MR. SMITH: Well, Yuri, tell me about it.
* C* O6 f& D0 }1 R1 n# O( K, ? YURI: I'm sorry I can’t bring better news, sir. The site is a disaster.
4 R$ Q! h" ^, J2 X5 }" Z1 ^; G) i MR. SMITH: That's what I was afraid of.) w1 S5 `" ^' t; K; y% F. b5 Y
YURI: It is not only the earthquake, sir. But the mudslides.8 L% j! S! U5 f6 B1 c c
Much of the north half of the site has been covered over by mud.
& H6 @7 y7 w3 Z( J# @" c) r G MR. SMITH: Mud? But Ivan told me there were no mudslides in that district.& |* E( a$ W# m) F
I thought all the mudslides were down in Chichitango.
, k0 x/ ?8 K) J5 d. C# O8 i7 d2 E YURI: That's what we thought, sir. That’s what the news reported.
( _7 ]6 r! X4 l; n, Z, R But there was one little mudslide in our district too. Right above our site.
1 G8 m7 l. o" z! G" Y MR. SMITH: Oh, that's terrible! What bad luck!% B. C" j) {" q1 D9 @
I wish we had never come to this country.
8 E2 J/ T: b; O1 @ But, if it isn't the strikes and the revolutionaries, it’s the earthquakes.
6 b! [* }( b2 Z+ B4 g5 ^ Our operations here are finished!
; Q3 R2 C& D4 }. H. Y- y# @& _: J YURI: I'm sorry, sir./ m1 ^8 @( `4 i* v8 q! y7 [
MR. SMITH: It's not your fault, Yuri.+ w5 {9 Z$ V1 j% ?1 R& s
But tell me. When will Ivan be able to get out there?
5 G+ @/ F: W4 a; s YURI: Well, it took me about nine hours to get back here by car.5 _ m/ L# z4 `: ?4 L i# F
If Ivan leaves tonight, I think he should be there by tomorrow lunch.
8 m/ M# n/ A7 M5 g+ P Y MR. SMITH: Good. I want an estimate of damages as soon as possible.! [1 f+ @1 H2 W
YURI: But sir……) U4 U/ [8 E" u: X+ o1 E! P, e
MR. SMITH: Yes, Yuri?1 L+ V" U' Q* ~
YURI: I wouldn't recommend sending Ivan now.
4 Y7 G7 d! k1 U* d+ a/ z& L Especially not at night. The roads aren't safe.
6 R0 p% S- p, g MR. SMITH: Has the earthquake damaged the bridges too?
3 A/ n5 `' A: v: C; J6 ] YURI: No, sir. The bridges are fine., a/ B( C! [0 h1 Y! t
But I've heard rumors that the revolutionaries are coming down from the mountains.
& d3 h* [6 A$ t There has been fighting, sir.
/ h; I* {& E, u- z% P" W MR. SMITH: Are you serious? Fighting? But I didn't hear anything on the news.; R0 C, u# d# q0 c1 c- \# R
YURI: You know the government controls the press here, sir. They don't want it reported.
4 Y% n2 d) c6 b) m9 H MR. SMITH: Oh, this is terrible, Yuri. Terrible!1 J6 e) G- e. N9 e6 J. x4 B
So we can't even assess the damages. How can we do business in this country?7 e- _% W; B5 {% P8 u j
Either we're buried under mud, or we’re in danger of getting kidnapped.3 j0 b% P- |2 b7 O( |
No, I can't believe this mess!
( T! d# W/ }6 W- V4 P% a- X YURI: I'm sorry, sir.
' b# v. L" L) t, {4 `8 m! M" s. f MR. SMITH: You don't have to keep saying that, Yuri. It’s not your fault./ j# C( B& p$ t
But me——I'm the one who should be sorry.
! U9 ^) Z* R \. `$ I* E( P3 W. I/ x
+ X8 ]* v: H$ }: c It was me who suggested operations here in the first place! Oh, what can we do? |