Remi said, “Are you suggesting the people here developed a theory of evolution before Darwin did?”
“Theory? No. A firm belief? Absolutely. In the nearly thirty years I’ve spent here, I’ve found texts and artwork that make it clear the people of Mustang firmly believed man sprang from earlier creatures-primates in particular. I can show you cave murals that depict a distinct line of progression from lower forms to modern man. More important, despite popular belief, the Theurang was revered not in a religious sense but rather an historical one.”
“Where did the legend originate?” Sam asked. “Where and when did they find the Theurang?”
“No one knows-or, at least, no one I’ve found. It’s my hope that before I die, I can answer that exact question. Maybe your discovery will be the lost puzzle piece.”
“Do you think the Theurang is in the box we found?”
“Not unless a terrible mistake had been made. One of the skills the Sentinels had to master was celestial navigation. No, I’m quite certain you found the Sentinel where you did because that’s where he was ordered to go.”
“Then what do you think is inside?”
“Either nothing or a clue to the Theurang’s birthplace-the location to which it was allegedly taken in 1421.”
“What kind of clue?” asked Remi.
“A disk, roughly four inches in diameter, hewn from gold and engraved with symbols of some kind. The disk, when used in conjunction with two other disks and a special map, would pinpoint the Theurang’s final resting place.”
“You know nothing else about it?” Sam said.
“I know the name of the place.”
“Which is?”
“The ancient translation is a bit complicated, but you would it know it by its popular moniker: Shangri-La.”
20
Karna said, “I can see by your expressions you think I’m winding you up.”
“You don’t strike us as a winding-up kind of guy,” Sam said, “but you have to admit that Shangri-La is a bit of a fairy tale.”
“Is it? What do you know about it?”
“It’s a fictional utopia, a valley located somewhere in the Himalayas, filled with ridiculously happy and worry- free people.”
“You forgot immortal,” Remi said.
“Right, sorry. Immortal.”
“That’s Shangri-La as depicted in the novel: James Hilton’s 1933
“You have our attention,” Remi said.
“Mention of Shangri-La, and its analogues, can be found in many cultures in Asia. Tibetans refer to it as Nghe- Beyul Khimpalung. They believe it is in the Makalu-Barun region or the Kunlun Mountains or, the most recent candidate, the ancient city of Tsaparang in western Tibet. Several places in India have also been proposed as the true location, as well as dozens in China, including Yunnan, Sichuan, Zhongdian . . . Add to the list Bhutan and the Hunza Valley in northern Pakistan.
“Now, here’s the truly interesting part: as you know, the Nazis were a bit mad for the occult. The expedition Lewis ‘Bully’ King was a part of in 1938 . . . One of its objectives was to find Shangri-La. They felt certain it would be home to an ancient master race, Aryans unspoiled by time and genetic impurities.”
“We didn’t know that,” Remi said.
“Perhaps King Charles isn’t after the Theurang alone but Shangri-La as well,” Karna said.
“Anything’s possible,” Sam replied. “But King doesn’t strike me as a big believer in the fantastic, true or otherwise. If he can’t touch it, see it, or smell it-”
“Or sell it,” Remi added.
“Or sell it, he’s not interested,” Sam finished. “What do you believe, Karna? I assume you believe it’s real? Of all the possibilities you presented, which one fits?”
“None of the above. My research and my instincts tell me that for the people of Mustang, Shangri-La represented a wellspring-both the birthplace and the eternal resting place of the Theurang, a creature they believed was their universal ancestor. I suspect what we today call Shangri-La was where the Theurang was originally discovered. How long ago, I cannot say, but that’s what I believe.”
“And if you had to place money on its location?” Remi asked.
“I think the Tibetan etymology holds the key:
“So, Tsang Mountain Pass,” Remi said.
“Not quite. In the royal dialect of ancient Mustang,
“The Tsangpo Gorge,” Sam replied. “That’s a lot of territory. The river that runs through it-the Yarlung Tsangpo-is how long? A hundred twenty miles?”
“One hundred fifty,” Karna answered. “Bigger than your Grand Canyon, in many ways. And the mountains are thickly forested. Some of the most daunting terrain in the world.”
“If you’re right about the location and the legend,” Remi said, “it’s no wonder Shangri-La’s remained hidden all this time.”
Karna smiled. “As we sit here together, we may be closer to finding it-and the Golden Man-than anyone else in history.”
“Closer, perhaps,” Sam replied, “but not there. You said we need all three disks. Let’s say the chest Selma has contains one of them. We’ll still need the other two.”
“And the map,” said Remi.
“The map is the least of our hurdles,” Karna said. “I’ve located four candidates, one of which I’m certain will serve our purposes. As for the other two disks . . . How do you feel about the Balkans?”
Sam and Remi exchanged glances. Remi said, “We once had some bad lamb in Bulgaria, but, aside from that, we have nothing against it.”
“Glad to hear it,” Karna said with a mischievous smile. “What I’m about to tell you I’ve never shared with anyone. Despite the high regard in which I’m held here, I am not sure how my adopted countrymen would welcome my theory.”
“Again, you have our attention,” Sam said.
“Three years ago, I uncovered some texts I believe were written by the personal secretary to the King in the weeks leading up to the 1421 invasion.”
“What kind of texts?”
“A personal diary of sorts. The King had of course been informed of the strength of the invading army, and he agreed with the prophecy that Mustang’s demise was at hand. Further, he had his doubts that the Sentinels could carry out their duties. He felt the odds against them were overwhelming. He was also convinced someone from within his inner circle had turned traitor and was feeding the enemy information.
“In secret, he assigned the finest of the Sentinels-a man known as Dhakal-the task of transporting the Theurang to Shangri-La. In two of the three chests ostensibly containing the disks, he placed fakes. One was genuine.”
