“Yes, it would. Only in this case one committee.”

“Then what organization? What’s its purpose? What’s its name?”

“He never mentioned a name to me.”

“But did you guess?”

Silence. “I guessed. But I never confronted him with it. It was one of the conditions of my stay with Cameron that I would not question anything that I wasn’t told.”

“I know you. That’s not a condition you would ever accept.”

“Then you don’t know me as well as you thought. I came to Cameron because he had a treasure beyond imagination, and I needed what he could give me.” He added, “I studied with him and the monks for five months. I received what I came for, and I did not quibble about his rules. It was worth it to me.”

“And do you regret it now?”

“No, not for a minute.”

It was clear he wasn’t going to talk about this committee. Back to Cameron. “Why did they concentrate such an effort on erasing Cameron’s background?”

“They wanted him to remain completely untouchable. It had taken them a long, long time to find someone of his caliber and character, and they were determined to protect him at all costs. The only way they could assure that was to remove him from the grid. He has false documents for every country on Earth, which are exchanged frequently.”

“It sounds very efficient … and lonely.”

“I’m sure that the committee provided therapy for any psychological damage. Nothing is too good for Cameron.”

“Are you being sarcastic?”

“No.” He glanced at her. “They value him, they respect him, and they even listen to him on occasion. I got the impression that they would give him anything he asked as long as it was within the rules.” He held up his hand. “And I do not know what those rules are. Except that there seems to be a universal one that Cameron not be put at risk. Make any sacrifice but Cameron. I saw it several times, while I was with him. It annoys him at times but he accepts the rule.”

“Even when it means Erin’s being tortured,” she said bitterly.

“Even then.”

“Why is he considered so valuable? What makes him king of their world?”

He shrugged. “Probably the same thing that made the committee choose him as Guardian. They looked all over the world and thought him worthy.”

“Worthy of what? For God’s sake, you talk as if he’s some kind of holy man or something. I guarantee you that Cameron is very, very secular.”

Hu Chang nodded. “Yes, and yields to temptation on occasion. I was referring more to the worthiness of a knight or warrior. He is the Guardian, after all.”

“If he’s a knight, he’s a black knight.”

“You’d have an argument from Erin.”

“He has her brainwashed. She’d obviously sacrifice anything for him.”

“Not for him. Erin is an intelligent woman and not likely to be fooled even by a man as persuasive as Cameron. It would have to be something above and beyond Cameron.”

“But you don’t deny that there’s a possibility he could have brainwashed her. Even at that think tank in Rome I attended, they didn’t have anyone who could do what Cameron can. He’s way beyond anyone that our agencies have discovered.”

“They might have the potential, but Cameron has had that potential honed and exploited by experts. He was in training for years after he was selected.”

“What potential? Just what can Cameron do that he hasn’t shown me?”

“I have no clear idea. I was curious and probed where it was safe. He did not mind talking about some things, others he ignored. He was twenty-six when he was chosen to be trained for Guardian. I know he was taught physical disciplines and control by Tibetan monks. I know that he was schooled in weapons, combat, and several deadly martial arts by world-class experts. Evidently, they concentrated on that aspect of his education. He’s an amazing sniper, he moves as fast as a cheetah on attack, and he’s incredibly strong. When he’s not actually on committee business, he does a full exercise regimen every day. He’s well educated in a variety of fields. He can be excellent company and has a sense of humor that’s sometimes a bit twisted.” He paused. “We seemed to mesh. I … enjoyed our time together.”

“Why not? Your humor is often twisted, too.”

“True. But I assure you that Cameron did not brainwash me during my stay with him. We came to an agreement about any mental interference on his part, and he abided by it. I got the impression that he was a little relieved that I had bound his hands. So many temptations … When you have a talent like Cameron’s, it must be difficult to have to make all the rules yourself regarding restraints.”

As Cameron had done with Catherine before he left. “And what if he breaks the rules?”

He shrugged. “Then one must find a way to punish him. In my case, it was not an issue.” He was silent a moment. “But it made me think about the trust that committee must have had in Cameron to turn him loose without controls. It was evident he was a free agent and had only a few basic rules. I’d seen a few examples of the almost limitless power and wealth that Cameron could tap when he needed something. He was never questioned.”

“Dangerous.” She frowned. “What examples? What the hell does Cameron do?”

“In one case, he arranged the hijacking of a train on which a troop of soldiers was taking a young Indian computer scientist to Beijing. The boy was exceptionally gifted, and the Chinese government wished to ‘honor’ him with a scholarship and the opportunity to work in their program. They had lost track of the fact that the boy did not wish to be so honored. The removal of the boy from those soldiers was handled very adeptly, and Beijing was scrambling to find him and still maintain the humanitarian façade.”

“So what happened to the boy?”

“You’d have to ask Cameron. I know he was not returned to his parents in Calcutta. Though his parents disappeared themselves about three months later. In the interim, they appeared worried and despondent.” He added, “But definitely not overly so. If I were to guess, I’d wager they were settled in another country and situation more to their liking.”

“That could be called kidnapping.”

“By Cameron or Beijing?”

“Both. I hate youngsters’ being used as pawns.”

He smiled. “But perhaps this was a rescue by our black knight.”

“For what purpose?”

“There is intense competition among international companies and countries over technical brainpower. It’s what is moving our world these days. Pity.”

“You think that’s what’s happening here in Tibet? It’s a desolate wilderness. Not a viable battleground for that kind of international espionage. You just said that conglomerate made Cameron into some kind of super Guardian. Why would they waste him on this harsh environment in the Himalayas?”

“He spends time here, but he often travels to other countries. He has teams under his orders in a number of cities around the world. He was in Paris twice when I was with him. I believe he goes where he’s sent.”

“Did he conduct any other raids or similar violent acts while you were there?”

“Not to my precise knowledge.” He was silent a moment. “But there were rumors of the killing of a small-time bandit who was harassing a few of his men in a village in the next province.”

“He ordered it done?”

“I understand he did it himself.”

“But that’s against his rules,” she said sarcastically. “He might have been hurt or killed.”

“Not likely. Cameron kept to the rules. The bandit was shot from a distance of over a thousand yards. I told you that he’s a fantastic marksman.”

“He appears to be fantastic at several of the skills in which Kadmus prides himself.” She thought about it. “If he’s that good, is there any reason he couldn’t have gone after Erin himself?”

“None but the reason he gave to you.”

“Which was bullshit.” She was silent again. “If he’d staged a raid on Daksha, what would have been his chances? Could he have done it?”