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she smashed her leg in a fall years before. She still walked with a slight limp, very slight, from time to time.
    Rolf smiled. “Oh, I suspect you’ll be doing some climbing. I’m happy you’re going. I’d be worried about Peak if you weren’t.”
    The intercom buzzed. The piano stopped. The twins ran to the front door shouting, “Egg food young!”

Approach
    We are somewhere over the Atlantic. I miss the two Peas, and I’ve only been gone a few hours.
    Mom’s not the only one sleeping at forty thousand feet. JR, Jack, Will, and Ethan are behind us with their seats reclined as far as they’ll go. They all looked pretty rough this morning when the van swung by to pick us up. They were asleep before the jet took off. Behind them is one of Plank’s people. His name is Tony. He’s dressed in a three-piece suit. I don’t think he’s climbing with us. When we got onto the jet, he gathered our passports and visas and has been madly typing on his laptop since takeoff. His skin is pale, like he’s never been off the jet. I want to go back and talk to him, but every time I turn to look at him, he’s hunched over the machine tapping away.
    Â 
    THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT came down the aisle again, carrying a basket of snack food. His name is Rob. Every fifteen minutes he has offered me the basket.
    I smiled again. “No thank you.”
    â€œYou sure?”
    â€œPositive. I’m stuffed.”
    â€œAlready? I haven’t even served brunch yet. We’re having fresh crepes. Five varieties. My favorite is the pesto, cheese, and egg.”
    â€œThen I definitely don’t need any more snacks. I’ll save myself for a pesto crepe when it’s ready. But I do have a question.”
    â€œAsk away.”
    â€œIs this your first trip to Afghanistan, or have you been here before?”
    â€œThis is my second trip in a week.”
    â€œThis is my first trip,” I said. “What can you tell me about it?”
    He gave me an odd look. “Virtually nothing. It’s strictly touch-and-go for us. We fly into Kabul, refuel, and take off. The next trip will be in ten days to pick you up.”
    â€œWhat about Tony? What does he do?”
    â€œTony’s the man to talk to you about Afghanistan. He’s an international travel facilitator. An expert in passport and immigration control. His job is to make certain that when you get off the plane, there are no hassles. He’s fluent in Pashtun, Dari, Wazari, and I think Farsi. He’s here to grease the wheels, so to speak.”
    â€œWho else have you flown into Kabul?”
    â€œAn older man last week. He didn’t give me his name, and even if he had, I wouldn’t be able to tell you what it was. Mr. Plank believes in need to know. All I know is that your name is Pete.”
    â€œActually, it’s Peak.”
    â€œReally?”
    â€œCommon mistake.”
    â€œOdd first name.”
    I nodded at my sleeping mother. “Odd parents.”
    â€œThat’s your mother?”
    â€œYep, that’s Mom.”
    â€œShe doesn’t look old enough to have a son your age.”
    â€œWhen she wakes up, tell her that. It will make her happy.”
    â€œI will.”
    â€œSo do you know what we’re doing here?”
    â€œNot specifically, but I gather from the equipment onboard that you are climbers.” Rob looked at his watch. “I better get going. You’re welcome to go back and talk to Tony.”
    â€œHe looks busy. I don’t want to bug him.”
    â€œI’m sure he’d be happy to talk to you. Unlike me, he’s been all over the Stans.”
    â€œThe Stans?”
    â€œKazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. The word
stan
means ‘place of.’ Tony’s parents were British diplomats. He grew up in the Stans.”
    Rob wandered back up to the galley to start cooking