Philanthropist Morton is accompanying one of his lawyers, Evans, and NERF’s director, Drake, on a trip to visit the Vatnajökull glacier in Iceland. Morton and his entourage are there to discuss a team of scientists’ research. However, Drake gets into an argument with the head scientist, Per Einarsson, over the research results. Einarsson insists that his data shows Iceland was warmer in the first half of the 20th century than in the second, and that its glaciers are advancing, not retreating. Drake asks the scientists to finagle the research results for publication to align them with general assumptions about global warming. He fears that petroleum companies and other stakeholders will “seize on the report that some glaciers are growing, and use it to argue against global warming” to support their agendas (44).

Morton gets a call from John Kim in Vancouver, who tells him a check written by a mysterious organization known as the Friends of the Planet had bounced. Funds in the organization were traced back to Morton, who has no knowledge of the group or the transaction. Morton remembers giving emergency funds to Drake, and becomes suspicious. On Evans’ advice, he questions Drake, who brushes the mystery off as a misplaced deposit.