The Zurich Conspiracy

of cotton-soft powder snow covered the mountains. Josefa was standing on an alpine slope somewhere in the Canton of Glarus where her former assistant had spirited her away to.
    “OK, did I exaggerate?” Claire asked eagerly.
    Josefa had to admit she was overwhelmed by the spare beauty of the mountain landscape. The region was completely new to her, and a bit unsettling. What about avalanches? But Claire reassured her that they were rare.
    “I know this place like the back of my hand. We were here every winter as kids. And the nice thing is, very few people know about it.”
    Until now, Josefa had only seen Claire in chic, urban clothes. She’d never imagined this ethereal, fragile-looking person skiing. Josefa wasn’t even sure she could do it herself. Sports were not one of her hobbies, and she was out of shape. But the sunny weather was simply too enticing, and when Claire reminded her a few days ago that she’d need skins for her skis, she ran out and bought some. Who knows when she’d have another opportunity to take a trip like this, especially now, with Paul Klingler swamping her with jobs? He had “outsourced” (he liked to use English jargon) a whole array of services. She now worked at home and spent most of her time by herself. She missed her team and working with Claire in particular, which is why this invitation delighted her so.
    “Isn’t it terrific?” Claire repeated since Josefa was simply standing there in speechless admiration. A bowl-shaped valley lay open below them that petered out like a gentle wave against the mountainsides. The forest was covered in white. On the valley floor below was a mountain lake, buried under a mantle of snow, that Claire affirmed was magnificent for swimming in the summer. A snow-covered roof was visible in a clearing in the woods, probably a summer cabin. The area was refreshingly deserted, an oasis in the Swiss alpine landscape otherwise so spoiled by development. And it was less than two hours from Zurich by car.
    Josefa looked high up the slope. “Is that an avalanche area?” Claire reassured her again, “No danger, you can bet on it.”
    There was nothing Josefa could do but put her faith in Claire’s words. They skied up a little higher, then made themselves comfortable in a hollow after spreading out some aluminum heating foil. They shared sandwiches, dried fruit, and tea from a thermos. The snow glittered in the strong sunlight and Josefa applied a fresh layer of sunscreen to her face.
    On the drive up in Claire’s SUV, they only discussed trivial things. Josefa was half asleep most of the drive anyway; her recent lack of sleep was catching up with her. She hadn’t uttered a word about Loyn in the car, but up here, surrounded by majestic mountain peaks, she felt more relaxed and willing to talk about it.
    “You know, I’m very happy I stayed on at Loyn,” Claire announced out of the blue as she munched on a slice of dried apple. “I like the products. I like the promotional parties. I even like the stress and chaos there.”
    “You don’t need to justify yourself, Claire,” Josefa interrupted. “I can very well understand why you stayed. I didn’t expect the entire team to quit out of loyalty to me. That would’ve been stupid.”
    “It’s not just what happened to you; it’s Werner too. I feel I’ve been so deceived. But then I tell myself, he’s not going to be there forever. I can stand up to him. I’m tough. People like Werner come and go. Bourdin’s certainly not going to let him go any higher. And if Werner’s not going to get ahead, he’ll leave, and I’m next in line. So it doesn’t pay to give up.”
    Josefa remained silent. She really didn’t have any desire to talk about Schulmann. Besides, she was rather exhausted from the steep climb. But Claire pressed on undaunted.
    “I can make something of myself at Loyn, I know that. I’ll go far. I won’t let it all go to hell; I’ve sworn I won’t let that happen.” Claire’s normally high voice sounded shrill now. She cut herself off, like an unruly child fearing punishment.
    Josefa knew the feeling well—the feeling that you can take on the world and win every battle. She had it at the beginning of her career too. She heaved a sigh. Claire would have her own inevitable disappointments, and she was so young.
    “It’s OK, Claire,” she said, handing her the thermos of tea. “You’re right, people come and go. And we ought to get going before it’s