False Horizon - Alex Archer [45]
“It appears he is a bit headstrong about his condition and is refusing treatment because he—”
A sudden noise to her left made Annja turn. Hobbling in on a crutch was Mike, brushing aside his medical staff with a flick of his hands. “Leave me alone, dammit. I’m fine—” He stopped short.
“Annja?”
Annja broke into a wide grin. “Hey, Mike.”
The effect on Mike was instantaneous. He broke into a hobbled run that carried him across the pavilion toward Annja. He dropped the crutch and swept her up in a bear hug.
“Jesus, I thought I’d never see you again!”
“Put me down, you big lug.” But she hugged him back and felt an immense joy over his apparent healthiness.
Mike put Annja down and reached for his crutch. Annja looked at his thigh and saw it was bandaged in some of the same gossamer material that comprised the tapestries and clothes of everyone present.
“Your leg—how is it?” she asked.
Mike shrugged. “It feels marvelous, actually. I was in a bad way when they brought me here. I was in and out of consciousness. Fever. The works. I don’t think I would have lasted another hour to be honest.”
“That doesn’t seem to be a problem now,” Annja said.
“Good to go in a short time, I think,” he replied. He turned and bowed to the queen and king. “I can’t thank you enough for taking care of me.”
Guge smiled. “We help others where we are able to do so. It was our pleasure to aid you. Although I am told you must still be careful and not exert yourself until your leg has enough time to heal.”
“I won’t run any marathons, that’s for sure,” Mike said.
He looked at Annja. “So, what do you think about this place, huh? Pretty amazing, isn’t it?”
Annja nodded. “You’ve made a believer out of me, Mike. I doubted you before, but there doesn’t seem to be any getting around the fact that you’ve found Shangri-La.”
Mike smiled. “Guess it was worth the effort, huh?”
“The plane crash?” Annja asked.
“Tsing, the money, all of it,” Mike said. “But I just wish I knew how we actually got here. Because when we were in that cave, I didn’t think there was any other way out.”
“There wasn’t that we could find,” Annja said. “And Tuk and I searched the entire place.” She frowned. “Well, at least we did until the yeti showed up.”
Mike looked at her. “What did you say?”
“The yeti.”
Mike smiled. “You mean abominable snowmen? You saw some?”
“In the cave with us,” Annja said. “Right about when we smelled the perfume that knocked us out.”
“Are you sure you weren’t just hallucinating?”
Annja frowned. “We most definitely were not hallucinating, Mike.”
“They did indeed see the yeti,” Guge said. “And if you would like, we will show them to you again.”
17
Tuk watched the tearful reunion between Annja and Mike and was happy. He looked around the pavilion and at his parents and felt a kind of peace the likes of which he’d never known before. This was his home and he felt incredible being back among his people.
But who exactly were they? And why were they smaller than other races of humans?
He turned to Guge and asked him that very question. Guge coughed twice and then began telling his long-lost son the tale of his people.
“More than a thousand years ago, the Guge was a kingdom in western Tibet, established by a wise and benevolent ruler who split his kingdom into two, allowing each of his sons equal sway.
“They built their capital cities at two locations—Tholing and Tsaparang. For many years our people lived in brilliant harmony. Several of our rulers embraced an esoteric version of Buddhism, which further brought us into harmony with the universe. Together, we lived rich lives of enlightenment and prosperity.
“The first time any people from outside of our kingdoms actually found us was almost four hundred years ago. Jesuit missionaries came and marveled at what we had accomplished.”
“What we’d accomplished?”
Guge nodded. “You know of the land that surrounds this region. High snowy mountains and arid deserts. Farther south there is a much more temperate climate, but here and in parts farther north, there