Karr stared back at Haavikko, astonished. "I see. But then surely Marshal Tolonen ought to have it?"
Haavikko hesitated, then looked down, shaking his head.
"I understand," Karr said after a moment. "And maybe you're right. After what happened there's no reason why he should trust you, is there? The Marshal would see it only as an attempt to get back at Ebert. He'd think you had invented this to discredit your enemies."
Haavikko nodded, then looked up again, his eyes burning fiercely now. "But you two know Ebert. You know what he is. So maybe that,"—he indicated the notebook in Chen's hands—"incomplete as it is, will help us nail the bastard."
Chen looked up. "He's right, Oregon This makes interesting reading."
"Interesting, yes, but not conclusive."
Chen nodded thoughtfully, smiling back at Karr. "Exactly. Even so, it's a beginning."
"Something to work on."
"Yes . . ."
Haavikko saw how the two men smiled knowingly at each other and felt a sudden warmth—a sense of belonging—flood through him. He was alone no longer. Now there were three of them, and together they would break Ebert, expose him for the sham—the hollow shell—he was.
Karr looked back at him. "Is this the only copy?"
"No. There's a second copy, among some things I've willed to my sister, Vesa."
"Good," Karr turned to Chen. "In that case, you hang on to that copy, Chen. I'm giving you two-weeks paid leave. Starting tomorrow. I want you to follow up some of those leads. Especially those involving men known to be friends or business acquaintances of the Eberts."
"And if I find anything?"
There was a hammering at the outer door to the apartment. The three men turned, facing it, Kao Chen getting to his feet. There was an exchange of voices; then a moment later, Wang Ti appeared in the doorway.
"It's a messenger for you, Major Karr," she said, the use of Karr's rank indicating that the man was within hearing in the next room.
"I'll come," said Karr, but he was gone only a few moments. When he came back, his face was livid with anger.
"1 don't believe it. They're dead."
"Who?" said Chen, alarmed.
"The Ping Tiao cell. All eight of them." Karr's huge frame shuddered with indignation; then, his eyes looking inward, he nodded to himself. "Someone knew. Someone's beaten us to it."
ebert WAS standing with his Captain, Auden, laughing, his head thrown back, when Karr arrived. Signs of a heavy fire-fight were everywhere. Body bags lay to one side of the big intersection, while the corridors leading off were strewn with wreckage.
Karr looked about him at the carnage, then turned, facing Ebert. "Who was it?" he demanded.
"Who was what?" Ebert said tersely, almost belligerently.
"Was it DeVore?"
Ebert laughed coldly. "What are you talking about, Major Karr? They were Ping Tiao. But they're dead now. Eight less of the bastards to worry about."
Karr went still, suddenly realizing what had happened. "You killed them?"
Ebert looked at Auden again, a faint smile reappearing. "Every last one of them."
Karr clenched his fists, controlling himself. "Is there somewhere we can talk?" he said tightly. "Somewhere private?"
Auden indicated a room off to one side. "I'll post a guard."
"No need," said Karr. "We'll not be long."
When the door closed behind them, Karr rounded on Ebert.
"You stupid bastard! Why didn't you report what you were doing? Who gave you permission to go in without notifying me?"
Ebert's eyes flared. "I don't need your permission, Karr."
Karr leaned in on him angrily. "In this instance you did! Marshal Tolonen put me in charge of this investigation; and while it's still going on, you report to me, understand me, Major Ebert? Your precipitate action has well and truly fucked things up. I had this cell staked out."
Ebert looked up at the big man defiantly, spitting the words back at him. "Well, I've simply saved you the trouble, haven't I?"
Karr shook his head. "You arrogant bastard. Don't you understand? I didn't want them dead. We were going in tonight. I wanted at least one of them alive. Now the whole bloody lot of them will have gone to ground and the gods know when we'll get another chance like this."
Ebert was glaring back at him, his hands shaking with anger. "You're not pinning this on me, Karr. It's you who've fouled up, not me. I was just doing my job. Following up on evidence received. If you can't keep your fellow officers informed . . ."
Karr raised his hand, the fingers tensed, as if to strike Ebert in the face; then he slowly let the tension ease from him. Violence would achieve nothing.
"Did any of our men get hurt?"
There was an ugly movement in Ebert's face. He looked aside, his voice subdued. "A few ..."
"Meaning what?"
Ebert hesitated, then looked back at him again. "Four dead, six injured."
"Four dead! Ai ya! What the fuck were you up to?" Karr shook his head, then turned away, disgusted. "You're shit, Ebert, you know that? How could you possibly lose four men? You had only to wait. They'd have had to come at you."
Ebert glared pure hatred at the big man's back. "It wasn't as simple as that. . ."
Karr turned back. "You fucked up!"
Ebert looked away, then looked back, his whole manner suddenly more threatening. "I think you've said enough, Karr. Understand? I'm not a man to make an enemy of."
Karr laughed caustically. "You repeat yourself, Major Ebert. Or do you forget our first meeting." He leaned forward and spat between Ebert's feet. "There! That might jog your memory. You were a shit then and you're a shit now."
"I'm not afraid of you, Karr."
"No. . ." Karr nodded. "No, you're not a coward; I'll give you that. But you're still a disgrace to the T'ang's uniform, and if I can, I'll break you."
Ebert laughed scornfully. "You'll try."
"Yes, I'll try. Fucking hard, I'll try. But don't underestimate me, Hans Ebert. Just remember what I did to Master Hwa that time in the Pit. He underestimated me, and he's dead."
"Is that a threat?"
"Take it as you want. But between men, if you understand me. You go before the Marshal and I'll deny every last word. Like you yourself once did, ten years ago."
Ebert narrowed his eyes. "That officer with you—it's Haavikko, isn't it? I thought I recognized the little shit."
Karr studied Ebert a moment, knowing for certain now that Haavikko had told the truth about him; then he nodded. "Yes, Haavikko. But don't even think of trying anything against him. If he so much as bruises a finger without good reason, I'll come for you. And a thousand of your cronies won't stop me."
TSU MA STOOD in the courtyard of the stables at Tongjiang, waiting while the groom brought the Arab from its stall. He looked about him, for once strangely ill at ease, disconcerted to learn that she had ridden off ahead of him.
He had tried to cast her from his mind, to drive from his heart the spell she had cast over him; but it was no use. He was in love with her.
In love. He laughed, surprised at himself. It had never happened to him before. Never, in all his thirty-seven years.
He had only to close his eyes and the image of her would come to him, taking his breath. And then he would remember how it was, there on the island in the lantern light; how he had watched her lose herself in the tune she had been playing; how her voice had seemed the voice of his spirit singing, freed like a bird into the darkness of the night. And later, when he had been in the water, he had seen how she stood behind her husband, watching him, her eyes curious, lingering on his naked chest.
One life7, she had asked, standing in the doorway of the ruined temple. One life'! as if it meant something special. As if it invited him to touch her. But then, when he had leaned forward to brush her cheek, her neck, she had moved back as if he had transgressed; and all his knowledge of her had been shattered by her refusal.