Darkness Under Heaven by F. J. Chase Page B

microscopic bit off the end of his lamb. “What if it’s rat?”
    â€œThat all depends on whether they’re free-range or cage-raised,” said Avakian.
    Marquand returned his meat to the plate and moved over to the thin hand-pulled noodles.
    Avakian shook his head. “I’m sure the cafeteria would be happy to whip you up a grilled cheese on white bread, with some nice orange processed American cheese flown in from the States at government expense.”
    â€œShould you be mixing that with those meds?” Marquand asked, now turning his eye to the bottle of dark Xinjiang beer Avakian was drinking.
    â€œAfter the day I had?” Avakian said. “I need all the muscle relaxant I can get.”
    â€œWhat did the Poles give you, anyway?”
    â€œNo idea. But whatever the stuff is, it works. And I’m willing to bet it doesn’t even show up on a urine test.”
    â€œHere we go,” said Kinney, watching the TV. “Something’s coming up.”
    Marquand’s TV was tuned to CNN International. It was no accident they were watching that instead of reading the Top Secret message traffic off the printer. Even the CIA relied on CNN for breaking news rather than their people on the ground.
    There were tanks on the streets of Taiwan’s capital, Taipei. “Uh-oh,” said Avakian. “Nothing says coup like tanks.”
    The reporter was an English-speaking Chinese. Obviously Taiwan hadn’t been considered a news hotspot. Until today.
    â€œDid I hear that right?” said Kinney. “Taiwan is accusing the Chinese of assassinating their president?”
    â€œNot looking to defuse the situation, are they?” said Marquand. “Looking to start something is more like it.”
    â€œThey’re playing with fire,” said Kinney. And then after a short pause for further reflection, “And they think they can get away with it because the Chinese won’t do anything to screw up their economic boom.”
    â€œTaiwan wouldn’t be that stupid,” said Marquand. Then he had his own short pause. “What am I saying? They arranged to kill their own president in Beijing.”
    He was clutching his stomach, and Avakian didn’t think it was the lamb. “History, my friends, is the story of human miscalculation.”
    The CNN anchor broke in to report that Taiwan’s national defense minister had just announced he was forming a provisional government.
    â€œThey seem to have misplaced their vice president somewhere,” said Marquand.
    â€œNothing like sitting at ground zero while history is being made,” said Avakian. “I’m starting to get an idea what it must have been like in Sarajevo.”
    â€œThe Winter Olympics?” said Kinney.
    Avakian almost spit his food out laughing, and Marquand leaned forward and mock-slammed his forehead into the desktop. “You had to have been a phys ed major,” he told Kinney. “Not Sarajevo 1984, you idiot. Sarajevo 1914.”
    â€œSorry, but I’m still drawing a blank,” said Kinney.
    â€œThe assassination of Franz Ferdinand?” said Avakian. “Archduke of Austria-Hungary? The kickoff for World War I?”
    â€œOh,” said Kinney.
    â€œI guess that’s what they did in 1914,” said Avakian. “Sit there with their mouths open and say, oh. ”
    â€œI think I had better start putting together an evacuation plan,” said Marquand. “Just in case.” He turned to Avakian. “What are you doing tonight?”
    â€œBesides helping you with the plan? Probably wondering what’s going to happen next.”

6
    â€œA re you sure you want to go out to eat?” Avakian asked.
    â€œYou mean it would be a lot safer to have dinner in the Olympic Village,” said Doctor Rose.
    â€œThat’s a definite consideration.”
    â€œNo one’s moved from in front of a TV since Taiwan declared