“Against the people and their blessed motherland,” Shan suggested. “I will say you cooperated fully with my investigation, that we couldn’t have exposed them without your help. The colonel will confirm that. Everyone will soon recognize that as bad as this news is, it is better to receive it now than after billions are spent on a project that was always going to fail. Which means they will applaud your courage in speaking up.”

As Shan’s words sank in Ren seemed to regain some strength, though his voice cracked as he spoke. “You would do that?”

“You need to start clearing out the equipment and the buildings, immediately,” Shan said. “But yes, I will do that. It will be a secret report, of course, sent through Tan and the Commissar. But your superiors in Beijing will see it.”

Ren sighed. “They’re building lots of bridges in Manchuria. I like bridges. I’ll find a bridge project.”

“Excellent. The people of Manchuria will be the better for it.”

Ren nodded and began to step away, then turned and stared at the little blue god on the podium. He retrieved the figure and put it in his pocket, then left to return the valley to the gods. High above, a new line of prayer flags was drifting downward to settle over the debris field. Gekho’s mountain had been wounded but still survived.

When Shan reached them, Tan and Zhu were studying the far slope with binoculars. A small crowd of Tibetans were excitedly pointing to a shadow halfway up the mountain, beyond the new rubble field. “That Gekho is one cunning rascal,” Tan said with a grin as he handed Shan his binoculars. Shan aimed them in the direction the Tibetans pointed then grinned. A new cavern had opened on the side of the sacred mountain.

EPILOGUE

“Ah yi! Save me from this foreign devil!” Lhamo crowed, throwing up her hands in frustration as she aimed her cry at Shan and Meng, who sat on a bench on the opposite side of the farmhouse courtyard. The old Tibetan woman turned back to Cato Pike and renewed her animated discussion, jabbing her finger into the American’s chest with each syllable.