Nomad - The Pursuit of Amélia Khan

By Ysabel Viau

NOMAD-The Pursuit of Amélia Khan, Ysabel Viau's first novel, tells the story of a Canadian freelance writer and globetrotting adventurer. At the dawn of adolescence, Amélia narrowly escapes death: upon disembarking the car on her way to school, it explodes taking her father’s life. After the traumatic event, Amélia finds solace in travelling. As her interests and work opportunities take her to Iceland, St. Petersburg, Tallinn, Berlin, Spain, New York and South Africa, Amélia also performs often perilous missions assigned anonymously. If she ignores the author or purpose of these tasks, Amélia trusts her infallible intuition and the unwavering support of Andrey, her long-time accomplice and tech prodigy, to execute them. She is unaware of the extensive plot in which she is involved

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ysabel Viau
• Release date: Nov 22, 2017
• ISBN: 9782923587073

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Nomad - The Pursuit of Amélia Khan

NOMAD - The Pursuit of Amélia Khan

by Ysabel Viau

Copyright and credits

Copyright © 2017 by Ysabel Viau. All rights reserved. This book or any part thereof may not be reproduced or used in any way without the express written permission of Ysabel Viau, except for the use of brief quotations, marked as such, in a publication.

1st edition published by Ysabel Viau in Montreal, Canada. 2017

ISBN: 978-2-923587-07-3

Prodigious Propeller & English Editor: Bram Levinson

Extraordinary French Editor: Ginette Gervais

Talented cover Designer and Portrait Photographer: Sacha Bourque

This book is a work of fiction. The characters and situations described in this book are imaginary and any resemblance to characters or events, existing or dead, is coincidental.

To all the strong, brave and determined women.

To my Lady Squad. You know who you are.

And to my father.

Who inspired me to write.

Preamble

Before launching you in pursuit of Amélia Khan, I wanted to introduce the story’s major players as a way perhaps to tease your imagination before immersing yourselves. These players include not only the characters, who came to life via my keyboard to eventually make their way into my daily reality, but also include the destinations where the story takes you. Having had the chance to explore them all personally, I wanted to share details, geographical or cultural, of the elements that impressed me the most.

The Characters

Amélia Khan, born in 1964 in Montreal, Canada — The story’s hero and title nomad, Amélia has a sharp intelligence and an insatiable thirst for new horizons. A Law graduate of Oxford University, she opted for a career in journalism rather than becoming a lawyer, as the latter felt too sedentary. Traveling according to her moods and journalistic mandates, Amélia simultaneously executes dangerous missions assigned through anonymous, encoded communications. Although she ignores the origins of these assignments, she understands their importance and eagerly performs them, propelled by her visceral need for adventure.

Andrey Koskov, born in 1977 in St. Petersburg, Russia — Amélia’s main ally, Andrey is a young Internet entrepreneur. Gifted and keen on anything that has to do with technology, this graduate of Massachusetts Institute of Technology became extremely wealthy through the unparalleled initial public offering (IPO) of his pioneering business. But neither fortune nor distance will separate Andrey from Amélia, his lifelong friend for whom he secretly entertains an unconditional love, despite their 13-year age gap.

Angus Khan, born in 1940 in Geneva, Switzerland — Father of Amélia, Angus is the descendant of Russian and Mongolian Eurasian immigrants to Canada where he met his wife, a French Canadian of Spanish origin. As a lawyer specializing in human rights, Angus Khan made a fortune through his work and investments in various ethical and prosperous societies. He is the founder of Global Peace, an international organization created to rally influential people from all over the globe and combine their resources to chart a peaceful and equitable path for humanity.

Lord Albert White, born in 1942 in London, United Kingdom — Rich heir to British nobility and best friend of Angus Khan, Lord Albert White is a founding member of Global Peace. Among the various causes endorsed as part of his duties, he is ardently devoted to nuclear disarmament.

The Associate — A trusted woman and loyal confidante of Angus Khan, The Associate secretly looks after Amélia’s interests. According to Angus’ wishes, she protects and guides Amélia through various missions related to the work of Global Peace. She also ensures Amélia’s welfare by managing the considerable inheritance left by the father to his daughter. This includes funding her missions, maintaining her bank accounts and the equitable redistribution of wealth in various personal and social investments.

