The same afternoon Ivan was buying the antique motion picture camera, a few miles away Senator Harry McCallister, Clay's boss, and Bill Payne, Clay's teacher were meeting at the Gulf Club for lunch. Bill requested the meeting the next time the senator was in town.
Bill Payne had no doubt he could talk Harry into letting Clay go with him on next summer's research trip. It was important for Clay to see other bodies of water. He'd then be capable of drawing parallels between condition in the Pacific Ocean with those in the Gulf of Mexico. It was a trip Clay needed to make.
Bill had been lobbying the senator to allow Clay to accompany him on his summer research voyage into the Pacific since his university was given the research ship Horizon for that purpose. He was just then returning from his third research trip and he was seeing things he wanted Clay to see, so they could compare notes.
Clay was the student with the instincts Bill trusted most. He had become the best marine biologist Bill taught his trade to. Harry wasn't one of his best students but he was the student who went furthest.
Bill knew Harry's father through Harry, who spoke about the Sanibel Island Conservancy. Once Harry was in charge at the Conservancy, Bill got involved while his one time student struggled with his new command and they'd become friends.
After Harry realized what a find Clay was, he called Bill to get some advice about how to handle him. Bill became Clay's teacher and once he'd graduated college as a marine biologist, he signed a long term contract with Harry to be his marine biologist.
They worked together to put Clay in the position he was in. Bill wanted to collect on his investment in Harry's man in the Gulf. He provided Clay with the best education he was capable of giving. Clay learned his lessons well and now Bill needed his help to explain what he was seeing in the Pacific Ocean.
Harry was one of the most ecologically aware men who was in a position to do something to help the environment. As a senator, Harry headed the environmental committee and he depended on Clay to deliver the message he wanted presented. The work of the Conservancy gave Clay an insight into conditions in the Gulf.
Bill felt next summer's research trip would be groundbreaking because of the advancement in the technology he depended on. It was Clay's experience and attention to detail that made him the man who was best qualify to assist Bill with his research.
He didn't want to take Clay away from Harry. He merely wanted to borrow him.
Bill was sure he was seeing a slow deterioration in conditions of reefs he'd visited. He wanted Clay to go along on the 1983 research trip to compare notes. It was imperative he have Clay's opinion.
Bill identified a link between the condition of coral reefs in the Pacific Ocean with the deteriorating condition of the water. He intended to return to the same reef the following summer and take Clay Olson with him to get his opinion. He intended to wait to hear Clay's opinion before Bill told him his own.
Being a well regarded marine biologist, Bill wasn't foolish enough to write a paper on the deterioration in the Pacific Ocean without having the agreement of at least one other marine biologist.
He could hire a marine biologist to say he agreed with him. He didn't want just anyone. He wanted someone highly regarded. He needed Clayton Olson's name on the paper with his own name.
“How are you going to prove your theory?” Harry asked, after hearing what his friend had in mind.
“Proving a linkage isn't the Problem. There's also a reduction in reproduction, That's the problem. Reproduction makes the world go round. Look at it this way, today it's in the far away Pacific Ocean. Tomorrow, it could come to a house near you. If Mother Nature is consistent, the human race may be in serious trouble. Even a slowdown in reproduction isn't a good sign, Harry.”
“That does cast a different light on things,” Harry said.
“I'll give you a case in point. Remember a few years ago when the fishing fleet was only bringing back half the regular catch?”
“Yes. I was aware of that.”
“Clay went out with the fishing fleet to see the conditions in all the places where they fished,” Bill said.
“I remember,” Harry said.
“There was less than a two degree rise in the water temperature to bring about the reduced catch. Some of each species they caught went to cooler waters. Others weren't reproducing in the numbers they had before. Clay had Captain Popov take the fishing fleet miles away from where they did the majority of their fishing at the time.”
“I remember. Popov wasn't all that pleased. As I recall, by following Clay's instructions, by the next year Popov was catching more fish than he ever had before. Clay's instructions ended up putting a lot more money in Popov's pocket.”
“Clay waited a year and he went back to recheck the water temperature. He developed a theory and he followed up. After a year, he told Popov to go ahead and fish in his old fishing grounds but he needed to alternate with the new fishing grounds Popov was using. You know how highly Popov regards Clay. If Clay said, “Jump over the moon, Popov, and you'll double your catch, Popov would consider it.”
Harry laughed.
“We have some great people at the cove, Bill. People working together,” Harry said, drinking bourbon and branch water.
Bill took a swig of scotch and felt it burn.
