Descent from Xanadu Read Online Free Page B

laughed. “I’d better hurry to get a black tie.”
    “It’s not that important. Just a few of our close friends.” Then his father’s smile turned serious. “Now the bad news.”
    Judd was silent.
    “I have Hodgkin’s disease,” his father said.
    “I don’t know what that is,” Judd said.
    “It’s a kind of cancer of the blood.” His father waited a moment, then added, “It could be worse, however. The doctors tell me I can still have five or six years in reasonable comfort, and who knows what they may discover in that time? They may turn up a cure anytime.”
    Judd was silent. He took a deep breath, holding back his tears. “I hope so. No, I’m sure they’ll find a cure.”
    “And if they don’t,” his father said, “I won’t complain. I still would have had a good life.”
    Judd was silent, looking into his father’s eyes.
    “I’m not afraid of death,” his father said softly. “Death and immortality have always been very much the same to me.”

4
    The Jeep with the customs officers led the limousine through the air-cargo gates to the field. They followed the road in front of a long row of warehouses past the commercial planes parked at the far end to where the field was reserved for military aircraft. The midnight blue B-747 seemed like a giant queen bee standing beside the cluster of tiny Yugoslavian fighter planes around it.
    Judd stepped out of the limo and held his hand to Sofia. She looked up at the plane. The white insignia of the whooping crane—its wings outstretched as it lifted into the air, and followed by the words CRANE INDUSTRIES—was clear in the light from the airport windows. A painted American flag was under the pilot’s window and an even larger one stretched across the giant rudder.
    She looked at Judd. “I’ve never seen a jumbo plane except in a film,” she said. “That one had a big staircase to it.”
    Judd smiled. “Usually it’s rolled over to the plane if they aren’t parked at airports that have moving ramps. But this one’s special. It’s been built to my specifications.”
    The customs officers came to them. “If you would be kind enough to give us your passports, we’ll stamp them,” one of them said.
    Judd handed his passport from his jacket pocket and Sofia took her own from a purse. The customs officer walked back to the jeep and looked at the passports under a flashlight.
    The chauffeur brought three valises from the car trunk. One was made of aluminum. He placed them beside her. At the same moment, an elevator supported by stainless steel rods descended from the wheel bay with two uniformed men on it who came toward them.
    Judd introduced them. “Sofia, this is Captain Peters and Chief Steward Raoul. Gentlemen, Dr. Ivancich.”
    Captain Peters shook hands. “Welcome, Doctor.”
    Raoul tipped his hat in a sort of salute. “And I welcome also, Madame Doctor.”
    “Thank you, gentlemen,” Sofia replied.
    One of the customs officers returned. “The passports are in order. But we have to inspect Dr. Ivancich’s baggage unless we receive a special export license for her medical equipment.”
    Her voice sounded annoyed as she spoke quickly in Serbian. The officer spoke apologetically, his hands expressive. She turned to Judd. “I’ll have to go back to their office,” she explained. “They’re like all bureaucrats. The export license was supposed to be ready. But, as usual—”
    Captain Peters turned to her. “I’ll go back with you, Doctor. I have to get the flight plan approved anyway.”
    “Take the limo,” Judd said. “I’ll meet you on board.”
    “I’m sorry,” she said.
    “No problem,” Judd said. “It’s just the usual fuckup.”
    The customs officers took her valises to their jeep and the limo followed them away. Judd walked to the elevator as Raoul joined him and pressed the button. They went up past the wheel bay, then the galley floor, and up to the main cabin floor.
    “Put the doctor in the first guest