Hell Is Above Us: The Epic Race to the Top of Fumu, the World's Tallest Mountain by Jonathan Bloom (bookreader TXT) 📗

The afternoon of the 13th was beautiful in New YorkCity.The weather was warm enough to permit the opening of windows, but cool enough to keep the stench of the city at bay. The stepfather and stepson met at the specified date and time. No food or drink was had. Too much bad blood existed between them for anything to transpire other than quick, efficient conversation.

Hoyt showed Junk the letter he received from Chhiri Tendi. The comment about Junk being a “prick” likely caused a brief chuckle from the reader, but the subsequent information about Fumu surely gave Junk pause. Fumu was the tallest mountain on Earth? How could that be? Hoyt likely told Junk to keep the information about Fumu a secret. Many respectable climbers knew about the existence of Fumu, but as far as Hoyt could tell, none of them knew it was the tallest mountain in the world. For now, it was a secret to be kept between the two of them and this Chhiri Tendi fellow.

Hoyt went on to propose a contest. The idea was simple: A race to the top of Fumu, the tallest mountain in the world. The victor plants a flag with his name on it at the summit and walks away the better man. The loser returns home quietly and graciously, never to bother the other again. Both men were free to independently choose the size of their respective teams, the means of reaching the mountain, and the route up the mountain. The hope was they would not have to see each other along the way, but if they chose the same route and the same time frame, so be it. Every last penny of corporate and government funding was accounted for by the war effort. Therefore, they would need to use their own money. Hoyt asked for Junk’s opinion on the proposal.

According to a letter written to McGee about the lunch, Junk wrote “I was immediately thrilled by the idea, but had to remind Hoyt the world was at war. In a very un-Christian manner, Hoyt snapped back ‘Fuck the world.’ We would have to work around that ‘snag.’ He said if I wanted to wait until the War was over to make my bid for the summit, then that was my bad decision to make. As for him, packing and planning would begin the moment the lunch was over.”

There was still some hesitation on the part of Junk. Could he trust this man? After all, Hoyt had not paid Junk any money at the end of the Mount Washington trip. On the Everest ascent, Hoyt had also broken the unspoken pact among mountain climbers that you help other mountain climbers in need. Why should Junk trust Hoyt now? Maybe Hoyt was concocting some scheme in which he would never actually leave the United States and just pay off some Sherpa to climb for him and plant a flag with his name at the top. Maybe Hoyt had already climbed Fumu, planted a flag there, and was now sending Junk on an excursion to inevitable defeat. Hoyt assured Junk no one had reached the top of Fumu yet and he wished to be the first. Too much personal dignity was at stake. Junk quoted Hoyt in the letter to McGee: “He said ‘I am a fifty-year-old mountain climber who has never bagged a single Himalayan peak. I probably have one trip left in me, and it is going to be to the top.’” Basically, Junk was not required. Either way, Hoyt was going to try. This was apparently enough to convince Junk. Even if Hoyt pulled some trick, Junk would still walk away having climbed the tallest mountain in the world. Hoyt finished his soliloquy by saying “We have both gone as low as we can. There is nowhere to go but up.”

At this point, Junk was convinced. He apparently walked to the window and waved off Simon Phelps, who had been waiting outside just in case any kind of violence ensued. Phelps took the opportunity to head up to McSorley’s Bar on 3rd Street for a beer.

Hoyt and Junk shook on the deal. Before leaving, they agreed to hide their plans from the press. What they were doing broke many laws of wartime. In addition, they did not want news of the mountain’s height to get out. That could lead to some other half-crazed climber making a bid at the same time, albeit unlikely given the state of the world. One or the other would share the news with other climbers when they returned. If they returned.

Hoyt exited the establishment first. Junk walked outside a few moments later. Greeted by the warm spring day, Junk probably inhaled deeply and looked forward to the future. He was probably also surprised to see Hoyt standing right next to him.

“I almost forgot!” Hoyt said and then punched Junk hard in the mouth. Junk fell to the street, lips dripping blood as if to fructify the teeth he had already lost on the cobblestone. Hoyt stood over him and yelled, “That is for my mother, you pant-fowling ape!” He followed this declaration with a kick to Junk’s stomach. Hoyt finished: “Now that we have settled this business, we may proceed. I will see you on the mountain, sir, and may the best man win!”

Chapter Seven: “Souls at Sea” with Gary Cooper

According to records from the Criminal Investigation Division of United States Navy, the pirates took everything off of the ship. Money. Communications systems. Weaponry. The weapons they stole were not those commonly found in the hands of pirates. After all, they had boarded a U.S. Navy battle cruiser, full of torpedoes, mines, and guns. The items would bring a high price on the black market. It would keep the pirates afloat, literally, for many more years. They had managed to sneak up on the