dared. By mid-afternoon he had Kuiju
and the wagon in sight about a third of a league ahead of him. But
there was a problem. Kuiju had two companions with him. As Ian
stalked them, he tried to resolve the situation, but one against
three, even with the element of surprise, seemed long odds. At dusk
he heard the bells and, tethering his horse, ran to the centre of the
track waving his arms. Ling-Tau reined in.
'Where is it?' he asked, jumping to the
ground with his bells jingling.
'Down the road. They've bivouaced for
the night.'
'They? How many?'
'Three.'
'We'll surprise them.'
'And risk a counter-attack in the dark?
No, Ling-Tau, let's wait until dawn and take them out whilst they're
eating. But, please, don't wear your belt.' Ling-Tau laughed and took
it off, explaining that he had seen Ping-Cho at the village inn,
caught up with the convoy and been told where Ian had gone.
'Tell me about Karakorum,' Ian said.
'It used to be the capital of the
Mongol empire,' Ling-Tau replied, 'but when the Khan built his palace
in Peking, it was abandoned.'
'It's a deserted city?'
'No, a dispersed one. Karakorum wasn't
built of stone. It was a vast collection of tents and encampments and
when the Khan moved to Peking the Mongols folded their tents and
left.'
'You mean there is nothing there?'
'Nothing.'
'Then why is someone taking the
Doctor's caravan to Karakorum?'
Ling-Tau grinned. 'We'll pose that
question at dawn,' he said.
As the sky began to lighten, Ling-Tau
drew his sword from the scabbard attached to his saddle and he and
Ian skirted along the edge of the track using the scrub for cover.
'Two of us with one sword,' Ling-Tau
observed, 'three of them with, no doubt, three. An advantage of two.'
'Matched by stealth, speed and the fact
that we know they're there but they don't know that we're here,' Ian
replied with a grin.
As they approached the wagon they could
see Kuiju and his two companions squatting on the ground eating with
their fingers from a bowl of cold rice and meat. Ian and Ling-Tau
exchanged a glance, nodded and struck.
Ian kicked one of them in the solar
plexus and left him gasping on the ground. He disarmed him as the
second one jumped to his feet and fled into the woods. Kuiju made the
mistake of trying to draw his sword but stopped abruptly when the tip
of Ling-Tau's pricked his neck.
'Where were you taking this?' Ian
asked.
'To Karakorum, my lord.' Kuiju's voice
quavered.
'But Karakorum doesn't exist anymore,'
Ling-Tau said.
'No, my lord, yes, my lord,' Kuiju
stammered.
'Why were you taking it there?' Ian
asked. Kuiju remained silent until the sword tip nicked him.
'At the War Lord Tegana's bidding. He
said it was a tomb he wanted.'
'A tomb? Is that how he described it?'
'Yes, my lord.'
'It's one he will never be buried in,'
Ian replied and pointed to the Tartar on the ground. 'Help your
friend here and join your companion in the forest.'
'Gladly, my lord,' Kuiju whined and
closed his eyes with relief when Ling-Tau lowered the sword. Yet in
the back of his mind, Kuiju thought that, at least, he had made fifty
golden pieces.
Ian and Ling-Tau took the wagon back to
the village inn where Ping-Cho was waiting for them. Ling-Tau put on
his belt and his bandeau and told them to stay at the inn until the
escort he would send from Lan-Chow arrived to conduct them to the
summer palace. Then he bowed to Ian, smiled at Ping-Cho, jumped on
his horse and galloped off.
'He's a fine young man,' Ian said as
they watched him ride away.
'Yes,' Ping-Cho replied demurely, and
blushed.
