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He had to help Ni
One of the braziers burned a few feet away, just outside the gallery where he was hiding He advanced and shielded his body with the huge copper vessel, its heat intense, glancing left and behind to see if any danger existed
Nothing
“Minister Ni,” he called out “It’s Cotton Malone I have you covered with a gun”
NI COULD NOT BELIEVE HIS GOOD FORTUNE AND CALLED OUT, “It is good to hear your voice”
He saw Malone eun pointed his way
“Now I can slit your throat and be done with it,” he whispered in Pau’s ear “Your lies are over”
“Have you found the courage to take a life?”
“Yours would not be a problem for me”
“Choose wisely, Minister Much is at stake”
The blade rested tight to the skin, an easy matter with one swipe to sever the oldit was him, not Pau, who faced the sword
That decision would be an easy one
And he noticed so’s eyes
“He wants you to do it,” Pau whispered
SEVENTY-NINE
CASSIOPEIA AND VIKTOR ENTERED THE MONASTERY AND FOUND a central courtyard Everything was quiet except for voices rising from an open set of double doors at the far end With caution, they advanced in that direction, staying within the colonnades Once there, Viktor pressed hi’s wall and carefully peered past the doorway
“Malone is in there,” he whispered
Together they crept in, staying within a vestibule that led into what appeared to be a grand hall Cotton stood about halfway toward a raised portion at the opposite end, facing Tang and two brothers, along with Pau Wen Ni Yong stood behind the oldera sword to Pau’s neck
They hid behind a thick pillar and watched
Tang was talking to Cotton, but as happening above grabbed Cassiopeia’s attention A allery, tucked within one of the arches, held a crossbow The angle er directly above him
“He doesn’t know,” Viktor whispered
“Let’s tell him”
He shook his head “We need to keep the eleuy out I don’t see anyone else up there”
She could not argue with the plan
He motioned behind them, to the left “That way Cover our backs”
“What are you going to do?”
He did not answer her, but she didn’t like what she saw in his eyes “Don’t be foolish,” she said
“No uard when he sees me Let’s use that”
She wished they had a gun “Give ood to me”
“Cotton probably thinks I’ on that”
MALONE BREATHED IN THE WARM AIR, HEAVY WITH THE SMELL of charcoal He kept hialleries were a problee of the hall, froalleries and anyone above him would have to show themselves in order to obtain a clear shot Ni also could keep a watch
“Icolimpse above
“And what of Ms Vitt?”
“Dead On your orders” He uise his bitterness He also realized Tang surely wanted to know so else, so he said, “Your h”
Tang said nothing
“Where’s Sokolov?” Malone asked, buying more time “He’s here,” Ni said “With his son”
“And will he get a sample of oil? One that can prove it’s infinite?”
“I see you, too, knohat is at stake,” Pau said
“You wanted me to see that map in your house, didn’t you?”
“If you had not noticed, I would have made sure you did”
“Were you the one who set Qin Shi’s to asked
“That wasus”