way down in the lift they had discussed their choices and preferences, Campbell suggesting a Chinese seafood restaurant he occasionally frequented when in Singapore – Sharon had agreed, the taxi dropping them at the Excelsior Hotel on Coleman Street. There, they caught a lift to the fourth level of the Shanghai Palace and were seated within minutes. Campbell ordered, checking with his companion on each selection.
‘You certainly know your way around Chinese food,’ she complimented, impressed with Campbell’s choices.
They had started the meal with shark’s fin soup mixed with fish maw and crab meat, then attacked the fried, shredded-duck laced lightly with dried chili. Sharon raised her bowl and skillfully scooped steamed rice into her mouth. ‘Ah,’ she sighed, ‘this is delicious!’
‘Leave room for the braised garoupa,’ he warned, as the waiter placed a dish of mushrooms and broccoli on their table.
‘You can eat raw chili?’ she asked, surprised as Campbell raised part of a green pepper with his chopsticks and placed the sliced chili in his mouth.
‘Sure,’ he laughed, following quickly with rice and fish, the garoupa’s strong taste coming through the black bean sauce. Then, from behind a napkin, ‘You can’t live in Indonesia for ten years without acquiring the taste.’
‘Have you ever visited the Philippines?’ Sharon asked, accepting the remaining piece of shredded duck into her bowl.
‘Just once,’ he replied, ‘but only for a few days. I didn’t have the time to go sightseeing.’
‘Were you there for the mining conference?’
‘Yes,’ Campbell recalled the brief visit. ‘Stayed in Makati the whole time,’ he added, referring to Manila’s congested central business district. He had not enjoyed the conference although the city’s wealth of bars and nightclubs had offered some compensation, remembering playing truant on the second day and missing most of the workshops held by the Filipino Mines and Energy Ministry.
‘You should have taken some time off and visited the resorts,’ she admonished, ‘they are very beautiful.’ Then, with a mirthless smile, ‘And so are the women.’
Campbell avoided the obvious response. He knew little about her country and wished to turn the conversation. ‘Have you been to Indonesia?’
‘Yes, I’ve been to Jakarta several times, on business.’
Campbell was genuinely interested. ‘On business?’ he asked.
‘Yes, on business,’ she smiled mischievously.
Campbell pressed on. ‘Are you going to elaborate?’
Sharon laughed, softly, and placed a placatory hand on his knee. ‘We have something in common, Mister Campbell,’ she teased, then sipped the lukewarm Chinese herbal tea, her eyes never leaving Stewart’s.
‘And that would be…?’ he left the question dangling.
‘We are both geologists,’ she revealed, enjoying the look of disbelief spreading across his handsome face. She dabbed her lips with a napkin before continuing. ‘I went to Jakarta on a number of occasions to see if we could entice some of the foreign mining companies to visit the Philippines. It would seem that Indonesia has more than its fair share of foreign investment in the resources sector, and you know how damn difficult it is to drag American companies away from their own shores.’
Campbell , momentarily overwhelmed, merely nodded.
‘A number of Filipino concession holders teamed up to go to Jakarta but, unfortunately, we were unsuccessful in convincing any of the larger miners to slip across and examine our country’s potential, while they were exploring in the general area.’
‘It’s a wonder we did not cross paths,’ he told her.
‘You were out of town at the time,’ she suggested. Campbell leaned back from the table and raised an eyebrow.
‘You checked?’ he was puzzled.
‘We had our embassy try to set up a meeting with you, Stewart, but you were out in the field for the duration of our stay.’
‘I was out of town during both visits?’ he asked, disbelievingly.
‘Yes,’ she nodded.
Campbell shook his head slowly. ‘When was this?’
Sharon answered, without hesitation. ‘May and October, 1991.’
Campbell recalled both months; he had, indeed, been out on survey during Sharon’s visits. ‘Well, that explains your knowing my name,’ he said, thoughtfully. ‘Do you plan to return in the near future?’
‘It’s unlikely, Stewart. My country is not one of the most desired destinations amongst the mining fraternity. As long as Indonesian discoveries monopolize resource investment dollars I’m afraid the Philippines will continue to be neglected.’
Stewart knew what Sharon had suggested was entirely true. The Philippines was a low priority in terms of Asian mineral, oil and gas exploration. On the other hand, Indonesia’s mining boom continued to attract substantial investment, leaving other South East Asian nations in the shadows. There had been some initial interest in Vietnam but communist dogma continued to prevail throughout most of Indochina, making the area less than attractive as petty bureaucrats continued to dictate policy at provincial levels.
‘Where did you study?’ he wanted to know.
‘California State,’ she revealed, somewhat indifferently. ‘I traveled for a while, worked in South Africa for three years before accepting a position with a Filipino group. I completed post-grad work for my Masters after that. And you?’
Campbell was not surprised to learn that she was so well educated. The woman was obviously intelligent and determined. He found himself staring at her again, thinking that she had it all; beauty, intelligence and was well connected. ‘Washington State.’
‘And then?’
Campbell considered the question. After graduating, he had gone on to work with the Canadian-based INCO (International Nickel Company) because of its dominance as a nickel producer in the international market. He had spent his post-graduate years in Canada and, for some time, remained content with his lot. He was then sent to South America for six months where he was assigned to assist Professor Herman von Hugel. The revered scientist’s recommendations led to Campbell being offered an opportunity to work in Indonesia where INCO had secured a major deposit in Sulawesi during the early 1970s, and was considering copper and gold deposits elsewhere throughout the archipelago. Stewart had hoped that INCO’s fascination with Indonesia would provide him with a springboard for other opportunities, however, local rationalization caused him to re-evaluate his career prospects, precipitating his leap into private consulting. The rest was history. He had become a respected Indonesian mining consultant, his services now in regular demand. ‘I’ve kept myself busy,’ he said, modestly. It was now obvious that Sharon Ducay had prior knowledge of his credentials. ‘Would you like to expand upon why your group wanted to make contact with me?’
Sharon ’s response was not what he had expected. ‘We were exploring the possibility of engaging your services as a consultant, in the Philippines,’ she explained.
‘Why?’ he said, taken aback. ‘I know virtually nothing about your country’s geology, let alone its mining policies.’
‘The approach was not biased in that direction,’ Sharon suggested. ‘We needed to attract consultants with the capacity to interest the major players in our country’s potential. Your name came up, that’s all.’
Campbell thought this through. ‘Did you find anyone?’ he asked.
‘Well, we met a number of expatriates who appeared keen, but none that were convincing.’
‘I would have thought that there would