"Brace yourself, my Oriental friend," said Perlmutter. "The Princess Dou Wan did not go to the bottom of the South Pacific."

"But her final distress call?" muttered a confused Zhu Kwan.

"She lies under Lake Michigan in North America."

"Impossible!" Zhu Kwan gasped.

"Believe me, it's true. The distress signal was a fake. The captain and crew, under the direction of a General Kung Hui, altered the name to that of her sister ship, the Princess Yung Tai. Then they sailed through the Panama Canal up the East Coast of the United States and down the St. Lawrence River into the Great Lakes. She was overtaken by a horrendous storm and went down two hundred miles north of Chicago, her ultimate destination."

"This is incredible. Are you sure of your facts?"

"I'll fax you Gallagher's report of the voyage and sinking."

A sick feeling began to spread in the pit of Zhu Kwan's stomach. "Did Gallagher make mention of the ship's cargo?"

"He made only one reference," replied Perlmutter. "Gallagher said that General Hui told him the numerous wooden cases and crates loaded on board in Shanghai were filled with personal furnishings and clothes of high-ranking Nationalist Chinese officials and military leaders who were fleeing mainland China ahead of the Communists."

A wave of great relief settled over Zhu Kwan. The secret appeared safe. "Then it seems the rumors of a great treasure are not true. There was no cargo of great value on board the Princess Dou Wan."

"Perhaps some jewelry, but certainly nothing that would excite a professional salvage hunter. The only artifacts that will ever be retrieved will probably surface in the hands of local sport divers."

"Have you given out this information to anyone besides me?" asked Zhu Kwan warily.

"Not a soul," Perlmutter answered. "You're the only one I know who had any interest in the wreck."

"I would be grateful to you, St. Julien, if you did not reveal your discovery. At least not for the next few months."

"From this moment on, I promise not to disclose a word."

"Also, as a personal favor—"

"You have but to name it."

"Please do not fax Gallagher's report. I think it would be better if you sent it by private courier. I will, of course, take care of any expense."

"Whatever you wish," said Perlmutter agreeably. "I'll hire the services of a courier the minute I lay down the phone."

"Thank you, my friend," Zhu Kwan said sincerely. "You have done me a great service. Though the Princess Dou Wan is of no great historical or economic value, it has been a mosquito in my ear for many years."

"Believe me, I've been there. Some lost shipwrecks, no matter how insignificant, captivate and consume a researcher's imagination. They're never forgotten until answers behind their disappearance are finally found."

"Thank you, St. Julien, thank you."

"My best wishes to you, Zhu Kwan. Good-bye."