cc.goldenbuddha-第2部分

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　Disguised　as　a　front　pany　named　Himalayan　Air　Services；　the　armada　consisted　of　fourteen　C…47s：　ten　that　could　drop　supplies　and　four　that　had　just　been　converted　to　first…generation　gunships。　This　force　was　augmented　with　six　F…86　fighters　and　a　lone；　fresh…offthe…assembly…line　Boeing　B…52　heavy　bomber。　
　
　
　ALAN　DULLES　SAT　in　the　Oval　Office；　puffing　on　his　pipe　and　pointing　out　the　situation　to　President　Eisenhower。　Then　the　CIA　director　sat　back　and　let　the　president　think　for　a　moment。　Several　minutes　passed　in　silence。　
　〃Mr。　President；〃　he　said　at　last；　〃the　CIA　took　the　liberty　of　arranging　a　first…strike　force　in　Burma。　If　you　say　the　word；　they'll　be　airborne　in　an　hour。〃　
　Since　his　election　in　1952；　Eisenhower　had　faced　the　McCarthy　hearings；　the　first　advisors　into　Vietnam　and　a　heart　attack。　He'd　had　to　order　ten　thousand　troops　to　Little　Rock；　Arkansas；　to　enforce　integration；　witness　the　Soviets　take　the　lead　in　space；　and　have　his　vice　president　stoned　by　hostile　crowds　in　Latin　America。　Now　Cuba　had　a　munist　leader　only　ninety　miles　from　U。S。　soil。　He　was　weary。　
　〃No；　Alan；〃　he　said　quietly；　after　a　pause。　〃I　learned　as　a　general　that　you　have　to　know　how　to　pick　your　fights。　We　need　to　stay　clear　of　this　Tibet　situation　right　now。〃　
　Dulles　rose　and　shook　Eisenhower's　hand。　〃I'll　notify　my　men；〃　he　said。　
　In　Overholt's　mand　post　in　Lhasa；　the　ashtray　on　the　table　near　the　radio　was　filled　with　the　stubs　of　unfiltered　cigarettes。　Hours　passed；　with　only　the　confirmation　that　the　radio　transmission　had　been　received。　Every　half　hour；　Tibetan　messengers　delivered　intelligence。　Visual　reconnaissance　reported　that　the　crowds　outside　the　palaces　near　Lhasa　were　growing　minute　by　minute；　but　the　messengers　were　unable　to　take　an　accurate　count。　Tibetans　continued　to　stream　down　from　the　mountains；　armed　with　sticks；　rocks　and　knives。　The　milling　mass　would　be　cannon　fodder　for　the　well…armed　Chinese。　
　So　far　the　Chinese　had　taken　no　action；　but　the　reports　mentioned　troop　buildups　on　the　roads　leading　into　the　fabled　city。　Overholt　had　seen　this　same　scenario　unfold　five　years　ago　in　Guatemala；　when　a　crowd　supporting　the　antimunist　rebels　under　Carlos　Armas　had　suddenly　sparked。　Chaos　had　ensued。　Forces　under　President　Jacobo　Arbenz　had　begun　to　fire　into　the　crowd　to　restore　order；　and　before　dawn　broke；　the　hospitals　and　morgues　had　been　filled　to　capacity。　Overholt　had　organized　the　demonstration　and　the　knowledge　clouded　his　mind　like　a　shroud。　
　Just　then　the　radio　crackled。　
　〃Top　Hat　negative；　over。〃　
　Overholt's　heart　skipped　a　beat。　The　planes　he　sought　were　not　ing。　
　〃Papa　Bear　will　okay　sweeping　the　path　if　critically　necessary　during　extraction。　Advise　on　departure　and　subsequent　travel；　over。〃　
　Eisenhower　said　not　to　attack　Lhasa；　Overholt　thought；　but　Dulles　has　agreed　to　cover　the　escape　out　of　Tibet　on　his　own；　if　it　came　to　that。　If　he　worked　things　right；　Overholt　thought；　he　wouldn't　need　to　put　his　boss's　ass　on　the　line。　
　〃Sir？〃　the　radio　operator　asked。　
　Overholt　was　jarred　from　his　thoughts。　
　〃They're　expecting　a　reply；〃　the　operator　said　quietly。　
　Overholt　reached　for　the　microphone。　〃Acknowledged　and　agreed；〃　Overholt　said；　〃and　thank　Papa　Bear　for　the　gesture。　We'll　call　from　the　road。　Closing　office；　over。〃　
　The　radio　operator　stared　up　at　Overholt。　〃Guess　that's　that。〃　
