"David Wingrove - Chung Kuo 3 - The White Mountain" - читать интересную книгу автора (Wingrove David)

him through this maze.

"Maybe. But more important is finding out who is the traitor in our midst." "Ah. . ." Li Shai Tung's eyes
searched his face, then looked away. "At what level have they infiltrated?"

"Staff."

He said it without hesitation, knowing that it had to be that high up the chain of command. No one else
could have shaped things in this manner. To seal off a deck, that took clout. More than the Ping Tioo
possessed.

Li Shai Tung turned away again, following his own thoughts. Maybe Yuan was right. Maybe they
should act now. Wire them all. Control them like machines. But his instinct was against it. He had held
back from acting on the Project's early findings. Even thisтАФthis outrageтАФcould not change his mind so
far.

"It's bad, Knut. It's as if you could not trust your own hands to shave your throat ,┬╗

Tolonen laughed, a short, bitter bark of laughter. The old T'ang turned. "You have it in hand, though,
Knut." He smiled. "You, at least, 1 trust."

The Marshal met his master's eyes, touched by what had been said, knowing that this was what
shaped his life and gave it meaning. To have this man's respect, his total trust. Without thinking, he knelt
at Li Shai Tung's feet.

"I shall find the man and deal with him, Chieh Hsia. Were it my own son, I'd deal with him."

AT THE MOMENT, on the far side of the world, Li Yuan was walking down a path on the estate in
Tongjiang. He could smell the blossoms in the air, apple and plum, and beneath those the sharper,
sweeter scent of cherry. It reminded him of how long it had been since he had been here; of how little
had changed while he had been gone.

At the top of the terrace he stopped, looking out across the valley, down the wide sweep of marble
steps toward the lake. He smiled, seeing her on the far side of the lake, walking between the trees. For a
moment he simply looked, his heart quickened just to see her; then he went down, taking the steps in
two's and three's.

He was only a few paces from her when she turned.

"Li Yuan! You didn't say . . ."

"I'm sorry, I ..." But his words faltered as he noted the roundness of her, the fullness of her belly. He
glanced up, meeting her eyes briefly, then looked down again. My son, he thought. My son.

"I'm well."

"You look wonderful," he said, taking her in his arms, conscious of the weeks that had passed since
he had last held her. But he was careful now and released her quickly, taking her hands, surprised by
how small they were, how delicate. He had forgotten.