is still a jumble.”

“But,” started Elizabeth before pausing, “umm, how could you have known-“

“A full fair-mindedness requires me to admit I did have some guidance,” said Agnes.

Reaching into her jacket pocket, Agnes took out a black notebook. “I took that otherwise lousy assignment for the obvious opportunity it afforded me. My grandfather had plotted virtually the entire region, noting the magnetic anomalies. Knowing the final destination, he worked up a vague idea of where the ‘plane might have crashed. Aside from geology, grandfather had a keen understanding of navigation.”

Agnes raised her glass. Elizabeth did likewise.

“Anyway, to geology,” said Agnes.

“To geology,” replied Elizabeth. “Rock on.”

Agnes laughed. The two clinked glasses and sipped at their champagne.