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“Minister, we need a word,” one of his men said in Mandarin
He wondered if Malone or Vitt understood
Neither of them indicated one way or the other
“I will return in a moment”
MALONE KNEW IT WAS COMING
“There was no need to sell out Viktor,” Cassiopeia said as the door closed
“He was already sold out”
“You heard Ni Viktor saved him”
“Whichfor control of this corruptible place No surprise there” He still did notand retrieving, or silencing if necessary, Sokolov
“You finished sorting through that brain of yours?” she asked
He ignored her and stood
“What are you going to do?”
“Play a hunch”
He opened the door
Two men reacted to his presence with hands that reached for holstered weapons Ni Yong was speaking with the man who’d interrupted He barked a command that Malone did not understand, but the men stood down
“What is it?” Ni asked in English
“I think I can help you”
SIXTY-THREE
TANG SETTLED INTO THE HELICOPTER AS IT LIFTED INTO THE evening sky Viktor sat across from him
The Hall for the Preservation of Harmony
He’d not visited there in a long while
“Brothers, this will be the last time we speak face-to-face,” Pau Wen said
Tang stood with a select group of fifty Through openfraht the scent of mountain air A silk robe that he and the others wore provided little warmth from the afternoon chill, but he was not cold
“We have planned well,” Pau said to them
The long hall was fronted by an elaborate lattice screen that shielded hundreds of pigeonholed shelves containing the ancient words Eachloose sheets of centuries-old silk and linen, wrapped in cloth and compressed between two carved boards He’d personally repaired several of the Silver laht as a bright sun flooded through the upper two galleries Outside, the moan of a conch shell, blown by another brother, indicated that three PM had arrived
“Of all our number, you are the ones I believe have the best chance of ascending to positions of power and influence One of you oal that much easier to achieve I have ensured that all of you have an adequate start Each of you is ready So go forth Tou liang huan zhu”
Replace the beams and pillars with rotten timber
Tang understood the proverb perfectly
Sabotage, destroy, or otherwise re an opponent and substitute for them your own Incapacitate your adversary, assume control from the inside
“When the wheels are held up,” Pau Wen said, “the chariot can’t move When the beams and pillars are withdrawn, the house will fall asunder”
Tang was proud to be part of as about to begin
“I will be leaving soon,” Pau oal to succeed But I shallwill be my voice to you”
Had he heard right? Why not one of the older ones? He was not even thirty and he was new to the Ba Yet he would be in charge?
“His youth is his asset,” Pau said “Our plan will take h there are many of you more experienced, time is not your ally”
He glanced around the hall and saw that none of the others betrayed the slightest reaction The Ba was not a deht The Hegemon made all decisions, without discussion or debate
“And why is it you must leave?” one of the older men suddenly asked
Pau Wen’s face remained expressionless “I could pose a distraction”
“Meaning that your enemies could interfere”
“You have long harbored reservations about our course,” Pau said
“That is false My reservations are directed toward you”
Tang knew this man to be of nearly equal stature to Pau Wen Favored in the capital, known to the Party Respected But Tang also realized what Pau was doing
Lure the tiger from the mountains