Part 28 (1/2)

”I don't even have that much to spare.”

She fell silent.

”You got a credit card?” he asked.

”Of course.”

”Well?”

She looked at him sharply. ”Well what? Would I put up the money?”

”We've come this far! Alice, you saw it-the monkey sun G.o.d-the cave-the fossils're in there!”

”But why should I-”

”Look, I know how this must sound to you. But I would pay you just as soon as I could.”

”Bie shuo-le, ” she said in Chinese without thinking, Don't talk like that. ” she said in Chinese without thinking, Don't talk like that.

”You mean you will?”

”I didn't say that.”

”But you will?”

”I have to think.”

”Alice, I would-”

”Save your breath.” She cut him off.

He stopped.

Who am I really? she thought. Am I a woman who's careful, who follows the set plan, does only her duty? Because there is no need for me to go any farther than I've gone already; I've given all this time without pay. So I could stop. Or I could commit to go on, a little farther, into all this that I never expected in my wildest dreams to happen. Breaking some Breaking some respected boundaries means a torrent of new life. respected boundaries means a torrent of new life. And Lin. Lin wants Peking Man, wants it so badly.... ”Anyway,” she said. ”That's the way to negotiate. We get a much smaller amount of cash, we show it to Shan-U.S. dollars, you never know-he just might take it.” And Lin. Lin wants Peking Man, wants it so badly.... ”Anyway,” she said. ”That's the way to negotiate. We get a much smaller amount of cash, we show it to Shan-U.S. dollars, you never know-he just might take it.”

”But where are we supposed to get actual U.S. dollars in Eren Obo?”

”Oh, that's that's no problem. That, they'll have.” no problem. That, they'll have.”

”What? No phones here, no running water...”

She rolled her eyes. ”You are so naive, Adam. You're right, there's not much here in Eren Obo. But I guarantee you, they will will have American currency.” have American currency.”

The next day Alice went to the village bank. She had decided to front Spencer's money and he had fallen all over himself, thanking her, the night before. ”Don't thank me,” she had said. ”It's only a loan. And don't you think I'm I'm dying to go into the cave too?” Now as she entered the single desk-crammed room inside a tiny loess-brick structure to draw money on her credit card, she noticed something odd. dying to go into the cave too?” Now as she entered the single desk-crammed room inside a tiny loess-brick structure to draw money on her credit card, she noticed something odd.

”Is that a phone?” she asked.

”Does it look like a phone?” the Mongol inquired.

”Of course. Sorry.”

He shrugged and went back to counting out her money in U.S. tens and twenties.

”Might I use it?”

He stared at her as if she had asked for a free camel. ”This is the only telephone in the village! It is for the bank's use.”

”Pitiable,” she said softly.

He gazed at the amazing pile of American money, mouth working silently. Finally he said, ”Of course, for a small fee, the bank might consider allowing its use. I'm not too clear. I could ask. We're talking about an emergency, of course.”

”Of course,” she agreed, and took her money and left.

Kong Zhen had also noted the presence of a telephone in the bank; he possessed an internal radar that guided him infallibly to available telecommunications devices. A gift of rough, sweet local wine to the bank manager came first. Then, the next day, he casually asked permission to make a call to Beijing.

Kong chose the time with care. It was early morning; the bank would be half empty. In Beijing, his cousin Vice Director Han would just be sitting down at his desk, with tea. And then the phone would ring.

”Have you eaten, elder cousin?” Kong asked amiably when first greetings had been exchanged.

”Yes, and you?”

”Yes, thank you. Your family?”

”They're well.”

”Good. Then.” Kong Zhen paused to signal a little s.h.i.+ft. Ordinarily the pleasantries would have gone on longer, but the call was expensive and the bank manager's patience limited. So he plunged on: ”Have you taken care of our-our surveillance problem?”

”Eh, yes,” the vice director said. ”I spoke to District Commander Gao. It's most regrettable what happened to the American female. The commander agrees. But you know- provincial officials-what can you do?”

”Yes. Yes of course. So the situation now ... ?” He let the question trail off.

”Beijing Command will advise them. I think they'll discontinue. Now. What about Peking Man?”

Kong sighed. ”The group is no closer to finding it. Though there have been ... clues. Speaking frankly, the American is right about some things. But the fossils themselves? No. Nothing yet.” Kong naturally downplayed how close they were to the remains, to the cave. There was no reason to build the vice director up and then disappoint him later. And there was every reason to start drawing his interest away from Peking Man so he could be made to see the incredible Late Paleolithic research that was everywhere here in the Northwest, waiting to be done. He, Kong, saw a future for himself here. Maybe a future with Dr. Spencer.

Kong liked the American. He liked working with him even though they couldn't talk without a go-between. With Dr. Spencer he felt at ease. He knew he should keep a little more distance-after all, Spencer was an outsider-but he didn't.

Eh, Kong thought, my face has always been too open. He thought of the many times his wife had complained at his lack of guile, a quality dangerous for all zhi s.h.i.+ fenzi, fenzi, intellectuals, who came of age first during the famine, and then the Cultural Revolution. ”You worthless bone!” she had accused him, so often - ”Think before you speak! Breathe through the same nostrils as your superiors! Consider every step, every word-” Of course, she had been right, Baoling had; the slightest mistake during those years-when an idle story told by one man could instantly become fact in the mouths of ten thousand- could bring a man down, and all his family with him. Kong had been one of the lucky ones. He had survived, his wife and son had survived, and he had been allowed to continue as an archaeologist. ”Elder cousin,” he said now, ”it is difficult to call you from this place. But be a.s.sured I will call-if anything occurs.” intellectuals, who came of age first during the famine, and then the Cultural Revolution. ”You worthless bone!” she had accused him, so often - ”Think before you speak! Breathe through the same nostrils as your superiors! Consider every step, every word-” Of course, she had been right, Baoling had; the slightest mistake during those years-when an idle story told by one man could instantly become fact in the mouths of ten thousand- could bring a man down, and all his family with him. Kong had been one of the lucky ones. He had survived, his wife and son had survived, and he had been allowed to continue as an archaeologist. ”Elder cousin,” he said now, ”it is difficult to call you from this place. But be a.s.sured I will call-if anything occurs.”

”Thank you,” the vice director said. ”Duo bao zhong.” ”Duo bao zhong.” Guard your health. Guard your health.

”Bici.”

When he had hung up and stepped out onto the iridescent limestone steps and down into the dirt street, Professor Kong replayed the conversation in his mind. The hunter-gatherer work, that was what he wanted now. He hoped he'd been sufficiently casual with his cousin. He hoped he'd handled it right. He wanted all his doors left open.

The soldier who had been standing stiffly at the entrance to the cave motioned to Kuyuk. ”They may enter now.”