The Prisoner's Gold

41

Papineau stood quietly and opened the window for some fresh air. The sounds of Tokyo drifted up into the room as a chaotic but subdued din. It was raining outside, but the balcony from the room above kept any water from coming into the suite.

‘What’s the problem with Tibet anyway?’ McNutt asked. ‘Monks, yaks, mountains. I saw a documentary once. Buddhist people. What’s not to like?’

‘Tibet is a political hot potato,’ Maggie said. ‘It’s now firmly a part of China, but it used to be a separate country. The whole region that used to be independent Tibet is the size of Alaska and Texas combined. That would make it the world’s tenth largest nation. In 1951, Chinese communist forces invaded the then-sovereign region and annexed it, permanently.’

‘Why?’ Sarah asked. ‘I was always led to believe that China didn’t like to expand because of its culture.’

‘That is correct,’ Maggie replied. ‘Throughout history, most Chinese believed that China was the center of the world, and everywhere else was the frontier, populated by barbarians.’

‘Then why did China even invade Tibet?’

‘The reason is as basic as you can get. They did it for water.’

‘Water?’ Sarah blurted.

Garcia looked up from his computer. ‘Holy crap.’

Maggie smiled. ‘Yes, Hector. Tell them how much.’

‘Tibet is the source of fresh water for forty-seven percent of the world’s population,’ he said, reading from the screen of the laptop.

‘That’s correct,’ Maggie said. ‘When you have that much of a natural resource in the hands of a neighbor and you can justify your taking it by saying that you were simply retrieving what was once yours, you don’t ask for permission. You just move in.’

Cobb shook his head. ‘That’s not all, though.’

‘Unfortunately, no,’ Maggie said. ‘The Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibet, was just a boy when China invaded in 1951. He fled the country in ’59 and has been living in exile in India ever since. The communists were incensed that he escaped. They set about persecuting the Buddhist leaders, and they eventually installed their own puppet as religious leader. Worst of all, they began a secret ethnic genocide, moving Han people into Tibet in order to displace and breed out the ethnic Tibetan population.’

McNutt sat up. ‘Seriously?’

Maggie’s face was grave. ‘Two-hundred thousand people died in the atomic bombings at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. But close to a million Tibetans have died since China invaded. Of course, as a Chinese woman, I learned none of these things — even after the advent of the Internet — until I first traveled abroad. The region is one of the most oppressed in the world. Chinese troops have shut down ninety-nine percent of the monasteries around Tibet. Regardless of whoever attacked us in Guangzhou, we’ll also have to face the People’s Liberation Army in the capital city of Lhasa; especially around the Potala Palace. That’s the former home of the Dalai Lama and a symbol of the Buddhist faith in Tibet.’

‘Great,’ McNutt muttered. ‘Can’t wait.’

‘And what exactly are we looking for there?’ Sarah asked.

Maggie shrugged. ‘Unfortunately, this is where the conjecture begins. Professor Chu told us about a young woman Polo had met and fallen in love with. Her name was Yangchen, and she was a local girl who was assigned to Polo as a tour guide. He wanted to see the remnants of the Great Wall north of Lanzhou, and she was the one who led him. At that time, the Wall had fallen into total disrepair. Most of what was standing was in ruins. It wouldn’t be until a hundred years later when serious reconstruction began.’

‘What do the records say about Polo?’ Sarah wondered. ‘I’ll bet a relationship between a “white ghost” and a local girl didn’t go over too well.’

‘Quite correct,’ Maggie said. ‘Many locals were incensed, and a few of the kinder folks tried to gently explain to Polo that their relationship would not be welcomed anywhere in China. But according to the scribes, he was determined to win over her family. By the end of his stay in the region, he was heading to Lhasa with Yangchen as his guide.’

‘Were they going to the palace?’ Cobb asked.

‘Definitely not. The Potala Palace wasn’t built yet. However, there was a different temple on the same spot, and the area was still run by the monasteries of the region. If they made it to Lhasa, the monks would have mentioned Polo in their records. And if those records survived, they would be at the Potala today. At least, I think that’s where we’d find them. Again, a lot of this is guesswork.’

‘It doesn’t matter,’ Cobb admitted. ‘We could sit here for a month debating whether anyone kept records at the Potala, or whether they’ve turned to dust over the centuries. We won’t know for sure unless we go there.’

Papineau cleared his throat. ‘Won’t going to Tibet open us up to further attacks — especially since we don’t know who is after us?’

‘Maybe. But we’re not going to find the treasure in Tokyo.’

‘Still,’ Papineau argued, ‘if they could track us from Hong Kong to Guangzhou, isn’t it possible they will know of our arrival in Lhasa? It’s imperative that we keep a low profile. I’m sure I don’t need to elaborate on why a team of treasure hunters blowing up another city might be cause for alarm. Another incident like Alexandria would be very bad indeed.’

‘First of all,’ McNutt argued, ‘we were the targets in Alexandria, so don’t blame us for that. Secondly, the bomb in Panyu was barely a firecracker. It blew up one car, not an entire city.’

‘What about Brighton Beach?’

McNutt smiled. ‘Forgot about that one. Yeah, that was fun.’

Papineau rolled his eyes. ‘Anyway, if we can avoid blowing up any more of China …’

‘First things first,’ Cobb said. ‘If it’s okay with you, I’d like to take the Gulfstream from Japan. I’m hoping we can get in and out of Tibet before anyone notices us.’

‘No problem,’ Papineau said.

Cobb looked at Garcia. ‘Hector, if the monks did keep records, I’m assuming they won’t be digitized. But don’t let that stop you. Dig around and see what you can find. I want to know what you know the minute we touch down in Tibet.’

Garcia just nodded and tapped at his screen.

‘Josh,’ Cobb said, ‘can you get us armed in Lhasa?’

‘It’ll be tougher than Hong Kong,’ McNutt admitted. ‘It’s off the beaten path of the traditional smuggling routes. Plus, when you factor in the political upheaval in the area and combine that with the essentially peaceful Buddhists, the pickings will be slim. Even with Maggie’s translation skills, I might only be able to get us some Chinese hand-me-downs.’

‘It’ll do,’ Cobb said, as he headed for the door. ‘But try to get something that goes boom, too. Just to be on the safe side.’

McNutt grinned. ‘Whatever you say, chief.’