“I've never heard it put in that context. I remember Clay going out with Popov and we talked about why he went out with the fishing fleet. I was impressed. Clayton certainly knows what he's doing and I'm away so much, I fail to put things like that together. Then someone like you spells it out in terms I can understand. I do remember it now and I can tell you, I felt a lot better before you told me. We're in more serious trouble than anyone knows if what you are finding continues. If I didn't already have a drink, I'd need one,” Harry said, draining his glass and holding it up for the waiter to see.
“It proved to me how dedicated Clay was. You're lucky to have him, Harry, and I need to borrow him. He already suspects that fish stop reproducing if conditions reach a critical point. He was sure the water temperature had something to do with it.”
“Not all summer. I can't spare him for three month's, Bill. You need to rethink what you're asking. If I'm not at the Conservancy, I want Clay there keeping his eyes open for me while I'm in DC. I can't leave the Conservancy rudderless for an entire summer. I depend on Clay to keep things under control.”
“I wouldn't ask if there was any other way. I wouldn't ask if I didn't think Clay, when confronted with the same set of facts, he'll reach the same conclusion I reached. Then it's an up hill battle to convince the polluters to stop polluting. If man suddenly finds himself unable to reproduce, well, you get the picture.”
“I hear what you are saying. It's not clear to me that Clay's opinion is any better than dozens of men you've taught the trade. Clay's as dedicated a man as I've employed. He isn't the end all and be all, Bill. I can't spare him for the entire summer. Work with me here. It doeen't take an entire summer to see what conditions are.”
“Who is it you have testify in front of your senate committee twice a year, Harry? Who is it you've delegated to keep the Conservancy running while you gallivant around DC?”
“Hardly gallivanting, Bill. Your point is well taken. I do depend on Clay. It's why I'm reluctant to let him go for the entire summer. We can work something out but not for the entire summer. I can't spare him for that length of time. Not on what you've told me.”
“We can agree you are willing to allow him to go for some length of time next summer?” Bill asked.
“We can agree I am considering your request. I don't know what I intend to do. Let's enjoy our lunch and we'll discuss the details after we eat. I'm going to have indigestion if we keep talking about this and I've been looking forward to lunch at the Gulf Club since the last time I was at home.”
Harry always phoned the Gulf Club before he returned home to tell them how many lobsters he'd need at lunch the following day. As wonderful as Florida seafood was, Harry always wanted lobster prepared by the Gulf Club's chef who prepared it better than any Harry had anywhere else. The lobster was flown in from Maine but Harry would deny it if anyone asked. One of Florida's two senators didn't dare get caught with Maine lobster on his breath.
As the lobsters appeared the wine steward brought a bottle of Harry's favorite wines to the table. Pouring a little in Harry's wine glass, the senator nodded his approval. The wine steward poured and Harry and Bill dug in, dispatching with their lobster in short order. Harry ordered another bourbon and branch water. Algie would be driving him back to the Conservancy and he needed to relax at lunch.
Bill asked for a refill of his ice tea. He would drive himself back to the university and it wouldn't do for him to get a DUI.
“As always, superb, Senator. I enjoy having lunch with you here.” Bill said.
“I know, and in case I've forgotten, you need Clay next summer. I'll be honest with you, Bill, I hate to say no but you haven't made me see it yet. Why is Clay sailing around the Pacific helping anything? It'll keep him away from the work he is doing here.”
“Harry, in the larger scheme of things, what's in the Pacific right now is coming to the Gulf of Mexico. I can't tell you when it'll arrive here, but it will be on your doorstep sooner than later. Clay sees the Pacific next summer and when it does get here, he'll know what it is. It's not like we aren't engaged in the same fight, Harry. I support your Conservancy because it is the same fight,” Bill said.
“You need to let Clay come with me to expand his horizons. It's the kind of experience that will give him better insights into the Gulf of Mexico. He'll see new sea creatures in a different environment.”
“I can't argue with your logic. I know he needs to see the Pacific.
He can see the Pacific in one day. I'm not letting him go sailing around for the entire summer. That sounds like a vacation to me,” Harry said. “Cut it in half and make it a working vacation.”
“How long, Harry? I need Clay's eyes on my research. We can't do this inside a laboratory. We need to be in the water to understand what is happening in the water. How long can I have him?”
“That makes sense. Next summer.... OK, I won't schedule him for speaking engagements next summer. For how long, Bill? Give me a time frame to work with. You know how I feel about it. I want to be fair but he isn't sailing around the Pacific all summer next year. Half the summer is the best I'm prepared to do. It's up to you to Figure a way to get him back to the Conservancy before I come home on August recess. That would be in early August.”
Bill sipped his tea while considering the time frame. He pictured last year's trip with an eye on airports for Clay to fly to Honolulu. He tapped the table as he thought.
