“I live in Yangkar,” Shan said, “the closest county office.” Ren seemed somehow relieved by the explanation and resumed his pitch about the wonders of his project as he drove along the valley floor, passing by piles of smoldering trees and huge mounds of fill dirt being brought from the slopes to smooth out the bottom of the valley. Ren stopped at the head of the little lake and pointed to a wide stripe of yellow paint halfway up the cliff face that towered over them.

“Our projected water level,” Ren explained with pride. It meant, Shan saw, that the beautiful valley would be entirely submerged.

The director noticed that Shan’s gaze lingered on a pile of lumber, many of the boards cracked and broken, that a bulldozer was compacting to burn.

“Construction debris,” the director said.

But Shan could see the broken wall frames and sections of roof. It wasn’t debris left from building, it was the ruins of a new structure.

The creation of the huge hydro facility was really a combination of projects. The director eagerly pointed out the teams busily scouring the bottom of the valley, making sure nothing was left that might later foul the turbines. Then he showed Shan the massive foundations being prepared at the base of the narrow high-walled pass, the cement plant, and the rows of worker housing beside the equipment yard. When Shan’s gaze fixed on the fence being erected around the equipment yard, Ren touched his shoulder and indicated the work being conducted high up the slope near the road, where the control rooms would be built.

“What was the conclusion of the assessment done by Religious Affairs?” Shan asked as Ren pulled up by Shan’s own car.

The unexpected question raised a wince to Ren’s face, which he quickly forced into a smile. “I assure you all required assessments were properly completed, Inspector. There were a few odd artifacts discovered in a cave that we hauled away for recycling.”

Shan paused as he opened his door. “A cave. You mean a cavern temple?”

“Just a hole in the mountain with some rusty junk abandoned ages ago,” a new voice inserted. A well-dressed man in his thirties had appeared by Shan’s door, blocking his exit. “The engineers consider such things impediments to clean water flow.”

Ren gave a small wince before making the introduction. “My deputy director, Jiao Wonzhou,” Ren told Shan. “Inspector Shan is representing the governor today,” he added to Jiao.

“I didn’t notice a cave,” Shan said.

“Gone,” Jiao proudly explained. “We blasted it, caved it in. Who knows what other trash might have been inside it. Can’t have debris drifting out into the turbines. Those machines cost millions each.”

“No doubt the antiquities were given the customary evaluation by Religious Affairs,” Shan suggested.