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She sped in that direction

NI DESCENDED FROM THE STAIRCASE AND FOLLOWED A SURPRISINGLY spry Pau Wen back into the courtyard, where his host clapped his hands three ti Chinese appeared, each wearing a gray jumpsuit and black sneakers

One of the nized

From the video

“Yes, Minister,” Pau said “He serves me”

The co before Pau in an attentive line, their eyes flat and hard, faces immobile

“Four arate You knohat to do”

They nodded in unison and fled the courtyard

“I thought you lived alone,” Ni said

“I never actually said that”

He grabbed Pau’s arm “I’m tired of your lies I am not someone to play with”

Pau clearly did not appreciate the assault “I’ your i this house Have you considered the possibility that you et?”

He released his grip

No, he hadn’t

Paua s and two black laquered cabinets Pau removed a key fro on silver pegs, were assorted handguns

“Choose, Minister,” Pau said

He reached for a Glock

“The azine is fully loaded,” Pau said “Spares are in the drawer”

He checked his weapon to be sure, then retrieved three azines

A gun in hand felt good

Pau gripped his shoulder “Let us send a ht will not be easy”

CASSIOPEIA ENTERED THE OUTSKIRTS OF ANTWERP SHE KNEW the city, having visited many times The Scheldt River flanked one side, the other three protected by a series of boulevards whose naht for Flanders’ freedom in the First World War Its historic center fanned out around a sli castle Not a tourist-throngedcity loaded with reminders from when it was one of the Continent’s most influential places

She found the central railway station, an early 20th-century riot of ht iron, and parked a block away in a clearlyher by the car, the trail would end here She hoped the local police would tow the thing quickly

She stuffed the gun at her waist and allowed her open shirttail to conceal the bulge Herpoint She needed sleep But she also had to rid herself of Karl Tang, at least until she was ready to negotiate

She crossed the street and passed beneath a flurry of bloo trees, toward Antwerp’s zoo Between the train station and the city’s natural history e A quiet locale, particularly now as the zoo had closed for the day She found an empty bench that afforded her a view of the parked car a couple of hundred meters aith the added benefit of a tree trunk behind her

She lay on the bench, the gun atop her navel beneath her shirt

Darkness was at least three hours away

She’d rest till then

And watch

NINETEEN

GANSU PROVINCE, CHINA

WEDNESDAY, MAY 16

2:10 AM

TANG STEPPED FROM THE CAR AND STUDIED THE WELL-LIT SITE The portable rig supported a red-and-white derrick that towered forty meters When he’d requisitioned the equipment from the oil ministry, he’d known that at least a 600hp mechanically driven plant, equipped with an inner circulation and water-cooling syste, would be required Qu

ietly, he’d dispatched the proper rig overland to Gansu, where he’d once served in the provincial governion had been the birthplace of Fú Xi, the mythical patriarch of all Chinese, and some recent excavations had confirmed that people had in fact lived here as far back as 10,000 years ago

He’d slept during the ninety- hiht hours would be critical Every move had to be made with no miscalculations, every opportunity maximized with no mistakes

He listened to the grind of diesel turbines, electrical generators, and circulation pu with coal, iron, copper, and phosphorous His ancestors had known that, too Their records, some of which survived, some of which he’d stumbled onto in the newly opened chamber at Pit 3, noted extensive inventories of precious metals and minerals He’d ordered this particular exploration in search of one of those resources—oil