Free The White Mountain by David Wingrove Page A

involved in the assassination of Minister Lwo Kang. Do you remember?’
    Tolonen laughed. ‘Gods! That must have been eleven years ago. And you did that?’
    Haavikko made the smallest movement of his head. ‘That’s how it began. But I extended it. I kept a record of anything I felt wasn’t right – anything that didn’t quite make sense to me. Then, recently, I teamed up with Kao Chen and your man Karr.’
    â€˜Good men,’ Tolonen said, nodding his approval.
    â€˜Yes.’ Haavikko smiled then grew serious again. ‘Anyway, what you have there is the result of our investigations. My original list, my notes and a few other things. Computer files. Hologram images.’
    Tolonen lifted the package and turned it in his hand, then set it down on his knee and reached out to take Haavikko’s hand again. ‘And you want me to look at it?’
    â€˜Yes…’
    Tolonen considered a moment. He had promised Jelka he would dine with her later on, but maybe he would cancel that. He could always say he was tired. Jelka would understand. He smiled broadly at Haavikko. ‘Of course. It’s the very least I could do.’
    Haavikko looked back at him, his eyes moist. ‘Thank you,’ he said, his voice almost a whisper. ‘Thank you, sir.’
    Tolonen sat there, clasping the young man’s hand. The ache in his left shoulder was much stronger now. It was probably time for his medication, but he felt loath to leave the young man.
    â€˜I must go now,’ he said softly. ‘But I promise you I’ll look at your files. Later. When it’s quiet.’
    Haavikko smiled, his eyes closed. Slowly his mouth relaxed. In a moment he was asleep.
    Tolonen placed the young man’s hand gently back on the sheets then got stiffly to his feet. Twice lucky, he thought, remembering the attack at Nanking spaceport. He made his way across, then turned, looking back, noticing for the first time just how pale Haavikko was. He stood there a moment longer, absently scratching at the dressing at his shoulder, then desisted, annoyed with himself.
    He looked down at the silver arm and sighed, remembering how Jelka had fussed when she’d first seen it. But there was steel in her too. She had borne up bravely. So too this young man. Oh, he would make things up. He was determined on it. Would find a way of making things right again.
    Tolonen yawned, then, smiling sadly to himself, turned away, leaving the young officer to sleep.
    Tsu Ma lifted the dish and brushed his thumb across its silken, contoured surface. It was a perfect piece: black lacquer carved with two waterfowl against a background of lotus. Fourteenth century, from the last years of the Yuan dynasty. He smiled to himself, then turned to face Li Yuan.
    â€˜Two years they would labour to make one of these. Two years of a master craftsman’s life. And at the end, this. This small fragment of dark perfection.’
    Li Yuan looked across at him, turning from the view of the bay and the sugarloaf mountain beyond. He had not been listening, but he saw the lacquered dish in Tsu Ma’s hands and nodded. ‘That piece is beautiful. Hou Ti had many fine things.’
    Tsu Ma held his eyes a moment. ‘These days some think of them as primitive, ignorant men. Barbarians. But look at this. Is this barbarian?’ He shook his head slowly, his eyes returning to the dish. ‘As if the mere passage of years could make our species more sophisticated.’
    Li Yuan laughed and came closer. ‘Your point, Tsu Ma?’
    Behind them, at the far side of the long room, the rest of the Seven were gathered, talking among themselves.
    Tsu Ma set the dish down, letting his fingers rest in its shallow bowl, then looked up at Li Yuan again. ‘Just that there are those here who think the future better than the past simply because it is the future. Who believe that change is good simply because it is change. They