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“We passed his house walking out here,” Ma answered “That was hisand child”

So Wu would have been very faht

“Could the Englishwo to do with either Brian McCarthy’s or Wu Huadong’s death?” she asked

Ma spat on the ground “Not possible”

“Dr Ma, did you hear the way your group went after her? Accusations offriends”

“You ,” Ma said “Usually we only have to deal with her for a few days at a tiet her to leave”

“If she’s that difficult, then why let her visit at all?”

“Lily brought us Miller If not for his funds, this site would have been worked with bulldozers”

“How does Director Ho feel about this?” David asked

“The fish would die if the ocean were too clean,” Ma observed He looked out into the rain His shoulders sluued David and Hulan waited

“You also want to know about objects that have disappeared,” he said into the silence “Of the things that I know are , most are relatively minor pieces—some bone, stone, and jade artifacts”

“That you know are ?” David pressed

“You have to understand, Attorney Stark, that we’re under tremendous pressure down here We don’t have tiht as we find it Soe tent before cataloging and condition reports were completed, but I’ve also had workers show me artifacts that never even made it to the tent”

“So you were never able to take measurements—”

“Which is why I can’t put them on the international list of stolen artifacts,” Ma finished for David “That’s not to say I don’t know so For example, Brian showed me some jade bis he’d found They’re perforated jade disks believed to embody the powers of Heaven and convey to the eods But each one is unique They come in different sizes and types of jade, while the decorative work can be plain or quite elaborate”