“We'll go to Guam for resupply half way through next year's trip. I believe they have an airport that can get Clay to Honolulu. I'm sure they have flights out of Honolulu that come to Florida. I haven't investigated it. I'll need to check it out. We don't leave until the middle of June. I'll do a rough draft of a schedule, subject to change, but It'll be close as far as the dates when we'll be where,” Bill said.
“Get me a copy of your schedule. I'll put my secretary on making reservations out of Guam and out of Honolulu. She'll be able to make reservations to get Clay to California to meet you in June. I don't like short changing you, Bill, but that's the best I can do.”
“I'll make it work, Harry. You know how much I appreciate this.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know. My secretary can run the place with her eyes closed but Clay has taken over most responsibilities I usually tend to. The investment I made in that boy certainly paid off.”
“I'd say,” Bill said. “How long do you have him under contract? Most universities would love to get their hands on him.”
“He signed a contract for ten years the day after he was certified a marine biologist. I believe your name is on the certification.”
“You haven't talked to him. I believe your ten years is about up.”
“Yeah, and I give him a substantial raise every two years. I'll have to sign the Conservancy over to him to keep him. The senate keeps me so damn busy I keep putting off talking to him,” Harry said.
“All this arguing and by next summer Clayton Olson can do what he damn well pleases,” Bill said. “You don't want to lose that boy. I don't want him working in another part of the country with people I have no influence with.”
“Don't remind me,” Harry said. “What will I do if he leaves for greener pastures?”
“Talk to John. He might be able to tell you something, if you ask him,” Bill said.
“That's a good idea. With what I pay John, he can run interference for me. Give Clay the old college try speech. We're all in this together,” Harry said, raising his hand to flag down the waiter.
“Let's take a walk out back,” Harry said. “I feel like a walk.”
The two men left the Gulf Club. Walking around the building to a pier that stretched about a hundred feet into the Gulf of Mexico. The day was perfect. The water was calm.
“How far is Guam from where you'll be doing research next summer?”
“Quite a ways. It's a little more than a day and a half to Guam on the Horizon from the main dive sight. We do our resupply in Guam half way through next summer's trip. I'll be done with the first reef and we'll go to another reef less than a day from Guam. We'll be close enough to be able to get Clay there in time for a flight to Honolulu.”
“Clay can meet you in June. I'll fly him to San Francisco. When you do your resupply, Clay will fly to Honolulu from Guam and to here from Honolulu. That should give you plenty of time to pick his brain and return him safely to me,” Harry said. “I really depend on him.”
“Yes, that is good plan,” Bill said.
“Better yet, I think I'll get my office on this. How about calling me at the house Wednesday. I'll put you with my travel aid in DC. You can give him the dates for the flights. That way if there is any rearranging to do, it'll be done officially out of my office. We'll get less static if changes need to be made. We'll be able to check how often flights leave Guam for Honolulu,” Harry said. “Give us some idea of how frequent flights are. I want to be sure we can do what we want to do. I want to know there are flights out of Guam and that Clay can get home with the least amount of effort,” Harry said. “Yes, my travel aid is the man to do this. He'll head off any difficulties that arise and he'll know what I want without needing to pester me.”
“I'll have the departure date when I call Wednesday,” Bill said.
“Am I going to tell Clay or are you?”
Harry thought while he walked. This wasn't really his deal and Clay might have questions.
“You know the routine. You better tell him why you need him. When he says he needs to check with me, tell him I've given my blessings to his studying the Pacific for half the summer. He'd have done it before this if I didn't keep him so busy,” Harry said.
Harry removed two dark rich Cuban cigars from his inside jacket pocket, handing one to Bill. Removing his lighter, he lit Bill's cigar before lighting his own.
The smoke swirled up over their head. Catching on the mid afternoon breeze and dissipating as it drifted over the Gulf.
The Senator and the scientist stood shoulder to shoulder at the end of the pier taking in the beauty of the turquoise that was the Gulf of Mexico at that spot.
“I'd not survive in DC if I couldn't come here to see this, Bill.”
“Beautiful, Senator,” Bill said. “No fresher air anywhere.”
They stood in awe of the most beautiful waterway in the world.
*****
After Bill called Harry and gave him a tentative schedule for next summer's research trip, he wanted to talk to Clay before Harry had a chance to change his mind. When he called the Conservancy house later that evening, he was told to call Ivan's house and he did.
Bill didn't want to have this conversation on the phone. He'd ask Clay to meet with him and they could discuss him going along on next summer's research trip.
“Bill, how'd you know I was here?”
“Your Mama told me,” Bill said.
“You won't believe this but I was about to call you,” Clay said.
“You talked to Harry?” Bill asked.
“No, not about you,” Clay said thoughtfully.
