The Goddess of Kunlun

1

"Another question might be: what are they doing out here in the first place?" said Royce.

"Same thing we are," surmised McNally. "Looking for adventure in the farthest corner of the land."

"Somehow, I doubt that," piped up Petrovich. "I grew up in Berlin. I know the mindset of these Nazis."

With a midair collision narrowly averted and clear skies ahead, the vast wilderness of Tibet opened up before them. The land below was a rough patchwork of umber and sienna earth tones and the golden green of hardy grasses. A foreboding wall of rugged mountains, the Kunlun Range, scraped the heavens with its icy peaks. It formed the northern boundary of Tibet, separating it from the Gobi Desert, and at almost two thousand miles long, was second only to the Andes. The highest peak, Mount Kunlun itself, Liushi Shan, the Goddess of Kunlun, was their goal. Its glaciated approach was visible straight ahead. Small lakes were scattered about in the hollows between the rugged hills, reflecting the deep azure of the sky. A larger lake to the right marked their intended landing site, a smooth plain that sloped gently to the terminal moraine at the mountain's base, divided by low, rough ridges. The German plane was nowhere to be seen; presumably they had already landed.

"And here we are," said Mary, acting as navigator. "Right on schedule. What did I tell you?"

But the wind that had chased away the clouds now brought its own problems. The ever-changing currents that blew down from the high mountain passes and across the lakes and wild grasslands kept Montana on his toes, constantly adjusting the controls while keeping an eye on the altimeter as he lined up an approach.

Behind him, Viktor and Raleigh, never having flown with him, tightened their seat belts and gripped their armrests. Raleigh fingered his pencil-thin moustache nervously, but Ace and Mary took it all in stride.

“I haven’t had this much fun since our days with the Circus,” said Mary.

“This is fun?” asked Viktor.

"Well, I meant that with a touch of dark humor. But I've been known to do some pretty hair-raising things in my time."

"You'll have to tell me more about that circus of yours."

"If we get down in one piece," reminded Rick.

Up ahead, the clear visibility was proving to be short-lived. A dusty brown haze was kicking up, obscuring their landing zone. Whipped up by the relentless wind, in seconds it was upon them.

"Sandstorm!" said Montana and McNally together.

Rick took a bead on his landing site one last time before Amelia was engulfed by a swirling mass of yellow brown. He glanced at the instruments, aiming the plane as best as he could, and prayed they'd make it through before they hit the ground.

Amelia, the poor plane, was pummeled by a murky, gritty maelstrom that made control and navigation next to impossible. The sandblasting roar against the aluminum skin drowned out the sound of the engines. Rick worked the wheel and rudder frantically, trying to keep her in the sky until he was sure of his landing.

"Okay, I don't scare very easily," said Mary with a shaky voice, "but now I'm more than a little worried."

"This, coming from a girl who wing-walks upside down," remarked Ace.

"And this is crazier than anything we ever did in your barnstorming days."

"Crazier than last summer on the north wall of the Eiger," said Raleigh, referring to the incident that had brought them all together.

Viktor Petrovich said nothing more than a mumbled prayer in his native Russian, though he gave a curious glance in Mary's direction.

Rick Montana had saved them then, and if it was in his power, he would save them now. He thought he could see up ahead an expanse of slate blue. That should be the lake. Off to his left there was a darkness to the brown. That would be the ridge. If he kept this course and started coming in now, he'd make it. He cut his speed to one hundred forty and began his descent.