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〃Correct；〃 Hanley said。
〃Lucky break；〃 Cabrillo said； 〃but then； by looking at this list； the Dalai Lama is a lucky one too。 If this had been scheduled last year； I don't know if we could have pulled it off。〃
〃Isn't that the truth？〃 Hanley said。
〃Here's how I see it；〃 Cabrillo said。 〃Of the fifteen members of the United Nations Security Council； we have three of the five permanent members： the United States； the United Kingdom and Russia。 China is obviously not going to vote our way； and France is currently trying to sell whatever they can to the Chinese； so they'll probably vote with them so as not to upset any deals they have in progress。 The remaining ten will be trickywe need to pull six out of the ten to give us the nine we need for the resolution。 Let me go over it with you。 Afghanistan we're not going to geteven with the U。S。 involvement a few years ago； there are still too many pockets of anti…Buddhist revolutionaries for their leaders to risk voting with us。 Sweden is and will always be pacifistic； at least at the start； as will Canada。 Cuba receives too much aid from China to risk voting our way； not to mention they almost always vote the opposite of the U。S。〃
〃Sounds about right；〃 Hanley said。
〃That leaves us Brunei； Laos； Qatar； Andorra； Kiribati and Tuvalu。〃
〃Correct；〃 Hanley said。
〃It's blind luck that we have two tiny South Pacific nations on the Security Council at the same time；〃 Cabrillo said。
〃It's like a couple of years ago； when Cameroon and Guinea were both members at the same time；〃 Hanley said。 〃It happens。〃
〃Each country in the United Nations has one vote；〃 Cabrillo said； 〃but this is the first time I really considered the impact。〃
〃Same here；〃 Hanley said。
Cabrillo thought for a moment。 〃I know the emir of Qatar；〃 he said。 〃If we offer him a favor later； he'll order his people to vote the way we want。 What have we got ing up？〃
Hanley thought for a moment。 〃Nothing right now； but that can change。 The last time he went in with us； he made something like eighty million。 If we call in the past favor and dangle something ahead； you got the vote。〃
〃You're right；〃 Cabrillo said。 〃I'll take care of dealing with him。〃
〃Good；〃 Hanley said。 〃Laos should be easy。 They're Buddhist； and the general wants his car。〃
〃Offer him several；〃 Cabrillo said。
〃Where are we funding this from？〃 Hanley asked。
〃We're going to try to use around half of the hundred million windfall for everything。〃
〃Easy e easy go；〃 Hanley said。 〃Brunei should be ours。 The country is fifteen percent Buddhist and the sultan can't risk alienating his constituents。〃
〃Plus we saved his brother's life a couple of years ago；〃 Cabrillo added。
〃Andorra；〃 Hanley said； 〃what about them？〃
〃Good thing Halpert set up the new pany there；〃 Cabrillo said。 〃What's their GDP？〃
Hanley scanned through an almanac and found the information。 〃It's around one point two billion。〃
〃Once the oil es online；〃 Cabrillo noted； 〃we'll be bringing another twenty percent to the table。 If someone explains that to their ambassador； he'd be stupid not to see his way to giving us their vote。 Money talksplus this is the right thing to do； anyway。〃
〃I agree；〃 Hanley said。
〃That just leaves the little guys；〃 Cabrillo said。 〃Kiribati and Tuvalu。〃
〃Kiribati's GDP is sixty million；〃 Hanley said。 〃Tuvalu's is even less。 It's something like eight million split up over ten thousand citizens。 Put two to a room； and one of the major Las Vegas hotels could house the entire country。〃
Cabrillo was silent for a moment。
〃Call Lowden in Colorado and have him start buying cars for the general。 Next； send Halpert to Andorra to explain the impact our pany will have on their economy。 I'll take care of the emir of Qatar and the sultan of Brunei。〃
〃And the little guys？〃
〃Truitt's free； isn't he？〃 asked Cabrillo。
GOLDEN BUDDHA 〃Yes； he is。〃
〃Get him on a jet with a stack of bearer bonds。〃
〃You want him to buy the votes？〃 Hanley asked 〃Exactly。〃
