A New Assignment in The "Bam-i-Duniah"

Ice for the shaker; martinis should be chilled. Hot day; slowly cooling; even London fog would be late in forming.

Vermouth, swirled, and thrown out. Plymouth gin, a good shake, pre-chilled glasses, and garnished with twists.

"Cheers."

"Which mountain needs to be climbed," I asked, "at the 'Roof of the World'?"

"That's a book written by Sir Thomas Gordon in 1876," Charles replied. "An earlier traveler introduced a native expression, 'Bam-i-Duniah', 'Roof of the World', for the Pamirs".

"From 1932 to 1962, one height was Stalin Peak," Charles continued. "Times changed. Communism Peak from 1962 to 1998. Now reverted to its historic name, Ismoil Somoni."

"A history?" I suggested.

"Mountains spread across Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, and China," Charles said. "Yeah, a history." Known for understatement. Most of the MI6 crew are.

"Need?" he continued. "The neo-Czar seeks to rebuild the empire, gain revenge in Afghanistan, and cozy up to the Peoples Republic, with one grand play. A script to be written during a confab on Ismoil Somoni."

"You're assignment - an amateur climber following Gordon's route. Insure that script never gets acted out."

Aging politicians. Confab should be below 10,000'. Isolated in snow and winds. Just manageable.

"History draws me in," I told the elaborately costumed guards. Being half dead helped to convince them.

The "playwrights" would need a scribe. Likely a young and attractive one.

I found her; Alina to me. Cavernous dark eyes. Endless curves. We shared much.

Including nightly transcripts that she prepared. After, when she fell asleep, I'd edit them.

The confab didn't end well.

"Take over the Asian half of the North?" screamed the neo-Czar.

"Fall in line with us?" screamed the Peoples President.

"Little trust," I reported to Charles.

"Alina, join me?" I asked. She did. Life is good.