The escort of six warriors arrived in
the middle of the next morning and they set off immediately for the
way-station at Lan-Chow. It was dark when they arrived and Wang-Lo
insisted that the wagon be placed under the hanging gardens where, as
he observed, one could keep one's eyes on it. Ling-Tau had arranged
that the wagon join a commercial convoy on the following day but Ian
was dubious about letting it out of his
and the wagon in sight about a third of a league ahead of him. But
there was a problem. Kuiju had two companions with him. As Ian
stalked them, he tried to resolve the situation, but one against
three, even with the element of surprise, seemed long odds. At dusk
he heard the bells and, tethering his horse, ran to the centre of the
track waving his arms. Ling-Tau reined in.
'Where is it?' he asked, jumping to the
ground with his bells jingling.
'Down the road. They've bivouaced for
the night.'
'They? How many?'
'Three.'
'We'll surprise them.'
'And risk a counter-attack in the dark?
No, Ling-Tau, let's wait until dawn and take them out whilst they're
eating. But, please, don't wear your belt.' Ling-Tau laughed and took
it off, explaining that he had seen Ping-Cho at the village inn,
caught up with the convoy and been told where Ian had gone.
'Tell me about Karakorum,' Ian said.
'It used to be the capital of the
Mongol empire,' Ling-Tau replied, 'but when the Khan built his palace
in Peking, it was abandoned.'
'It's a deserted city?'
'No, a dispersed one. Karakorum wasn't
built of stone. It was a vast collection of tents and encampments and
when the Khan moved to Peking the Mongols folded their tents and
left.'
'You mean there is nothing there?'
'Nothing.'
'Then why is someone taking the
Doctor's caravan to Karakorum?'
Ling-Tau grinned. 'We'll pose that
question at dawn,' he said.
As the sky began to lighten, Ling-Tau
drew his sword from the scabbard attached to his saddle and he and
Ian skirted along the edge of the track using the scrub for cover.
'Two of us with one sword,' Ling-Tau
observed, 'three of them with, no doubt, three. An advantage of two.'
'Matched by stealth, speed and the fact
that we know they're there but they don't know that we're here,' Ian
replied with a grin.
As they approached the wagon they could
see Kuiju and his two companions squatting on the ground eating with
their fingers from a bowl of cold rice and meat. Ian and Ling-Tau
exchanged a glance, nodded and struck.
Ian kicked one of them in the solar
plexus and left him gasping on the ground. He disarmed him as the
second one jumped to his feet and fled into the woods. Kuiju made the
mistake of trying to draw his sword but stopped abruptly when the tip
of Ling-Tau's pricked his neck.
'Where were you taking this?' Ian
asked.
'To Karakorum, my lord.' Kuiju's voice
quavered.
'But Karakorum doesn't exist anymore,'
Ling-Tau said.
'No, my lord, yes, my lord,' Kuiju
stammered.
'Why were you taking it there?' Ian
asked. Kuiju remained silent until the sword tip nicked him.
'At the War Lord Tegana's bidding. He
said it was a tomb he wanted.'
'A tomb? Is that how he described it?'
'Yes, my lord.'
'It's one he will never be buried in,'
Ian replied and pointed to the Tartar on the ground. 'Help your
friend here and join your companion in the forest.'
'Gladly, my lord,' Kuiju whined and
closed his eyes with relief when Ling-Tau lowered the sword. Yet in
the back of his mind, Kuiju thought that, at least, he had made fifty
golden pieces.
Ian and Ling-Tau took the wagon back to
the village inn where Ping-Cho was waiting for them. Ling-Tau put on
his belt and his bandeau and told them to stay at the inn until the
escort he would send from Lan-Chow arrived to conduct them to the
summer palace. Then he bowed to Ian, smiled at Ping-Cho, jumped on
his horse and galloped off.
'He's a fine young man,' Ian said as
they watched him ride away.
'Yes,' Ping-Cho replied demurely, and
blushed.
The escort of six warriors arrived in
the middle of the next morning and they set off immediately for the
way-station at Lan-Chow. It was dark when they arrived and Wang-Lo
insisted that the wagon be placed under the hanging gardens where, as
he observed, one could keep one's eyes on it. Ling-Tau had arranged
that the wagon join a commercial convoy on the following day but Ian
was dubious about letting it out of his
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