THE STORM THAT brought the torrential rains to Macau had turned into spring snow by the time it crossed Russia。 Had it not been night； Cabrillo would have seen that Moscow was covered in a wet blanket of white that rounded the edges of buildings and quieted the sounds。 Peering from the windows of the Gulfstream as the pilots shut down the engines； he could see a trio of black Zil limousines with police escorts front and rear。 Holding a fax that had arrived from Overholt only minutes before； he slid the document into the file and then unbuckled his seat belt and rose。 The copilot was unlatching the door as he walked forward。
〃Do you men need anything？〃 Cabrillo asked。
〃I think we're okay； boss；〃 the copilot said。 〃We'll just refuel and await your return。〃
Cabrillo nodded and waited as the step was lowered。 〃Wish me luck；〃 he said as he stepped down onto the snow…covered tarmac。
A tall man in a thick； dark blue wool coat was standing a few feet from the Gulfstream。 His head was covered by a fur Cossack cap and his breath made puffs of mist as he exhaled。 He approached Cabrillo while removing a glove and offered his hand。 Cabrillo shook it； then the man motioned to the middle limousine。
〃I'm Sergei Makelikov；〃 the man said as the driver opened the door； 〃special assistant to President Putin。〃
Cabrillo followed the man into the rear of the limousine。 〃Juan Cabrillo； chairman of the Corporation。〃
The door was closed； and a few seconds later the police cars started away from the Gulfstream followed by the trio of limousines。 〃The president is very interested in hearing what you have to say；〃 Makelikov noted。 〃May I offer you a drink； perhaps vodka； or some coffee？〃
〃Coffee； please；〃 Cabrillo said。
Makelikov reached for a silver…plated thermal carafe and poured the contents into a red mug with the crest of the Russian republic on the side。 He handed it to Cabrillo。
〃How was your flight？〃
The streets were deserted at this late hour。 The procession roared down the road toward central Moscow； followed by a cloud of snowflakes。 Cabrillo sipped the coffee。
〃No problems；〃 Cabrillo said； smiling。
〃Cuban cigar？〃 Makelikov asked。
〃Don't mind if I do；〃 Cabrillo said as he selected one from the box Makelikov held。
Trimming the end with a tool from inside the box； Cabrillo leaned over for a light from Makelikov。 〃We'll be there shortly；〃 the Russian noted。 〃In the meantime； perhaps you would like to hear some music。〃
He motioned to a CD player and a stack of discs。 They were all jazz。
〃I see you know my taste in music；〃 Cabrillo said。 〃We know a lot about you；〃 Makelikov said easily； 〃and that is why President Putin is staying up late to see you。〃
Cabrillo nodded and smiled。 〃Great cigar。〃
Makelikov lit one and puffed。 〃It is； isn't it？〃
Cabrillo slid a CD into the player and the men relaxed and listened。
Fourteen minutes later the procession slid to a stop in front of a row of town houses near Gorky Park。 Makelikov waited until the driver opened the door； then he stepped out onto the snow…covered sidewalk。
〃One of the president's hideaways；〃 he said as Cabrillo climbed out。 〃We can talk here in private。〃
The two men headed up the walkway to the steps and climbed up to the door； where Makelikov nodded at a Russian army sergeant。 He saluted and swung the door open。 Makelikov and Cabrillo walked inside。
〃Mr。 President；〃 Makelikov said loudly； 〃your visitor has arrived。〃
〃I'm in the living room；〃 a voice said from a room to the right。
〃Let me take your coat；〃 Makelikov said； helping Cabrillo out of his overcoat。 〃Go on inI'll join you in a few minutes。〃
Cabrillo walked into the living room。 The room was fitted and furnished like the library of an expensive gentleman's club。 Dark wood paneling； the walls were covered with paintings of hunting scenes and birds。 Along the right wall was a fireplace containing a roaring wood fire。 A pair of high…backed red leather chairs framed the fireplace； with a couch just behind them closer to the door。 A thick red carpet atop the inlaid wood floors led almost to the fireplace hearth。 Two brass lamps on each side of the couch cast pools of light in the otherwise dark room。 President Putin's back was to Cabrillo as he stoked the fire。 Finishing； he stood up and turned。