　〃Break　it　all　down；〃　Overholt　said　quietly；　〃we'll　be　leaving　soon。〃　
　
　INSIDE　THE　YELLOW　wall；　preparations　for　the　Dalai　Lama's　escape　into　exile　were　moving　at　a　blistering　pace。　Overholt　was　cleared　past　the　guards　and　waited　to　be　seen。　Five　minutes　later；　the　Dalai　Lama；　wearing　his　black…framed　prescription　glasses　and　yellow　robes；　entered　the　office　in　the　administration　room。　The　spiritual　leader　of　Tibet　looked　weary　but　resigned。　
　〃I　can　tell　by　your　face；〃　he　said　quietly；　〃no　help　is　ing。〃　
　〃I'm　sorry；　Your　Holiness；〃　Overholt　replied。　〃I　did　all　that　I　could。〃　
　〃Yes；　Langston；　I　am　certain　you　did。　However；　the　situation　is　as　it　is；〃　the　Dalai　Lama　noted；　〃so　I　have　decided　to　go　into　exile。　I　cannot　risk　the　chance　of　my　people　being　slaughtered。〃　
　Overholt　had　arrived　expecting　to　use　all　his　powers　of　persuasion　to　convince　the　Dalai　Lama　to　fleeinstead　he　found　the　decision　had　already　been　made。　He　should　have　expected　as　muchover　the　years　he　had　grown　to　know　the　Dalai　Lama；　and　he　had　never　seen　anything　that　made　him　doubt　the　leader's　mitment　to　his　people。　
　〃My　men　and　I　would　like　to　acpany　you；〃　Overholt　offered。　〃We　have　detailed　maps；　radios　and　some　supplies。〃　
　〃We'd　be　glad　to　have　you　e　along；〃　the　Dalai　Lama　said。　〃We　leave　shortly。〃　
　The　Dalai　Lama　turned　to　leave。　
　〃I　wish　I　could　have　done　more；〃　Overholt　said。　
　〃Things　are　as　they　are；〃　the　Dalai　Lama　said　at　the　door。　〃For　now；　however；　you　should　assemble　your　men　and　meet　us　at　the　river。〃　
　HIGH　ABOVE　NORBULINGKA；　the　sky　was　dotted　with　a　trillion　stars。　The　moon；　only　days　away　from　being　full；　lit　the　ground　with　a　yellow　diffused　glow。　A　stillness；　a　quiet。　The　night　birds　that　normally　warbled　their　haunting　songs　were　silent。　The　domesticated　animals　inside　the　poundmusk　deer；　mountain　goats；　camels；　a　single　aged　tiger　and　the　peacocks　that　ran　loosebarely　stirred。　A　light　TWO　DAYS　INTO　the　journey；　across　the　sixteen…thousand…foot　Che…La　Pass　and　over　the　Tsangpo　River；　the　group　stopped　for　the　night　at　the　monastery　at　Ra…Me。　Messengers　racing　on　horseback　caught　up　with　the　party　and　brought　news　that　the　Chinese　had　shelled　Norbulingka　and　machine…gunned　the　helpless　crowd。　Thousands　had　been　killed。　The　news　cast　a　pall　over　the　Dalai　Lama。　
　Overholt　had　reported　their　progress　by　radio　and　felt　relieved　there　had　been　no　need　to　call　for　help。　The　route　had　been　expertly　chosen　to　avoid　any　conflict　with　the　Chinese。　He　and　his　men　were　exhausted；　but　the　hardy　Nepalese　pushed　on　without　pause。　The　town　of　Lhuntse　Dzong　was　behind　them；　as　was　the　village　of　Jhora。　
　Karpo　Pass；　the　border　with　India；　was　less　than　a　day's　ride。　
　And　then　it　began　to　snow。　A　blizzard　with　howling　winds　and　low　clouds　hunkered　down　over　Mangmang；　the　last　Tibetan　town　before　the　Indian　border。　The　Dalai　Lama；　already　exhausted　by　the　journey　and　stressed　by　the　knowledge　that　many　of　his　countrymen　lay　dead　and　dying；　took　ill。　His　last　night　in　his　country　was　torment。　
　To　ease　his　journey；　he　was　placed　on　the　back　of　an　animal　called　a　dzomo；　which　was　a　cross　between　a　yak　and　a　horse。　As　the　dzomo　climbed　the　side　of　Karpo　Pass；　the　Dalai　Lama　paused　to　glance　at　his　beloved　Tibetan　soil　one　last　time。　
　Overholt　pulled　closer　on　his　horse。　He　waited　until　the　Dalai　Lama　glanced　his　way。　〃My　country　never　forgets；〃　he　said；　〃and　someday　we　will　bring　you　back　home。〃　
