Chapter3

On September 13, a Friday, Galen flew from San Antonio to Houston; and there, after an hour delay, transferred to a flight to Lima, the capital of Peru. In Lima there was another delay for the connecting flight to Cusco, which tacked on another two hours to his journey to central Peru. He had been lucky to get the reservations with two connections at such short notice, but the travel agent told him that lots of cancellations were takingplace.

“Friday the 13th is not a good travel day,” she had said. “There are lots of spineless folksaround.”

He stared into the agent’s broad smile and decided she wasteasing.

“You’re not afraid?”

“I’m not superstitious.” Galen handed her the platinum credit card and requested a First-Classseat.

As he awaited the arrival of the smaller Peruvian aircraft that would take him to Cusco, he surveyed his fellow passengers. Seated closest was a group of jean-clad teenagers. To his right, a weary-looking mother was having a particularly difficult time keeping a two-year-old child from running everywhere. There were also a splattering of men and women in business suits, some with briefcases, some withlaptops.

Against the far wall was a starry-eyed couple, the young man’s arms entwined around his girlfriend’s body like ivy binds itself to a tree trunk. Watching them, Galen recalled what it was like to be young and in love. When he married Allison, he had believed their love would be forever. He had never suspected that his “forever love” would die and leave him alone