- I would like to ask you a question: you referred to a select group who used the station to climb, but I understood other people had used it also for descents.
From the next room emerged a man bearing a jug of coffee and two cups on a tray.
- That's right, - Said the manager with a serious look: - You see, Mr Zerbi, the cable car has just been completed. The lift station is made up of cabins that can carry two passengers without skis on their feet. He paused a moment, in an effort to explain more logically: - It's okay Mr Zerbi, itâs a fairly unpleasant situation. It´s possible that once the cable car is running, it may be misused to traffic people rather than help tourism.
Oskar was astonished: - What do you mean? Are you talking about my friend by any chance?
- No, of course not! I expect your friend made proper use of the lift after hiking at altitude. Maybe he was in a spot of bother. You see, I'm referring to another kind of person. I'm talking about clandestinos who sneak into our territory.
He sipped on the coffee, then continued in a low weary voice: -Mr Zerbi, I became aware that during the tests the station was running at night, always in secret... and so refugees began heading into the valleys. Once dismounted they vanish promptly into the woods. I think they corrupted the operators in some way; the word in town was that Asian faces had been seen wandering in the valley.
Now the manager's expression had turned irritated and after a moment's hesitation, he continued his version of events: - So, during the nights following this revelation we waited by the station and ambushed a couple of illegales. There were two Asians, perhaps Mongolians, who didn't speak one word in our language, so it was impossible to find out more about this trafficking in Valle Chiara.
-What did you do?
-Nothing. I let them go. Besides, what should I have done? Call the police? - He stood up, visibly embarrassed: - Mr Zerbi ... did you speak to Ignazio the hotelier about this particular initiative?
- Yes. He mentioned a promoter who came from California.
- That's right, a Californian. I reckon the man is a genius who not only wanted to honour his native village, but also designed an elaborate experiment to help develop the local area.
- An experiment?
- That's it! In my opinion, he studied the network problem in minute detail. Are you familiar with advanced sciences that analytically study reticulated systems?
- Yes, a little. Actually, I should know more, seeing I graduated in engineering. Much of what we study at university is later forgotten.
- An engineer, my congratulations. Iâm just a lowly technician, but Iâve been curious about networks for a while. Interested but without any opportunity to take it further. Well, I think the ex-major behind this initiative was following a scientific project. Actually, Iâm sure he can control it externally. As they probably mentioned to you, once the so-called connection was inaugurated, he resigned as Mayor and left Valle Chiara forever.
The manager remained thoughtful for a moment, before adding: - I remember the inauguration day vividly, the Mayor was in a great hurry to leave as if he had other things to do. Maybe the work had overrun the scheduled deadline.
The two remained in silence, whilst the man approached the window, which the melancholic winter light struggled to penetrate. Outside it was drizzling.
- I feel weâre dancing around the main issue. I was telling you about the clandestinos to be reported. You will have understood by now that this ski station is not fully legit. The project has a vague name; it was officially approved as a âcable utility for transporting goodsâ
- I don't get it; we're talking about Valle Chiara council project aimed at boosting tourism! Why all these mysteries?
- I feel thatâs the key to the whole affair. My dear engineer, listen to me carefully. The valley is too low down, skirting the large mountain ranges in altitude. Strictly speaking, a ski resort is not feasible here. -
-Finally! We're getting to the heart of the matter. -
-The Great Ski Lift circuit is too far from this Vallechiara. On the Sierra, there are thousands of villages, which have built their own lovely ski station to accommodate winter tourism. Over time, the villages started linking up and formed the valley circuits. In turn, the valley networks joined and created the Sierra consortia. There are already people muttering about âclutter. - Are you aware of these initiatives, engineer Zerbi?
- I read something in a newspaper advert. Something about some places offering long traverses from one valley to the next if you had a kind of super-membership card.
- Exactly! They are mountain ranges run by consortia that have connected the ski lifts. The professor hired me as manager of the Valle Chiara plants soon after becoming Mayor. He spoke about this Great Network and its future development. According to him, the Sierra consortia had continued expanding to the point of crossing national boundaries and linking other mountain chains in all directions. It seems that now no one really knows the full extent of the network, which has become an immense network overlaying peripheral sub-nets, a web of disused lines, tracks, dead ends and so on.
- I donât understand, but why was this Mayor or professor, so keen on connecting the village to this great circuit?
- I'll explain the official version that made the whole initiative possible, along with local consent. The Great Ski Lift connection would be a source of wealth for this isolated valley. The idea was to run a cable car right up to the plateau...but the plateaus are still far from the Great Ski Lift. This didn't bother the Mayor, who felt it was not important to the company's success. Based on his calculations, traffic would start flowing spontaneously from the terminal and to the Grand Circuit. A kind of attractor.
Oskar was rather puzzled by this description: - A clandestine connection to the Great Ski Lift... In a nutshell, was this the plan?
- More or less. To be honest our station runs as far as the first plateau, which is several miles from the main glacier. This still leaves two plateau to traverse. Trust me, it's no walk in the park. On the other hand, you realize how valuable an access point to the Great Ski Lift can be. Have you ever been?
- No, never.
- Thousands of miles of slopes, snow-covered valleys and an infinite number of hotels and serious party venues. Everything is potentially available to visitors who know how to look.
- This Circuit must have some kind of security for checking-in? asked a bewildered Oskar, - The security staff must carry out constant checks meaning you need a pass?
- Youâre quite right, but according to the professor's research, over time the Great Ski Lift system has become overly complex. Let me explain: it seems the passes in circulation are now thousands, one for every village part of the Great Ski Lift, with hundreds of new ones made every year. On the other hand, there is barely any security around due to spiralling management costs.
Oskar tried remembering what controllers asked for when he used to go skiing years back. It had been far too long since last hitting the slopes. Maybe it had been this to draw him to Valle Chiara. A need to rekindle the parts of his being tied to skiing, which had been dormant a long time.
The manager opened a drawer and pulled out a card: - Down here in the valley, we've printed passes too.
- Is that legal?
- Not really, according to the Mayor's consultants. This document has been drafted so as to not violate the law. It's just a pass bearing the name of the village.
Oskar examined the coloured pass: - I can remember the magnetic strips are scanned automatically