“Ask him about the film?” Ivan said in Clay's ear.
“I've got a question for you, Bill.”
“Shoot, Clay.”
“Ivan is sitting right here beside me. He bought a 16mm motion picture camera at a garage sale. It was apparently used by a guy to take motion pictures during World War II. Ivan picked it up with Dylan in mind, although it's a nifty piece of engineering and if Dylan didn't like it, well, we'd have used it to take our own pictures.”
“Tell him we need film for it,” Ivan whispered.
“Thing is. It's out of film,” Clay explained.
“What's it look like,” Bill said excitement in his voice.
“Brilliant piece of engineering. It may have been made to be carried in a soldier's hand during battles. It's got lenses you can rotate into place for the kind of shot you're taking. We're out of film.”
“When can I see it. I'm into cameras big time. You know I've always been interested in photography because it's useful. A vintage World War II era motion picture camera, that's a rare find, my friend.”
“Where do we get film for it? Dylan is beside himself because he's run out of film and we can't find anyone to get film for it.”
“Dylan likes the camera and he's using it over there?” Bill asked.
“Dylan's crazy about the damn thing. He photographs everything and, well, he's run out of film. We haven't gotten the movies back he's already taken. The only place where we can get the film developed is in Fort Myers. It's a lot of running around,” Clay said.
“When can I get to see the camera?” Bill asked.
“Here's Ivan. Talk to him. He provides the cameras in Dylan's life. You two figure it out,” Clay said, handing Ivan the phone.
“Mr. Payne, I understand you do a lot of work with photography at the university,” Ivan said.
“Bill, Ivan. Call me Bill. As well as I know Clay, it's a lot like knowing you. Tell me what kind of camera you've purchased.”
“Can't read the model. It says it's a 16mm motion picture camera. It has a handle and a leather strap. You can hold it in one hand. It's got a neat set of lenses that rotate into place. We had film but that was last week. This week Dylan is sitting with it in his lap, hoping someone will bring him some film,” Ivan said.
“I'll see what I can do for you and the young man, Ivan. What is Dylan photographing to use up the film?” Bill asked with a casual interest in his voice.
“Everything. He filmed the houses, us of course, and anything in the cove. He took it out on the Sea Lab to film it and the Gulf of Mexico. Says, 'I'm making a movie about my life,'” Ivan said.
“He calls it, 'My Life At The Cove.'”
“You're having the film he has shot developed?” Bill asked.
“Yeah, no place closer than Fort Myers. I took it up over the weekend and they need to send it out. I'm to check back at the end of the month. I asked them to order ten more canisters of film and they looked at me like I was crazy. The guy said, “That's an antique. We don't carry film for antique cameras. They can get the film develop.”
“Don't worry about Fort Myers, Ivan. I've seen pictures of that camera and we can secure film for it through the university. We can develop the film here. The distance we need to travel will be a handicap, but I meet with Harry a couple of times each time he's home and Clay and I meet from time to time. We'll work out a way to transfer the film that needs developing and to replace the film so Dylan won't run out again. I want to see the film after its developed. Clay and I are meeting for lunch this week. Can he bring the camera with him. Once I see it I'll know what film to order. I'll need to go through the powers that be at the university but they'll do anything for Harry. He's their hero in Washington, you know.”
'I'm not exactly Harry, Bill,” Ivan said.
“It's all in the family, Ivan. You're with Clay. Clay's with us, and Dylan comes with the territory. Besides, Harry has shown me some of the underwater stills that Dylan has taken. He has good instincts. I'm anxious to see what he's doing with this new camera. Arrange it for me to see the film when it comes back from being developed. I have a film lab here at the university with its own viewing room. Harry has his movie theater at his place. Can you make arrangements for me to see his film? I'm more than a little curious.”
“He'll be tickled. I'll arrange it,” Ivan said. “If you can get me that film. Well, this has been a good phone call. Here's Clay.”
“All in the family, Bill,” Clay said.
“It''s your family. Your family is my family, Clayton. This wasn't why I called. We need to meet this week. I don't want to wait. I've got an offer to make you and I'm not asking over the phone. You'll have questions and my phone bill is already astronomical.”
“OK. Meet halfway at the Rooftop lounge?” Clay asked. “I picked the place you name the day and time.”
“Friday is good for me. Bring that camera. I can't wait to see it. I've only seen pictures of one.”
Bill wanted to blurt out that Clay was going along on next summer's research voyage but he got control of himself and kept it low profile. They'd meet Friday and Clay would learn that Harry finally agreed to let him go along next summer but now he'd get to see Clay's face when he told him.
Dylan wanted more film yesterday but he agreed to wait for Bill to identify the camera and get film for it. There was no alternative.