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“Keep a close watch on him”

“We shall But when I tell the world of his discovery, I doubt the danger will be there any longer”

“You’re really going to do that?”

Ni nodded “It is the only course That realization should change the world, to everyone’s advantage”

“And place China in a different light in everyone’s eyes”

“We can only hope”

Which should satisfy Washington Ivan? Too damn bad “What about Pau Wen and those four murders?”

“They will not be forgotten”

He was glad to hear that “Why did you trust us in Xi’an?”

Ni shrugged “So told me that you and Ms Vitt were people I could rely on”

Malone thought of Henrik Thorvaldsen and wished his old friend had died thinking the sa

“I’ar shortly totogether I’ll make sure a helicopter returns for you and Ms Vitt”

Ni stood and extended a hand “I thank you I owe you my life”

Malone shook his hand and waved off the gratitude “Just do what you said you were going to do” But there was one other thing he wanted to know “If I had not co, would you have slit Pau’s throat?”

Ni did not i the inquiry Finally, he said, “I’oodness we didn’t have to find out”

He smiled

“Take care, Mr Malone”

“You, too”

Ni disappeared through an open doorway, heading back inside He understood why he and Cassiopeia weren’t leaving with him

Tiround

As all agents do

Malone had read about a sky burial Dicing a corpse into pieces, beating it to a paste with flour, tea, andcarrion to feast on the mixture represented a return to fire, water, earth, and wind, the basic elereat honor

He and Cassiopeia stood and watched the ancient cereht outside the walls, to a nearby valley, and prepared

“Our brothers are trained in the jhator,” Pau said “It is a ritual we have performed many times”

“Are you really going to help Ni Yong?” Malone asked

“Legalism? Confucianism? Communism? Democracy? An emperor? Or an elected president? Our problele concept or philosophy has douished in an uncertainfor control Chinese fear chaos We despise uncertainty We havesystem in the na and Ni offered a clear choice Now it has been made So the Ba shall be Ni’s ally”

“Where I was raised,” Malone said, “there’s a saying Don’t go through your asshole to get to your appetite Maybe the Chinese can learn from that”

Pau sreat American philosophers?”

“A group of them, yes They’re called rednecks”

“What’s to prevent so’s place?” Cassiopeia asked “Surely he has followers ready to take up the cause”

“No doubt,” Pau said “But this is not America or Europe Those followers have no access to es have to be earned, over many years of loyal service Politics here is a personal journey, one that takes an excruciatingly long ti’s own rise required nearly twenty years” Pau shook his head “No Minister Ni is now the only one poised for ultimate power”

Which Ni well knew, Malone thought He was disappointed that he would not be around when Pau Wen received a dose of his own medicine

“You sound confident,” Cassiopeia said

“Fate has intervened on China’s behalf”

“You don’t really believe that?” he asked “Fate? You determined most of this”