"I think the time has come," said Pitt as he helped Julia from her chair.

"You crafty dog," she murmured. "You knew all along he would seek us out."

"Shang didn't get where he's at without a healthy dose of curiosity."

Obediently, they followed Qin Shang through the milling congregation until he came to the costumed giant who opened the door for him. They entered a room unlike the heavily furnished and decorated one they just left. This room was modest and austere. The walls were merely painted in a soft blue. The only furnishings were a settee, two chairs and a desk whose surface was barren except for a telephone. He motioned for them to sit on the settee as he took his place behind the desk. Pitt was amused to see that the desk and chair were slightly elevated so that Qin Shang looked down at his visitors. "Forgive me for mentioning it," Pitt said offhandedly, "but the bronze incense burner in the main entry. From the Liao dynasty, I believe."

"Why yes, you are quite correct."

"I assume you know that it's a fake."

"You are most observant, Mr. Pitt," said Qin Shang without taking offense. "The piece is not fake, but a well-executed replica. The original was lost in nineteen forty-eight during the war when the People's Army of Mao Tse-tung crushed the forces of Chiang Kai-shek."

"The burner is still in China?"

"No, it was on a ship with many other ancient treasures stolen from my country by Chiang that were lost at sea."

"The ship's final resting place is a mystery?"

"A mystery I have worked many years to solve. To find the ship and its cargo is my life's most passionate desire."

"It's been my experience that shipwrecks are never found until they want to be found."

"Very poetic," Qin Shang said, pausing to glance at his watch. "I must return and tend to my guests so I'll be brief before I have my security people escort you to the door. Please tell me the purpose behind your uninvited presence."

"I thought the purpose was transparent," Pitt replied conversationally. "Ms. Lee and I wanted to meet the man we're going to hang."

"You're very succinct, Mr. Pitt. I appreciate that in an adversary. But it is you who will be a casualty in the war."

"What war is that?"

"The economic war between the People's Republic of China and the United States. A war for extraordinary power and wealth for the winner."

"I have no ambitions on that score."

"Ah, but I do. That's the difference between us and between our countrymen. Like most of the rabble in America, you lack determination and zeal."

Pitt shrugged his shoulders. "If greed is your god, then you possess very little of true value."

"You think of me as a greedmonger?" Qin Shang asked pleasantly.

"I've seen little of your lifestyle that persuades me otherwise."