The colonel could not see the way Jiao’s lips curled around his teeth, reminding Shan of an angry predator. “The Five Claws will put this county on the world stage,” the deputy director stated.

“Funny,” Tan replied. “They asked me to build all those prisons precisely because we were so far removed from the world stage.” He turned and blew smoke toward Jiao. “Should I send some photos of my labor brigades for your glossy calendar?”

The silence was brittle as they approached the crew clearing the last of the juniper groves. Tan held up his hand for Ren to slow the car. “You seem to expect trouble,” the colonel observed, gesturing toward a gray-uniformed man who stood at the edge of the grove, a semi-automatic gun slung on his shoulder. The knobs had arrived.

“There’s an old motto for engineers,” Ren replied. “Hope for the best, plan for the worst.”

“If you are preparing for battle, Director,” Tan observed in a scolding tone, “you really must consult the army.”

“No, no! I mean, of course, Colonel, that this is just—” Ren frantically tried to collect his thoughts, “just pacification.”

“Pacification of what? Do you have wolves?”

“This is Tibet,” Ren said uneasily, then cast a nod over his shoulder. “My deputy is in charge of security. He is very clever in dealing with Tibetans. The guns probably aren’t even loaded.”

Jiao’s thin smile revealed his amusement at seeing his director squirm. “Normal precautions, Colonel. A remote site of great value has to address all contingencies, here and above.”

Tan was enjoying himself. He looked toward the sky. “Above? Are you worried about the gods then?” A moment later, as Ren braked the car to allow a log truck to pass, Tan abruptly hopped out. He paced along the edge of the grove, speaking with a group of drivers on a cigarette break. He was a man who was seldom at ease with his officers but beloved by his sergeants and privates. Ren watched in nervous confusion, and groaned as Tan wandered to an idle bulldozer, leapt up and started the engine. Jiao extracted a small walkie-talkie and ordered someone to proceed with their mission.

Ren’s eyes went round as he watched the colonel. “Can he do that?” he asked Shan.

Shan assumed a somber expression. “One of his officers once told me that the most powerful people in Lhadrung were Chairman Mao and Colonel Tan, and the Chairman is dead. He misses driving his tanks,” he added.