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CHAPTER six

Dreyfus and Harry walked over to Stein’s Bar. ‘I want you out of here,’ Dreyfus said. ‘Take a holiday. now! Goodbye. I’ll see you in two weeks.’

‘No,’ said Harry. ‘I won’t go. I’m your best man, and this town has problems.’

‘Yes,’ said Paul, ‘you are my best man. But you must understand something. After we go, the people here in Dante’s Peak will stay. They have their shops and their businesses. You think only about volcanoes, but this is about money too.’

‘OK,’ Harry said with a smile. ‘I understand.’

‘OK,’ said Paul. ‘Tomorrow we’ll get a helicopter I want you to fly round the peak with your equipment. What’s happening? Why? You find the answers, and then you come and tell me.’

‘Right,’ Harry said, ‘I’ll do that.’ Then he turned away and had a drink with Terry Furlong and the others.

The next morning Harry went into the Blue Moon Cafe for breakfast. This was Rachel’s cafe.

She smiled at him. ‘Coffee?’ she asked.

‘Yes, please,’ he said. ‘I’m sorry about yesterday I only wanted to help. I’m better with volcanoes than I am with business people.’

‘I know you wanted to help,’ Rachel put the coffee back on the warmer, turned and said, ‘Do you want to come to dinner tonight? I want to say thank you.’

‘Thank you? What for?’

‘You stopped Graham jumping into that water.’

‘OK. Yes, please. I do want to have dinner with you.’

Later in the morning, Harry and Terry went out in the helicopter. They took a lot of equipment and flew round the peak. Terry watched the equipment. ‘There’s some gas,’ he said. ‘But not a lot.’

They couldn’t see under the helicopter, so they didn’t see it: the ground suddenly gave a strong push. Big rocks fell down the mountain. Then everything was quiet again. The mountain waited.

After dinner that evening at Rachel’s house, Harry and Rachel sat outside. They looked at the lights of the town.

‘I know it’s a little town,’ she said. ‘I know it’s not important. But I love it here. It’s my home.’

‘Were you born here?’ Harry asked.

‘Yes.’

‘And you lived with your husband here?’

‘Yes.’ She was quiet for a moment. ‘Brian and I were too young when we met. That was the problem. He left about six years ago. He never writes or anything. The children don’t remember him. I don’t think he writes to Ruth.’

‘But you’re OK,’ he said.

‘Yeah, I am now. What about you? No wife?’

‘No. I move round the world all the time. There was somebody at one time, but.’ He told her about Marianne.

‘I’m sorry,’ Rachel said.

‘Volcanoes are dangerous,’ said Harry. ‘People must know that.’

‘Perhaps you’re wrong about our volcano,’ said Rachel. ‘But I’m happy that you’re here to help.’