Standing under the sun for the first time in over half a century, the water glistening on the bronze armor of the rider and streaming from his horse, the two-thousand-year-old sculpture looked little the worse for wear than the day it came out of the mold. The unknown emperor now stared over a limitless horizon, as if in search of new lands to conquer.

"It's all so incredibly beautiful," said Julia, staring at the ancient wonder. Then she gestured at the other crates, their contents still hidden. "I'm amazed the wooden containers did not rot away after being submerged all these years."

"General Hui was a thorough man," Pitt said. "Not only did he insist that the crates be built with an outer wall and an inner lining, he specified teak instead of a more common wood. It was probably transported to Shanghai from Burma by freighter for use in the shipyards. Hui knew that teak is extraordinarily strong and durable, and he undoubtedly seized the shipment to construct the crates. What he couldn't have predicted at the time was that his foresight paid off in protecting the treasures for the fifty years they were resting underwater."

Julia raised a hand to shield her eyes from the glare of the sun on the water. "A pity he couldn't have made them watertight. The lacquerware, wooden carvings and paintings cannot have survived without some damage or disintegration."

"The archaeologists will know soon enough. Hopefully, the icy, fresh water will have preserved many of the more delicate objects."

As the tugboat maneuvered into position to tow the barge to the receiving dock in Chicago, a crewman stepped from the wheelhouse with a paper in his hand. "Another message for you, Ms. Lee, from Washington."

"Must be another message from Peter," she said, taking the communication. She studied the wording for a long time, her facial expression turning from surprise to utter frustration to downright anger. "Oh, good God," she muttered. "What is it?"

Julia held out the message to Pitt. "The INS operation to apprehend Qin Shang has been called off by order of the White House. We are not to molest or harass him in any way. Any and all treasure recovered from the Princess Dou Wan is to be turned over to Qin Shang as acting representative of the Chinese government."

"That's crazy," Pitt said wearily, too tired to display outrage. "The man is a proven mass murderer. Give him the treasure? The President must have a brain hemorrhage."

"I've never felt so helpless in my life," Julia said, furious. Suddenly, unpredictably, Pitt's lips spread in a crazy grin. "I wouldn't take it too badly if I were you. There's always a bright side."

She stared at him as if he was certifiably insane. "What are you talking about? Where do you see a bright side in allowing that scum to roam free and steal the art masterpieces for himself?"