cc.goldenbuddha-第22部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　Just　pregame　jitters；　Cabrillo　thought　as　he　closed　the　folder。　Sometime　tonight；　they　would　have　the　Buddha　and　begin　the　process　of　transferring　it　back　to　the　Dalai　Lama。　A　few　more　days　and　the　Corporation　would　be　cashiered；　out　of　the　loop　and　sailing　away　to　another　part　of　the　globe。　
　
　WINSTON　SPENSER　GULPED　Glenmorangie　whiskey　like　it　was　ginger　ale。　
　Spenser's　brilliant　plan　of　deceit　had　hit　a　speed　bump　that　had　ripped　off　the　oil　pan；　and　now　it　was　leaking　its　fluid　onto　the　ground。　Ho　had　called　earlier　in　the　evening　and　his　words　had　been　an　ice　pick　to　the　brain。　
　〃Please　e　to　the　party　early；〃　Ho　had　said。　〃I'd　like　you　to　be　here　when　the　insurance　man　examines　the　Buddha。〃　
　One　day　more　and　Spenser　would　have　been　long　gone。　
　Uruguay；　Paraguay；　one　of　the　South　Pacific　islands；　anywhere　but　here。　The　fake　Buddha　was　goodhe'd　paid　a　princely　ransom　to　ensure　it　could　withstand　scrutinybut　if　the　insurance　inspector　was　top　notch；　he'd　see　through　the　ruse。　The　gold　itself　would　probably　pass　muster。　The　problem　was　the　precious　stones。　If　the　inspector　was　any　sort　of　gemologist；　he'd　realize　the　stones　were　just　too　perfect。　Massive　rocks　of　the　size　that　adorned　the　Golden　Buddha　were　extremely　rare。　The　existing　stones　that　large　almost　always　had　flaws。　
　Only　stones　produced　in　a　laboratory　were　lacking　inclusions。　
　He　drained　the　scotch　and　walked　over　to　the　bed　and　lay　down。　
　But　the　bed　was　spinning　and　sleep　was　hard　to　e　by。　
　
　SINCE　HIS　EXILE　from　Tibet；　it　would　be　easy　to　imagine　that　the　Dalai　Lama　had　lived　in　a　vacuum　concerning　events　inside　his　country。　Nothing　could　be　further　from　the　truth。　Almost　from　the　time　he'd　stepped　across　the　border；　an　ad　hoc　system　of　local　intelligence　had　begun　filtering　south　to　his　headquarters　in　Little　Lhasa。　
　Messages　were　passed　from　mouth　to　mouth　by　a　series　of　runners　who　breached　the　mountain　passes　far　from　Chinese　scrutiny；　then　delivered　their　messages　either　in　person　or　through　intermediaries。　With　hundreds　of　thousands　of　Tibetans　loyal　to　the　Dalai　Lama；　the　tentacles　of　the　operation　reached　into　every　part　of　the　country。　Chinese　troop　movements　were　reported；　intercepted　cables　sent　south；　overheard　telephone　conversations　disclosed。　
　Snow　tables　and　water　flow　from　the　rivers　and　other　environmental　concerns　were　memorized　and　transmitted。　Tourists　were　monitored　and　casually　engaged　in　conversation　to　glean　more　facts　about　the　Chinese　and　their　attitudes。　Merchants　that　sold　to　the　Chinese　soldiers　reported　on　sales　and　the　troops'　general　demeanor。　Times　of　alert　were　noted　and　sent　south；　as　were　times　when　controls　over　the　population　were　loosened。　Briefings　were　held　for　the　Dalai　Lama　and　his　advisors；　and　most　of　the　time　the　exiles　in　India　had　a　better　picture　of　the　conditions　in　Tibet　than　the　hated　Chinese　overlords。　
　〃The　troops　seem　to　be　buying　more　trinkets？〃　the　Dalai　Lama　asked。　
　〃Yes；〃　one　of　his　advisors　noted；　〃things　that　are　uniquely　Tibetan。〃　
　〃When　has　this　ever　happened　before？〃　the　Dalai　Lama　asked。　
　〃Never；〃　the　advisor　admitted。　
　〃And　we　have　reports　that　the　fuel　stocks　at　the　bases　are　low？〃　
　〃That's　what　the　Tibetan　workers　at　the　bases　report；〃　the　advisor　said。　〃Excursions　by　trucks　into　the　countryside　are　being　curtailed；　and　we　have　not　had　a　report　of　a　tank　on　exercises　in　nearly　a　month。　It's　as　if　the　occupation　is　moving　into　a　stagnant　time。〃　
　The　Dalai　Lama　opened　an　unmarked　folder　and　scanned　the　contents。　〃This　coincides　with　the　reports　from　the　Virginia　consulting　group　we　have　under　contract。　Their　latest　report　shows　the　Chinese　economy　in　dire　straits。　The　Chinese　have　the　largest　increase　of　any　country　in　oil　imports；　while　at　the　same　time　the　value　of　their　investments　overseas　are　decreasing。　If　President　Jintao　doesn't　make　some　much…needed　adjustments；　his　country　could　be　plunged　into　a　full…scale　depression。〃　
　〃We　can　only　hope；〃　one　of　the　advisors　noted。　
