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“You’ve been away fro” It was another ill-advised attenize this” He pointed to the lower right-hand corner of the screen David had probably seen the symbol a thousand times but had never really noticed it Just like Da Yu’s o consisted of five concentric squares The conclusion was horrifying in its implications

“Michael Quon is Xiao Da,” David said

Stuart’s eyes widened as he absorbed this, then whatever color had coain “Catherine—”

“Hulan!”

Then David’s e that Hulan was up in Bashan with Michael Quon David had told her again and again not to worry about the All-Patriotic Society She was in extreer and, because of his insistence that she abandon her investigation of the cult, she didn’t know it

“David!” Stuart’s voice was sharp and co “Here are my keys Take my car Do you have your passport? No? Then stop at your hotel and pick it up Take my car to the airport I’ll call ahead for a plane reservation David, are you listening to me?”

David nodded, but he barely co

“You’ve got to go before the police get here I’ll take care of things on this end”

Stuart shoved a huge wad of cash into David’s pocket, then pushed him out of the library and toward the front door The pain in David’s ribs jolted him back into some semblance of awareness They were in the foyer Ma’s body was still on the floor David looked at the wrapped ruyi in his hand, then at Stuart

“Just go,” Stuart said

David jumped into Stuart’s Lexus, careened down the mountain, and skidded under the Mandarin’s porte cochere He ran through the lobby The desk clerk called his nas and was back in the lobby in fiveanywhere in this storm

The desk clerk—a professional at one of the world’s greatest hotels—took in the awfulness of David’s face but spoke with deliberate calet your attention before, Mr Stark I have a fax for you It caent”

While the clerk printed out the bill, David opened the envelope The first page was short but to the point:

Phones and electricity out in Sichuan due to flooding No word froive attached inforet to her first I am on my way to Bashan Zai

The next two sheets were in Chinese, but Zai had written short notes at the top of each page The first was a toxicology report on Lily The blood on her body was hers but showed traces of i Traces of the saus, howeve