"Ann Maxwell - Risk unlimited 02 - Shadow and Silk" - читать интересную книгу автора (Maxwell Ann)

But an afternoon of being followed by two large Westerners had made Dani more cautious.
тАЮWhere did you get this?тАЬ she asked baldly.
Feng made a derisive sound.
тАЮYou Westerners are interested only in possessing the ancient history woven into the silk,тАЬ he said. тАЮWhat care
have you for the antics of modern trade?тАЬ
тАЮTimes have changed since Westerners first came here a century ago,тАЬ Dani said quietly. тАЮSome of us want to make
sure that artifacts and relics are preserved, not merely sold to the highest bidder.тАЬ
Feng managed to look wounded by her lack of trust. He held up the aluminum tube for her to see.
тАЮI have handled it carefully,тАЬ he said. тАЮI, too, care.тАЬ
тАЮThatтАЩs why there are several dents in the container,тАЬ Dani said sarcastically.
Feng started to object, then made a dismissive gesture.
тАЮI could not carry it with me at all times,тАЬ he said. тАЮThe police were everywhere in Lhasa today. I had to hide the
tube behind some rocks in the wall of my house.тАЬ
Still Dani hesitated. She sensed that this was the moment of deepest danger for her. Staring at Feng, she tried to
read his gaunt, wind-burned features.
Not much bigger than I am, Dani thought, but donтАЩt kid yourself. HeтАЩs stronger than I am.
How can I prevent him from taking the money and the silk, too?
Feng stared back, waiting with growing impatience.
тАЮOne more question,тАЬ Dani said.
тАЮBut тАУ тАЬ
тАЮAnswer me truthfully,тАЬ she interrupted, тАЮor IтАЩll walk away right now.тАЬ
Feng nodded an inch in agreement.
тАЮWhy did you approach me in the Barkhor market?тАЬ Dani asked.
A flickering movement of FengтАЩs eyes was the only betrayal of his surprise.
тАЮYou were Western,тАЬ he said, recovering quickly.
тАЮSo were a thousand others today.тАЬ
тАЮYou were interested in purchasing the ancient things.тАЬ
тАЮSo were five hundred others. Why me, Feng? Why did you choose me?тАЬ
She waited, watching his face.
Nothing she saw reassured her.
тАЮI, uh, saw you inspecting the KhampasтАЩ banners at the temple,тАЬ Feng said. тАЮYou touched them so carefully that I
assumed you were interested in silks.тАЬ
тАЮIs that so?тАЬ Dani asked softly.
Feng nodded.
тАЮThe KhampasтАЩ banners were made yesterday,тАЬ she pointed out, тАЮyet you knew I had expertise in ancient silks.тАЬ
FengтАЩs eyelids flinched. He said nothing.
тАЮAre you trying to set me up?тАЬ Dani asked.
тАЮOh, no, no, miss,тАЬ Feng said quickly. тАЮI have more to fear from the police than you do.тАЬ
тАЮThen why did you pick me to show the silk to?тАЬ
Spread-eagled and exposed on the nearby roof, Shane didnтАЩt know whether to swear or cheer at DaniтАЩs persistence.
Up to now, she had seemed so eager to stick her neck into the noose.
ItтАЩs about time, lady, Shane thought sardonically. YouтАЩre up to your lips in yak shit and youтАЩre just catching on.
So tell her, Feng. Why did you pick on the innocent little professor?
Shane was rather curious himself.
Then he heard a faint, distant sound, metal on metal He recognized it instantly as the tailgate of a truck being
unhitched and lowered.
Danger.
Shane had heard the sound a dozen times in ambushes and on night patrol in the mountains. PRC troop carriers
had those kinds of tailgates. They had to be dropped before the squad of soldiers in back could get out.
Slowly Shane lifted his head and stared in the direction of the sound. Seventy yards away, at the far approach to