〃Mr。 Cabrillo；〃 he said； smiling； 〃e in and have a seat。〃 Cabrillo slid into the red leather chair to the left of the fireplace； while Putin took the right。
〃Back when I was with the KGB； I had quite a file on you；〃 Putin said。
〃And me you；〃 Cabrillo said in Russian。
Putin nodded； then looked directly into Cabrillo's eyes。 〃Your Russian is much better than my English。〃
〃Thank you； sir；〃 Cabrillo said。
Putin nodded。 〃I assume you have done a recent psychological profile on me；〃 he said。 〃Did it hazard a guess as to how I would respond？〃
〃It doesn't take a team of psychologists；〃 Cabrillo said； 〃to know you'll say yes。〃
〃Then why don't you tell me what I'm agreeing to；〃 Putin said； smiling。
Cabrillo nodded； then opened the file he had brought。 〃Sir；〃 he said； 〃we've been missioned to put the Dalai Lama back in power。 We think we've worked out a solution that can benefit everyone。 We just need some Russian muscle。〃
〃Explain；〃 Putin said。
Cabrillo handed over the document Overholt had faxed to the Gulf…stream。 〃This is a classified satellite image of potential oil reserves inside Tibet。 We recently recovered ancient documents that list thousands of oil seeps in the northern region。〃
〃From the Golden Buddha that your pany stole in Macau？〃 Putin asked。
〃Your intelligence is good；〃 Cabrillo said。 Putin studied the image and nodded。 〃Yes； it is；〃 he said。 〃The preliminary estimates place the reserves in the neighborhood of fifty billion barrels。〃
〃That's an expensive neighborhood；〃 Putin said。 〃About half of the reserves in Kuwait； or around five percent of the world's known reserves。〃
〃It's potentially an elephant field；〃 Cabrillo agreed。 〃Even if it is less； we believe it is definitely larger than the field on the north slope of Alaska。〃
〃That would put it in the top twenty of all known fields；〃 Putin noted。
〃Exactly； sir；〃 Cabrillo said。
〃However； right now； the Chinese have control of the field and they don't even know of its existence；〃 Putin said； 〃so you want us to remove
them from Tibet。〃
〃Not exactly； sir；〃 Cabrillo said。 〃What we are proposing is that Russia join in a consortium to develop the field。 Fifty percent to Tibet； 。 forty percent to your country。〃
〃And the other ten percent？〃
〃The other ten percent will be owned by my pany；〃 Cabrillo said； 〃for putting it all together。〃
〃Nice tip；〃 Putin said； smiling； 〃but you are asking me to mit my forces for a profit。 As soon as the casualties start pouring in； my citizens will smell a rat。〃
Cabrillo nodded slowly。 Then he set the hook。
〃Then we make a deal with China；〃 he said easily。 〃Jintao wants out anywayhis economy is tanking and his increasing oil imports are accelerating his problems。 You make a diplomatic mission to China and offer him half of the production at a cost of fifteen dollars a barrel for the next ten years； and I think he'll take it and back down。〃
Putin laughed。 〃Brilliant。〃
〃There's one more thing；〃 Cabrillo said slowly。
〃Yes？〃
〃We need your UN vote in the Security Council meeting Monday；〃
Cabrillo said。
〃You're going to legitimize the coup？〃 Putin asked。
〃We think we can pull the votes；〃 Cabrillo agreed。
〃A lot could go wrong；〃 Putin said； 〃but it could work。 What exactly would Russia need to do to participate？〃
〃First we need your troops to enter Mongolia；〃 Cabrillo said。 〃I understand the Mongolian government would okay the incursion。 That draws the Chinese farther from Tibet。 Second； I would need as many crack paratroops as you can field to enter the country as soon as the Dalai Lama returns and we stabilize the situation。 The Dalai Lama has agreed to invite Russia to provide security until the situation stabilizes。
The invitation will be announced to the world munity； so the fallout other than from China should be small。 Third； we need you to make the diplomati