Aleksandr Koskov, born in 1953 in Moscow, U.S.S.R. — Russian oil magnate and close collaborator of the President of the Soviet Union, Aleksandr Koskov is the father of Andrey Koskov.

The Ambassador — Canadian Ambassador to Estonia, who sits on the Board of Global Peace and watches over Amélia (as much as he possibly can) as if she were his own daughter.

Global Peace — Founded in 1964 and presided by Angus Khan in its early days, the organization is dedicated to maintaining international peace and committed to the defense of human rights. To execute the organization’s mission, its members undertake or support significant, tangible activities such as economic embargoes, financing global impact projects and selective interventions with belligerent or dissident governments.

The Destinations

Pursuing a nomad inevitably entails discovering numerous horizons. In her adventure, Amélia will have you discover, and hopefully appreciate, the following locales:

Montréal, Canada — As a native of the French-Canadian metropolis, I wanted to grant Montreal a special place in my novel. I have therefore made it Amélia’s birthplace and home base, as well as the preferred location for the headquarters of Global Peace.

Stockholm, Sweden — In 2013, I took a cruise through Scandinavia where I was lucky enough to visit the beautiful Swedish capital, which immediately seduced me. I chose to initiate The Pursuit of Amélia Khan in this jewel of the Baltic, specifically in Gamla Stan, Stockholm’s stunning historic district.

Tallinn, Estonia — The itinerary of the cruise that brought me to Stockholm included a stop in Tallinn. This fairy-tale-like city, little known to North American audiences (with the exception of the tech-heads who know it as the birthplace of Skype), the Estonian capital becomes the backdrop of a meeting between Amélia and The Ambassador.

St. Petersburg, Russia — This magnificent city is known as the Venice of Russia and its port, a window to Europe. Second largest city in Russia, St. Petersburg appeals with its romantic architecture, among other features. This incursion into Russia was a first for me, and it is for Amélia as well. I tried to convey the splendour of its iconic monuments, namely the famous Hermitage Museum, which also finds its place in the story line.

Berlin, Germany — This European Capital breathes history and is filled with museums, making the city a destination of choice for the cultural traveler. Berliners are a friendly people, and the atmosphere is quite contemporary. Artists and intellectuals easily mingle with business people, tourists and residents. In the novel, seductive Berlin serves as a meeting place for Amélia and Andrey.

Elciego, Spain — When I retired to France to concentrate on writing this book, I took advantage of my European sojourn to explore northern Spain. Nestled in the Basque Country, north of La Rioja (well known for its divine wines), the picturesque village of Elciego offers a vastly green wine country. Its famous vineyards include Marqués de Riscal, whose vast property boasts a spectacular hotel designed by Canadian architect Frank Gehry. Gehry has clearly left an indelible mark with his audacious titanium construction, an architectural masterpiece that also earned him the mandate to design the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, located just over 100 kilometers northwest of Elciego. In Nomad, the Marqués de Riscal hotel becomes the setting for a stay Amélia shares with Andrey.

Reykjavik, Iceland — Having always wanted to discover Iceland, I indulged while on a stopover between Montreal and Paris, which I extended to discover Reykjavik. As expected, I was genuinely charmed by the city and countryside of this near-mythical island. The pure, clean air and water, the inhabitants, the ubiquitous alt-rock music imprinting the ambiance, and the inventive Icelandic fashion are just some aspects, which during my short stay, delighted my heart. It was impossible not to include Iceland-the-Beautiful on Amélia’s itinerary, if only for the pleasure of discovering the country again in words!

New York, United States — In Nomad’s itinerary, this adulated milestone of the Western economy, often denounced as hyper-capitalistic, hosts the headquarters of International Security. The multinational corporation’s offices are imagined in one of the dizzying glass towers of Manhattan. 

