Barbara Faith - Kiss of the dragon Read Online Free Page B
Author: mag
me my father was a crook?" she snapped.
"No, I'm trying to tell you the way it was." Tiger stood up abruptly and said, "Let's get some air." He took her hand and led her out of the salon onto the deck. As they stood looking out over the water Tiger continued, "Your father sent you to Hong Kong because there was something he wanted you to know, something he wanted you to do."
When Bethany didn't answer Tiger put his hands on her shoulders and turned her so that she would face him. "We cannot judge what our fathers did because the times were so different then. They lived with danger every day of their lives. Perhaps the excitement of smuggling... of black marketeering took their minds off the fact that the next time they went up they might never come back."
Bethany tried to step away from him, but Tiger held her. "One of the things they smuggled was a statue from the Sung dynasty. Warlords had been fighting over it since the eleventh century. It has fallen into many different hands in the last few hundred years and caused many deaths."
Bethany tried to struggle out of his grip but his hands tightened. "The statue is of a golden dragon. Our fathers brought it from Sichuan to Nanchang on consignment. But the man who hired them was murdered before they could deliver it. So they kept it." His voice lowered to an almost whisper. "Forty years ago the golden dragon had a market value of half a million dollars. Today its value has quadrupled."
Tiger released his grip on her arms. "The golden dragon is in China, Bethany, in the same place our fathers hid it over forty years ago."
"But if..." Bethany moistened her lips. "But if what you say is true, why didn't they take it out years ago?"
"There was a war going on. They couldn't have sold anything that valuable at that time, so they left it there until after the war. But after the war the world changed; China became a communist country and Chiang Kai-shek fled to Taiwan. China was closed to foreigners, and no one could get in or out."
"But China opened up later," Bethany said. "Why didn't they go after it then?"
"I have asked myself the same question. The only reason I could come up with is that maybe, after all these years, they realized how dangerous it might be to go after it."
"Dangerous?" Bethany looked at him. "But my father gave me the key. He wanted me to get the statue."
"It will take two keys to open the place where it is hidden," Tiger said. "I have the other key. I will go after the dragon."
Bethany took a deep breath to steady herself because she knew that what he'd told her was true. She believed there really was a golden dragon. And if there was, then part of it belonged to her, as part of the risk belonged to her.
She looked into his jade-green eyes and said, "When you go after the dragon, I'm going with you."
TOSHIBA
Chapter 3
" T hat's impossible!"
"Why?" Bethany faced him, hands on her hips, chin thrust forward.
"Because it will probably be dangerous."
She shook her head impatiently, obvious disbelief written on her face. "If you're willing to face danger to claim your half of the dragon then so am I. If the dragon is where our fathers left it we just go and get it. We..." She stopped. "You do know where the dragon is, don't you?"
Tiger shook his head. "But I'm sure my mother does. I think she has known for years but she has never touched it because she disapproved when our fathers decided to keep the dragon." He faced Bethany. "I will go to Kwantung and talk to Mother and tell her about you. I will show her your father's letter and she will understand that it is time to get the dragon."
Tiger hesitated, then attempting to make Bethany understand said, "If there is any danger it's better that I go alone, no one will be curious about me. I'm half Chinese and can move about freely. I'll get the dragon and bring it back here to Hong Kong. Then we'll locate a dealer, and when it's sold we'll divide whatever it brings."
Bethany nodded.
"No, I'm trying to tell you the way it was." Tiger stood up abruptly and said, "Let's get some air." He took her hand and led her out of the salon onto the deck. As they stood looking out over the water Tiger continued, "Your father sent you to Hong Kong because there was something he wanted you to know, something he wanted you to do."
When Bethany didn't answer Tiger put his hands on her shoulders and turned her so that she would face him. "We cannot judge what our fathers did because the times were so different then. They lived with danger every day of their lives. Perhaps the excitement of smuggling... of black marketeering took their minds off the fact that the next time they went up they might never come back."
Bethany tried to step away from him, but Tiger held her. "One of the things they smuggled was a statue from the Sung dynasty. Warlords had been fighting over it since the eleventh century. It has fallen into many different hands in the last few hundred years and caused many deaths."
Bethany tried to struggle out of his grip but his hands tightened. "The statue is of a golden dragon. Our fathers brought it from Sichuan to Nanchang on consignment. But the man who hired them was murdered before they could deliver it. So they kept it." His voice lowered to an almost whisper. "Forty years ago the golden dragon had a market value of half a million dollars. Today its value has quadrupled."
Tiger released his grip on her arms. "The golden dragon is in China, Bethany, in the same place our fathers hid it over forty years ago."
"But if..." Bethany moistened her lips. "But if what you say is true, why didn't they take it out years ago?"
"There was a war going on. They couldn't have sold anything that valuable at that time, so they left it there until after the war. But after the war the world changed; China became a communist country and Chiang Kai-shek fled to Taiwan. China was closed to foreigners, and no one could get in or out."
"But China opened up later," Bethany said. "Why didn't they go after it then?"
"I have asked myself the same question. The only reason I could come up with is that maybe, after all these years, they realized how dangerous it might be to go after it."
"Dangerous?" Bethany looked at him. "But my father gave me the key. He wanted me to get the statue."
"It will take two keys to open the place where it is hidden," Tiger said. "I have the other key. I will go after the dragon."
Bethany took a deep breath to steady herself because she knew that what he'd told her was true. She believed there really was a golden dragon. And if there was, then part of it belonged to her, as part of the risk belonged to her.
She looked into his jade-green eyes and said, "When you go after the dragon, I'm going with you."
TOSHIBA
Chapter 3
" T hat's impossible!"
"Why?" Bethany faced him, hands on her hips, chin thrust forward.
"Because it will probably be dangerous."
She shook her head impatiently, obvious disbelief written on her face. "If you're willing to face danger to claim your half of the dragon then so am I. If the dragon is where our fathers left it we just go and get it. We..." She stopped. "You do know where the dragon is, don't you?"
Tiger shook his head. "But I'm sure my mother does. I think she has known for years but she has never touched it because she disapproved when our fathers decided to keep the dragon." He faced Bethany. "I will go to Kwantung and talk to Mother and tell her about you. I will show her your father's letter and she will understand that it is time to get the dragon."
Tiger hesitated, then attempting to make Bethany understand said, "If there is any danger it's better that I go alone, no one will be curious about me. I'm half Chinese and can move about freely. I'll get the dragon and bring it back here to Hong Kong. Then we'll locate a dealer, and when it's sold we'll divide whatever it brings."
Bethany nodded.
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