Indiana Jones and the Dinosaur Eggs by Max McCoy Read Free Book Online Page B

brushing tears away with the back of her hand. "Oh, I know what you're thinking now—you're thinking how weak I am, and how I cry at the drop of a hat. Well, let me tell you something. I'm not crying for me. I'm crying for you two because you're such Neanderthals."
    Indy leaned over the map and jabbed his finger into the center of Mongolia.
    "Urga," he said. "You go as far as Urga. And that's it."

    If the patrons of the Lotus Eaters nightclub knew that Asia was poised on the brink of war, they did not show it. The well-dressed international crowd, Indy thought, was a microcosm of the rest of the world: they drank and dined and danced as if the party would never end.
    Joan's habit had not raised a single eyebrow in the exotic cabaret, where the dance floor was crowded with the uniforms and noisy with the tongues of a dozen nations. The only Chinese faces in the crowd were those of the waiters, the jazz band, which tried fiercely but unsuccessfully to capture the Dixieland sound, and the club's proprietor, a round-faced gangster by the name of Lao Che. Despite Lao's rotund appearance, his hard eyes had a decidedly wolfish gleam.
    Indy knew him by reputation, but had never met him.
    "This is the busiest nightclub in Shanghai," Wu Han boasted. "All of the best people come here."
    "If these are the best," Indy said, "I would hate to see the worst." He had been watching the steady stream of traffic past Lao Che's corner table, and noted with dissatisfaction the amount of money that had crossed the table. Set into the wall behind the table was a locked cabinet that held rows of jars; the majority were of stone, but a few were ornately carved ivory or jade.
    "I'm sorry," Wu Han said, crestfallen. "Do you not care for the hot jazz? We could go somewhere else."
    "The music is fine," Indy said. "Very good. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. It's just that what is going on at that table over there makes me very uncomfortable."
    Wu Han's face grew serious.
    "Lao Che is a very powerful man, Dr. Jones," he said. "It is better to pretend not to notice such activity. He holds Shanghai like this." Wu Han closed the fingers of his right hand into a tight fist. "I apologize if I have offended you by bringing you here."
    "There is no need to apologize," Indy said easily.
    "We will go," Wu Han said.
    "No, of course not," Indy said. "Besides, it is very impolite to walk out when the band is in the middle of a number. We will stay for a few more songs."
    "As you wish."
    "Did you enjoy your visit to the Bund this evening?" Indy asked.
    "Oh, yes," Joan said. "Wu Han is an exceptional guide."
    "I agree," Indy said. "As a matter of fact, Wu Han is pretty exceptional at everything he does. He knows instinctively what must be done, and then does it. I don't know what Granger is paying you, but it isn't enough."
    Wu Han bowed slightly.
    "The honor of working with the great American archaeologist is pay enough," he said. "Also, Joan has been kind enough to correct my poor English."
    "Your English is perfect." Joan laughed. "You just need some help with your idioms."
    "Pardon my bluntness," Indy said, "but you are being paid?"
    "My services have been acquired through an arrangement with my employer," Wu Han said.
    "Your employer?" Indy asked. "Granger said you were a scholar. Do you teach at the university?"
    "No," Wu Han said. "I was a student of political science, but before taking my degree, I was forced to leave for the sake of my honorable family."
    "Well, money is sometimes difficult to come by, even for a scholar and a jack-of-all-trades," Indy said. "So you work for a local businessman."
    "Yes." Wu Han's face brightened.
    "Look," Indy said. "We need someone like you to make this expedition run smoothly, someone to ease the inevitable friction we will meet among the locals. You'll get paid, so you won't have to worry about your family, and when we get back I'll arrange it so that you can finish your studies... in America, perhaps."
    Wu Han looked