　The　Dalai　Lama　nodded；　then　patted　the　dzomo's　neck　and　steered　it　into　exile。　To　the　rear　of　the　column；　the　monk　pulling　the　cart　containing　the　priceless　artifact　braced　his　legs　as　he　crested　the　pass　and　started　down　the　grade。　The　six…hundred…pound　weight；　so　heavy　on　the　climb　up　the　pass；　now　wanted　to　run　free。　He　dug　in　his　heels。　
　
　THE　PRESENT　DAY　
　EIGHT　IN　THE　evening。　From　out　of　the　south；　like　a　dark　insect　crawling　over　a　wrinkled　blue　tablecloth；　a　tired　old　cargo　ship　pushed　her　way　through　the　Caribbean　swells　toward　the　entrance　of　Santiago　Harbor　on　the　isle　of　Cuba。　The　exhaust　from　her　single　funnel　drifted　in　a　blue　haze　under　an　easterly　breeze　as　the　sun　settled　below　the　western　horizon　and　became　a　ponderous　orange　ball　magnified　by　the　earth's　atmosphere。　
　She　was　one　of　the　last　tramp　steamers；　a　cargo　ship　that　traveled　the　sea　anonymously　to　the　exotic　and　far…flung　ports　of　the　world。　There　were　few　left　in　operation。　They　did　not　follow　a　regular　shipping　route。　Their　schedules　depended　on　the　demands　of　their　cargo　and　its　owners；　so　their　destinations　changed　from　port　to　port。　They　coasted　in；　unloaded　their　freight　and　sailed　away　like　wraiths　in　the　night。　
　Two　miles　from　shore；　a　small　boat　slapped　over　the　rolling　sea；　approached　the　ship　and　swung　around　on　a　parallel　course。　The　pilot　closed　on　the　rust…streaked　hull　as　a　boarding　ladder　was　thrown　down　from　an　open　hatch。　
　The　pilot；　a　man　in　his　fifties　with　brown　skin　and　thick　gray　hair；　stared　up　at　the　ancient　ship。　Her　black　paint　was　faded　and　badly　needed　to　be　chipped　away　and　repainted。　Streams　of　rust　flowed　from　every　opening　in　the　hull。　The　huge　anchor；　pulled　tightly　in　its　hawse…hole；　was　pletely　covered　by　corrosion。　The　pilot　read　the　letters；　barely　discernible　on　the　upper　bow。　The　weary　old　freighter　was　named　Oregon。　
　Jesus　Morales　shook　his　head　in　amazement。　It　was　a　miracle　the　ship　hadn't　been　scrapped　twenty　years　ago；　he　mused。　She　looked　more　like　a　derelict　than　a　cargo　carrier　still　in　service。　He　wondered　if　the　party　bureaucrats　in　the　Ministry　of　Transportation　had　any　idea　of　the　condition　of　the　ship　they　had　contracted　to　bring　in　a　cargo　of　chemical　fertilizer　for　the　sugar　and　tobacco　fields。　He　could　not　believe　the　ship　had　passed　maritime　insurance　inspection。　
　As　the　ship　slowed　almost　to　a　dead　stop；　Morales　stood　at　the　railing　and　the　pilot　boat's　bumpers　squeezed　against　the　freighter's　hull。　Timing　the　crest　of　a　wave　as　it　lifted　the　boat；　Morales　leaped　agilely　from　the　wet　deck　onto　the　boarding　ladder　and　climbed　to　the　hatch。　It　was　a　function　he　performed　as　often　as　ten　times　a　day。　A　pair　of　crewmen　were　waiting　beside　the　hatch　and　helped　him　up　on　the　deck。　The　two　were　both　burly…looking　individuals；　and　they　did　not　bother　to　smile　in　greeting。　One　simply　pointed　toward　the　ladder　leading　to　the　bridge。　Then　they　turned　and　left　Morales　standing　alone　on　the　deck。　Watching　them　walk　away；　Morales　hoped　that　he'd　never　have　to　meet　them　in　a　dark　alley。　
　He　paused　before　climbing　the　ladder　and　took　a　few　moments　to　study　the　upper　works　of　the　ship。　
　From　his　long　experience　and　knowledge　of　ships；　he　judged　her　length　at　560　feet；　with　a　75…foot　beam。　Probably　a　gross　tonnage　　around　11；000。　Five　derricks；　two　behind　the　funnel　and　superstructure　and　three　on　the　forward　deck；　stood　waiting　to　un