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“He departed fro in Xi’an, and a flight pattern west to Kashgar has been filed” He recalled the location Pau had mentioned in the call

Bao he dian

“What type of help can you provide?” Ni asked Malone

“I knohere Pau Wen has gone”

Actually, so did he “And where would that be?”

“The Hall for the Preservation of Harmony”

MALONE STEPPED BACK INTO THE ROOM, FOLLOWED BY NI Yong Clearly, he’d uttered the correct response to the question Ni had iestured for them to return inside Cassiopeia was still comfortable in the chair, feet propped on the table, but he knew she’d heard him

“What do you know of this hall?” Ni asked

He sat “First things first We’re not your problem”

“I don’t knoho you are”

“We’re here,” Cassiopeia said, “because of a four-year-old boy”

And she told Ni Yong the story of Lev Sokolov’s son

The enuine concern, then said, “It is a problehout China Every day, hundreds of children disappear”

“And what do you do about it?” Malone asked

Ni eyed hiree So”

“We’re not spies,” Cassiopeia said

“Maybe not But you brought Pau Wen, and he is a threat to this country”

“That I believe,” Malone said

“How can you help me?” Ni asked

“I need my iPhone”

Ni seemed to consider the request, then opened the door and said so on the table

Malone lifted the unit, tapped the screen, and found his photos “I took this shot in Belgium, while we visited Pau Wen’s residence It’s a silk hty proud to show us”

A sith his finger and Malone slid another picture into view

“This was taken inside the tomb, atop the plinth where Qin Shi would have lain”

Ni studied the new i Instead Ni brought the screen closer, switching back and forth between the two pictures Ni laid the phone down and found his own, hitting one of the SPEED DIAL buttons and waiting for the connection to complete When it did, he barked out commands in Chinese and waited He offered a few more words, then ended the call

Malone tried to assess Ni Yong, recalling what he’d read on the flight froium From his own experience he knew the Chinese were difficult to read They practiced, al not only their opponents but also their allies on guard This h, was no low-level operative Instead, he was the head of the most feared institution in all China He could literally topple anyone at any time Stephanie had told him that the United States considered Ni a political moderate in a nation of fanatics Faras the new leader The Russians seemed to have a similar belief since they’d apparently ordered Viktor Tomas to look after Ni But Stephanie had also noted that the State Departh to master China

Another Gorbachev, she’d said

Ni’s phone chimed

He tapped a button, waited a h office they bring things of value These personal possessions are theirs alone So to ensure that there is no raphic record is made by my department”

“So you take with you only what you came with,” Malone said

Ni nodded “When you showed ered a memory In the presidential residence there’s a private study used only by the preht when he assuo Rosewood furniture, vases, scrolls, inlaid wood screens I have been inside that room several times”

Ni laid his phone down beside Malone’s Though its screen was se was nonetheless clear

A silk map

“This hangs on the wall there”

Malone and Cassiopeia leaned close

“They’re identical,” she said

Malone instantly realized the implications

“I’ve ad, as Pau related to you A reproduction that he had made from an ancient one he admired”

“Tang and Pau are both eunuchs,” Malone said “The Ba”