should I want to search your suitcase?”
“Oh,” she said with a sinking heart. “It wasn’t you, then?”
“No of course not.” Peter looked shocked. “Are you sure?”
“Oh yes. Somebody did. Was yours?”
He shook his head. “No, I take the usual precautions. I’d have known right away.” His brows drew together into a frown. “I don’t get it, who would do such a thing, and why? And why
you?
”
“It was done very professionally,” she told him, “and it wouldn’t have been noticeable at all if I didn’t have my own way of packing, too. The lock wasn’t picked, and everything was left in order—but not the right order.” His scowl had turned into such a look of alarm that she added softly, “Don’t look so jarred, it was probably some sort of random security check.” She didn’t think at all that it was a security check, but she saw no point in worrying Peter just now when he had his plans to make. “In any case,” she told him cheerfully, “I think we should put it aside for the moment, there being other things to think about, don’t you agree? Which leads me to a question I’ve been waiting for some time to ask you. With enormous curiosity.”
She had succeeded in distracting him; he smiled. “Be my guest and ask, but I’ll bet I know what it is.”
She smiled back at him. “I’m sure you do: the one detail no one’s mentioned, and which didn’t seep through to me until too late to ask. You’re going to be escorting our friend Mr. Wang—X—out of the country, aren’t you.” She didn’t even bother to make it a question.
He nodded.
“Then as a bona fide member of a bona fide guidedtour, allowed to visit China as a tourist, how are you ever going to manage to vanish from the tour and gain freedom for your very risky undercover work? I can’t believe that you’ll just bolt. You wouldn’t have a chance, would you?”
He shook his head. “Not a chance in a million. No, there’ll be an accident.”
“Accident,” she repeated, watching his face intently. “What kind?”
“That’s up to me,” he told her. “I’ve a few ideas boiling around in my head but it depends on a lot of factors like terrain and circumstances and timing. I’ll be killed,” he added casually.
“Killed,” she repeated, and waited.
“In such a way there’ll be no trace of a body,” he explained, adding soberly, “and it’s growing on me fast that your help is going to be very much needed.”
“I see,” she said musingly. “Yes, it would have to be that, of course. The
only
way to vanish into China.”
“Yes—become a non-person. Without the Sepos in hot pursuit. A dead person.”
She shivered. “Not easy.”
“No.”
“And from the vitamins and dried food I’m carrying I deduce you’ll be heading for the mountains?”
He nodded. “There’s been the feeble hope that another route might open up, but I don’t think it will.”
“Very
high
mountains,” she said quietly. “And cold ones. Surely not through Tibet?”
“No, we can head around the Taklamakan desert toward Khotan and a pass over the Karakaroms.”
“The very thought chills me,” she admitted. “Literally as well as figuratively.”
He nodded. “That’s where I’ll need your help, too; you can help me find warm clothing and carry some of it in your suitcase when mine’s full.”
“Like what?” she asked, and reached for paper and pencil, glad to move her thoughts toward the practical.
He frowned as he concentrated. “What I did smuggle in is small stuff. I’ve got thermal underwear, two heavy ski masks rolled up, fake papers, and a heavy sweater. The windbreaker jacket I brought has a second one zipped inside it. I’ve knives, flashlights and batteries, a good compass hidden in my camera, topographical maps, complete medicine kit right down to snake serum, and two collapsible canvas bags for water—”
“Plus the chocolate I brought, the dried foods, and vitamins—”
“Yes.
“Oh,” she said with a sinking heart. “It wasn’t you, then?”
“No of course not.” Peter looked shocked. “Are you sure?”
“Oh yes. Somebody did. Was yours?”
He shook his head. “No, I take the usual precautions. I’d have known right away.” His brows drew together into a frown. “I don’t get it, who would do such a thing, and why? And why
you?
”
“It was done very professionally,” she told him, “and it wouldn’t have been noticeable at all if I didn’t have my own way of packing, too. The lock wasn’t picked, and everything was left in order—but not the right order.” His scowl had turned into such a look of alarm that she added softly, “Don’t look so jarred, it was probably some sort of random security check.” She didn’t think at all that it was a security check, but she saw no point in worrying Peter just now when he had his plans to make. “In any case,” she told him cheerfully, “I think we should put it aside for the moment, there being other things to think about, don’t you agree? Which leads me to a question I’ve been waiting for some time to ask you. With enormous curiosity.”
She had succeeded in distracting him; he smiled. “Be my guest and ask, but I’ll bet I know what it is.”
She smiled back at him. “I’m sure you do: the one detail no one’s mentioned, and which didn’t seep through to me until too late to ask. You’re going to be escorting our friend Mr. Wang—X—out of the country, aren’t you.” She didn’t even bother to make it a question.
He nodded.
“Then as a bona fide member of a bona fide guidedtour, allowed to visit China as a tourist, how are you ever going to manage to vanish from the tour and gain freedom for your very risky undercover work? I can’t believe that you’ll just bolt. You wouldn’t have a chance, would you?”
He shook his head. “Not a chance in a million. No, there’ll be an accident.”
“Accident,” she repeated, watching his face intently. “What kind?”
“That’s up to me,” he told her. “I’ve a few ideas boiling around in my head but it depends on a lot of factors like terrain and circumstances and timing. I’ll be killed,” he added casually.
“Killed,” she repeated, and waited.
“In such a way there’ll be no trace of a body,” he explained, adding soberly, “and it’s growing on me fast that your help is going to be very much needed.”
“I see,” she said musingly. “Yes, it would have to be that, of course. The
only
way to vanish into China.”
“Yes—become a non-person. Without the Sepos in hot pursuit. A dead person.”
She shivered. “Not easy.”
“No.”
“And from the vitamins and dried food I’m carrying I deduce you’ll be heading for the mountains?”
He nodded. “There’s been the feeble hope that another route might open up, but I don’t think it will.”
“Very
high
mountains,” she said quietly. “And cold ones. Surely not through Tibet?”
“No, we can head around the Taklamakan desert toward Khotan and a pass over the Karakaroms.”
“The very thought chills me,” she admitted. “Literally as well as figuratively.”
He nodded. “That’s where I’ll need your help, too; you can help me find warm clothing and carry some of it in your suitcase when mine’s full.”
“Like what?” she asked, and reached for paper and pencil, glad to move her thoughts toward the practical.
He frowned as he concentrated. “What I did smuggle in is small stuff. I’ve got thermal underwear, two heavy ski masks rolled up, fake papers, and a heavy sweater. The windbreaker jacket I brought has a second one zipped inside it. I’ve knives, flashlights and batteries, a good compass hidden in my camera, topographical maps, complete medicine kit right down to snake serum, and two collapsible canvas bags for water—”
“Plus the chocolate I brought, the dried foods, and vitamins—”
“Yes.
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