　〃That　brings　me　to　our　main　topic　of　discussion；〃　the　Dalai　Lama　said　quietly。　〃If　we　could　take　a　moment　to　meditate　to　clear　our　minds；　I　will　explain。〃
　
　THE　BURGUNDY　737　was　a　flying　sybaritic　palace　in　the　sky。　The　software　billionaire　was　dosing　himself　with　a　carefully　calculated　mixture　of　Ecstasy　and　male　impotence　pills　to　pass　the　time。　The　Ecstasy　made　him　loving；　but　the　impotence　pills　offset　that　by　fueling　his　sexual　appetite；　which　was　a　little　aggressive。　
　At　this　instant；　in　a　forward　part　of　the　jet；　a　flight　attendant　was　making　notes　on　the　pad　of　a　personal　digital　assistant。　Once　he　was　finished；　he　plugged　it　into　the　air　phone　and　hit　send。　Now　all　he　had　to　do　was　wait　for　a　reply。　
　The　other　flight　attendant　seemed　more　concerned。　This　was　her　first　flight　on　the　billionaire's　737；　and　she　found　the　debauchery　unnerving。　
　Turning　her　head　away　from　the　rear　section　of　the　plane；　she　addressed　the　blond…haired　man。　
　〃You　ever　worked　this　gig　before？〃　
　〃First　time；〃　the　man　admitted。　
　〃If　I　didn't　need　the　money；〃　the　brunette　said；　〃I'd　make　this　trip　one…way。〃　
　The　blond…haired　man　nodded。　〃Tell　me　about　yourself；〃　he　said。　
　Thirty　minutes　later；　the　blond…haired　man　smiled。　She'd　fudged　what　he　knew　as　the　truthbut　not　by　much。　
　〃There's　an　opportunity　you　might　be　interested　in；〃　he　said　easily。　
　Just　then；　the　buzzer　from　the　rear　rang　and　a　voice　was　heard。　
　〃Bring　us　another　two　magnums　of　champagne；〃　the　billionaire　ordered。　
　〃You　keep　that　thought；〃　the　brunette　said。　〃I'll　go　water　the　horses。〃　
　
　IN　MACAU　THE　streets　were　filled　with　late…night　revelers。　Two　men　drove　slowly　along　Avenue　Conselheiro　Ferriera　de　Almeida　through　the　throngs。　The　man　in　the　passenger　seat　stared　at　a　portable　GPS　mapping　unit　and　gave　directions。　Turning　at　Avenida　do　Coronel　Mesquita；　they　headed　northwest　along　the　road　until　they　were　at　a　side　street　that　led　to　a　residential　area　within　a　half　mile　of　mainland　China。　
　〃Find　a　place　to　park；〃　the　navigator　ordered。　
　Pulling　to　the　side　of　the　road　under　a　tree；　the　driver　placed　the　van　in　park；　then　shut　off　the　engine。　The　navigator　pointed　to　a　house　set　back　from　the　road　up　the　street。　
　〃That's　the　house。〃　
　〃Shall　we？〃　the　driver　asked。　
　The　navigator　climbed　out　of　the　van　and　walked　around　to　the　front　and　waited　while　the　driver　reached　under　the　seat；　removed　a　leather　bag；　then　met　him　in　front　of　the　van。　
　〃You　notice　almost　no　one　here　has　a　dog？〃　the　driver　said。　
　
　SUNRISE　ON　GOOD　Friday；　March　25；　2005；　was　at　6：11　a。m。　On　the　decks　of　the　sampans　in　the　inner　harbor；　the　Chinese　traders　began　to　stir。　Along　Avenida　da　Amizade　in　front　of　the　Hotel　Lisboa；　a　dozen　women　dressed　in　cotton　shifts　with　conical　hats　lashed　around　their　necks　began　washing　the　sidewalk　with　soapy　water　splashed　from　tin　buckets。　Dipping　straw　brooms　into　the　buckets；　they　erased　the　debris　from　both　the　winners　and　the　losers　from　the　night　before。　A　few　diehards　stumbled　from　inside　and　squinted　at　the　light　from　a　sun　just　beginning　her　day。　
　A　few　small　three…wheeled　motorized　rickshaws　plied　the　avenue；　their　drivers　stopping　for　strong　black　coffee　served　in　small　cups；　then　continuing　on　to　deliver　packages　or　people　to　their　destinations。　At　a　small　restaurant　two　hundred　yards　northwest　of　the　casino；　the　owner　finished　a　cigarette　then　walked　inside。　On　the　stove　in　the　rear　was　a　pot　of　caldo　verde；　the　Portuguese　stew　of　potatoes；　sausage　and　locally　
　grown　greens。　He　stirred　the　mixture；　then　set　the　long　wooden　spoon　onto　a　counter　and　started　to　prepare　chickens　marinated　in　coconut　milk；　garlic；　peppercorns　and　chilies　by　rubbing　them　with　rock　salt。　Later；　the　poultry　would　be　slid　onto　skewers　and　slow…cooked　on　a　rotisserie。　
　Across　the　water；　Hong　Kong　was　hidden　by　a　haze　of　humidity　and　smog；　but　the　sound　of　the　first　high…speed　ferry　leaving　port　could　be　heard。　The　first　few　jets　of　the　day；　mainly　cargo　planes；　streaked　across　the　blue　sky　and　made　ready　for　landing　at　the　airport。　A　Chinese　naval　vessel　left　its　moorage　below　A…Ma　Temple　and　started　out　for　a　patrol；　while　a　large　luxury　yacht　wit