Cape Town, South Africa — I discovered this other coup de coeur city during a stay in South Africa. It was shortly before the FIFA World Cup in 2010, while the country was dressing up to impress the eyes of the world. With majestic Table Mountain towering in its heart and a beautifully revamped waterfront hugging the city center, Cape Town shines. This must-see, cool African destination becomes a pivotal milestone for Amélia.

Chapter 1 | Amélia

The weather was splendid. The sun was radiant, and a gentle fragrant breeze heralded the coming summer. Soon, the holidays! Amélia is excited by the idea of going on a trip with her father, as they did every summer since kindergarten. Once school was out, they were going to pack up and leave together to discover yet another country. Her father had decreed that this year, to celebrate Amélia’s twelfth birthday, the destination would be Spain, a perfect choice for her, who, having opted for a Spanish course at school, fell in love with its colourful and flavourful culture. But before enjoying the anticipated pleasures of a new father-daughter getaway, she had to complete and, most importantly, pass her exams. If her father had little concern about Amélia’s success, she, on the other hand, had some reservations. She took her studies very seriously and preferred not to declare victory before dropping her pen, after applying the very last period on the ultimate page of her final exam.

This morning, rather than asking the driver to take them to school, Amélia’s father decided to take the wheel himself. When Angus was driving, he preferred his midnight blue GTO, but it was in the shop, so he had little choice but to opt for the black town car usually reserved for his chauffeured travels when he had to work. Before driving Amélia to school, Angus wanted to pick up croissants and chocolates for his daughter. It was his little tradition to encourage Amélia on her last school day, as she loved chocolate. As for the croissants, it was more for him and Amélia, who knowingly almost always accidentally left hers behind upon leaving the car.

On the road leading to the college, the animated conversation evolved around Gaudí, whom, according to Angus, had contributed in building the soul of Barcelona. He encouraged Amélia to do some research on the great artist before they both landed in the picturesque Catalan city in less than two weeks.

This year, the particular summer trip takes on a different meaning for Amélia. Instead of dreaming of amusement parks or the beach, she anticipates discovering the architecture, museums, and tapas… or pintxos, as they call them in Barcelona.

Amélia, having barely blown twelve birthday candles already, imagines herself a woman. For some time now, rather than playing hopscotch with her school friends, she has spent her time researching Spain’s culture, geography, and cuisine. Dedicating an evening to consult a book on the work of Gaudí seemed to her infinitely more interesting than leafing through pop star magazines.

Tell me, Papa, will we visit La Sagrada Familia? asks Amélia. Angus responds with a smile, which speaks volumes about his respect for his daughter’s curiosity and his deep love for her. Amélia was his only child, and he himself her greatest confidant. Angus also knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, what brought stars to his daughter’s eyes.

Do you seriously think we would forget to visit one of Gaudí’s greatest masterpieces, my lovely? he replies. And their conversation, unfolding around the daring fluidity of the Spanish artist’s architectural works, accompanied them all the way to the school’s front entrance where the town car stops.

"Go on, lovely Amélia, only three exams left and you are done! Then it will be Viva España for you and me,"said the father to his daughter, kissing her on the cheek as she opened the door.

Amélia steps out of the car and walks a dozen steps towards the heavy door carved in solid mahogany at the entrance of the bicentennial institution’s main grey stone building. Amélia knew her father always waited for her to enter the building before leaving, so she turns and waves her hand to say goodbye. As Angus returns Amélia’s attention by blowing her a kiss, the car explodes.

A hot wind abruptly blows in Amélia’s face, intense and violent, like a punch strong enough to dislocate her jaw. The wind is so powerful it lifts and propels her ten meters away. Amélia is lying on the ground, paralyzed. She senses two arms grabbing both of hers to lift and carry her to take refuge inside the school building.

Before the door closes behind her, Amélia instinctively opens her eyes to see a thick black cloud, gushing massive flames leaping towards the sky. The flames engulf her father’s black town car. Her head hurts, and her ears are buzzing so hard that she only hears partial words from the person carrying her. She perceives the screams and cries around her, but the crashing of heavy metal and glass drowns them out. Then, only darkness.

#

Amélia awakes in a white room. It is furnished with a single upholstered raw silk covered chair, flanked by a coffee table carved in lightwood, and