No, Alan, he said quietly, after a pause. I learned as a general that you have to know how to pick your fights. We need to stay clear of this Tibet situation right now.
Dulles rose and shook Eisenhowers hand. Ill notify my men, he said.
In Overholts command post in Lhasa, the ashtray on the table near the radio was filled with the stubs of unfiltered cigarettes. Hours passed, with only the confirmation that the radio transmission had been received. Every half hour, Tibetan messengers delivered intelligence. Visual reconnaissance reported that the crowds outside the palaces near Lhasa were growing minute by minute, but the messengers were unable to take an accurate count. Tibetans continued to stream down from the mountains, armed with sticks, rocks and knives. The milling mass would be cannon fodder for the well-armed Chinese.
So far the Chinese had taken no action, but the reports mentioned troop buildups on the roads leading into the fabled city. Overholt had seen this same scenario unfold five years ago in Guatemala, when a crowd supporting the anticommunist rebels under Carlos Armas had suddenly sparked. Chaos had ensued. Forces under President Jacobo Arbenz had begun to fire into the crowd to restore order, and before dawn broke, the hospitals and morgues had been filled to capacity. Overholt had organized the demonstration and the knowledge clouded his mind like a shroud.
Just then the radio crackled.
Top Hat negative, over.
Overholts heart skipped a beat. The planes he sought were not coming.
Papa Bear will okay sweeping the path if critically necessary during extraction. Advise on departure and subsequent travel, over.
Eisenhower said not to attack Lhasa, Overholt thought, but Dulles has agreed to cover the escape out of Tibet on his own, if it came to that. If he worked things right, Overholt thought, he wouldnt need to put his bosss ass on the line.
Sir? the radio operator asked.
Overholt was jarred from his thoughts.
Theyre expecting a reply, the operator said quietly.
Overholt reached
for the microphone. Acknowledged and agreed, Overholt said, and thank Papa Bear for the gesture. Well call from the road. Closing office, over.
The radio operator stared up at Overholt. Guess thats that.
Break it all down, Overholt said quietly, well be leaving soon.
INSIDE the yellow wall, preparations for the Dalai Lamas escape into exile were moving at a blistering pace. Overholt was cleared past the guards and waited to be seen. Five minutes later, the Dalai Lama, wearing his black-framed prescription glasses and yellow robes, entered the office in the administration room. The spiritual leader of Tibet looked weary but resigned.
I can tell by your face, he said quietly, no help is coming.
Im sorry, Your Holiness, Overholt replied. I did all that I could.
Yes, Langston, I am certain you did. However, the situation is as it is, the Dalai Lama noted, so I have decided to go into exile. I cannot risk the chance of my people being slaughtered.
Overholt had arrived expecting to use all his powers of persuasion to convince the Dalai Lama to fleeinstead he found the decision had already been made. He should have expected as muchover the years he had grown to know the Dalai Lama, and he had never seen anything that made him doubt the leaders commitment to his people.
My men and I would like to accompany you, Overholt offered. We have detailed maps, radios and some supplies.
Wed be glad to have you come along, the Dalai Lama said. We leave shortly.
The Dalai Lama turned to leave.
I wish I could have done more, Overholt said.
Things are as they are, the Dalai Lama said at the door. For now, however, you should assemble your men and meet us at the river.
HIGH above Norbulingka, the sky was dotted with a trillion stars. The moon, only days away from being full, lit the ground with a yellow diffused glow. A stillness, a quiet. The night birds that normally warbled their haunting songs were silent. The domesticated animals inside the compoundmusk deer, mountain goats, camels, a single aged tiger and the peacocks that ran loosebarely stirred. A light wind from high in the Himalayas brought the scent of pine forests and change.
From high on a hillside outside Lhasa came the chilling scream of a snow leopard.
The Dalai Lama scanned the grounds, then closed his eyes and visualized returning. He was dressed in trousers instead of robes, a black wool coat instead of a cloak. A rifle on a sling rode on his left shoulder, and an ancient ceremonial thangka, an embroidered silk tapestry, was rolled up and hung over his right.
I am ready, he said to his Chikyah Kenpo, or chief of staff. Have you packed the icon?
It is safely crated and guarded. Like you, the men will protect it at all costs.
As they should, the Dalai Lama said softly.
The two men walked toward and through the gate on the yellow wall.
The Chikyah Kenpo was holding a large, jeweled, curved sword. Sliding it into a leather scabbard on his belt, he turned to his master. Stay close.