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ke place after the hull was pushed from under the roof of the boathouse。
Satisfied everything was in order； Pitt casually walked back to the cabin and unpacked one of the two large cartons air…expressed by Yaeger。 He sat down at the kitchen table and spread out the chart of Orion Lake he had requested。 The depth soundings showed the lake bed sloping gently from the shore； then leveling off for a short distance at a depth of thirty feet before dropping off steeply in the middle of the lake to over four hundred feet。 Far too deep for a diver without the proper equipment and a surface crew； Pitt figured。 No man…made obstructions were marked。 The only wreck shown was an old fishing boat that had sunk off the cannery。 The lake's average water temperature was forty…one degrees Fahrenheit； far too cold for swimming but ideal for fishing and boating。
Pitt barbecued an elk steak for an early dinner； mixed a salad and ate at a table on the porch overlooking the lake。 He leisurely sipped an Olympia beer before setting the bottle on the table and stepping into the kitchen； where he extended the tripod legs on a brass telescope。 He set it in the middle of the kitchen away from the window to make it difficult for anyone from the outside to observe his activity in the shadows。 He crouched over the eyepiece and focused on Qin Shang's retreat。 The high…powered magnification made it possible for Pitt to observe two players on the golf course behind the house。 Duffers； he deduced。 They took four putts apiece to send their balls into the cup。 His circular field of vision strayed to the guesthouses nestled under a grove of trees growing behind the main house。 Except for a maid making the rounds； they looked unoccupied。 There was no neatly manicured lawn in the open spaces。 The grounds were left natural with meadow grass and wildflowers。
A huge porte cochere extended from the building over the driveway so VIP guests could get in and out of automobiles without getting wet in bad weather。 The main entry was guarded by two great bronze reclining lions on each side of a stairway that led to rosewood doors standing the height of three men。 He refocused the telescope and discerned the beautifully carved dragon motif on the panels。 The expansive golden…tiled； pagoda…styled roof seemed utterly incongruous with the walls of copper…tinted solar glass that wrapped the entire lower structure。 The three…story house itself was set in a spacious clearing a stone's throw from the shoreline。
He lowered the telescope a fraction and studied the dock that extended half the length of a football field into the waters of the lake。 Two boats were tied alongside。 Nothing fancy about the smaller one。 The stubby twin catamaran hulls held a large； boxlike cabin with no portholes or windows。 A wheel…house was perched on the roof； and the entire vessel was painted as black as a hearse； not a color often seen on the upperworks of a boat。 The second could have qualified as a ship。 She was a looker； an elegant motor yacht with a sky…lounge on a hull over 120 feet in length； the kind that stopped people hi their tracks。 Pitt estimated her beam at nearly thirty feet。 Designed for luxurious fort； her classic lines enhanced
her from a mere yacht to a floating masterwork。 Probably built either in Singapore or Hong Kong； Pitt guessed。 Even with a shallow draft； it would take a good pilot to navigate her through the river running from the lake to open water。
As he watched； diesel smoke trailed from the stack of the work boat。 In a few moments its crew cast off the mooring lines； and it began moving across the lake toward the river outlet。 A very strange craft； Pitt thought。 It looked like a wooden shipping crate on two pontoons。 He could not begin to imagine what its builder had in mind。
On land； except for the maid and two golfers； the premises looked deserted。 There was no hint of security systems。 He could find no visible sign of mounted video cameras； but he knew they had to be there。 No guards patrolling the grounds either； unless they had learned the art of invisibility。 The only objects that seemed out of place with the landscape were several windowless structures built out of logs。 Similar to the hostel…type huts used by hunters and hikers； they were spaced at strategic locations around the lake。 He counted three and guessed that more were hidden in the woods。 The third one seemed curiously mislaid。 It floated at the end of the dock and looked like a small boathouse。 As with the strange black boat； there were no windows or doors。 He gazed at it for nearly a full minute； trying to fathom its purpose and speculate on what was inside。
A slight shift in the telescope； and the focal point of his interest was rewarded。 Only a small piece showed from behind a stand of spruce。 Not much； but enough to lay to rest his curiosity about the security setup。 The roof of a neatly hidden recreation vehicle revealed a small forest of antennae and reception dishes。 In a short clearing beyond； what appeared to be a small aircraft hangar sat beside a narrow runway that was only fifty yards in length。 Definitely not the sort of layout that would facilitate the use of a helicopter。 Ultralight aircraft； perhaps？ Pitt conjectured。 Yes； that had to be the answer。
〃A state…of…the…art setup；〃 he muttered softly to himself。
And a state…of…the…art setup it was； too。 He recognized the RV as a mobile mand post of the type that presidential Secret Service agents often operated from when the President traveled away； from Washington。 Pitt began to understand the purpose of the log huts。 The next step was to provoke a response。
It seemed silly to go to so much effort out of bored inquisi…tiveness。 He had yet to receive Yaeger's report。 For all he knew； Shang was a humanitarian； a philanthropist and a spiritual inspiration； someone Pitt could respect。 Pitt wasn't an investigator； he was a marine engineer。 Most of his work took place beneath the sea。 Why he even bothered was a mystery。 But a tiny flag went up in his mind。 Shang's lifestyle didn't hold water。 This wouldn't be the first time Pitt had meddled in something that didn't concern him。 The most pelling reason to jump in was that Pitt's intuition was almost always right on the money。
As if on cue； the tone on his Indium phone sounded。 Only Hiram Yaeger knew his code。 He stepped a safe distance outside the cabin before answering。 〃Hiram？〃
〃Your boy Shang is a real piece of work；〃 Yaeger said without preamble。
〃What have you got on him？〃 asked Pitt。
〃This guy lives like a Roman emperor。 Huge entourage。 Palatial homes around the world； yachts； a bevy of gorgeous women； jet aircraft； an army of security people。 If ever someone qualified for Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous； it's Shang。〃
〃What did you learn about his operations？〃
〃Damned little。 Every time Max…〃
〃Max？〃
〃Max is my buddy。 He lives inside my puter。〃
〃If you say so。 Go on。〃
〃Every time Max tried to get into a data file with Shang's name on it； puters from just about every intelligence agency in town blocked our inquiries and demanded to know our business。 It seems you're not the only one interest