They settled in the car and Akil turned up the air-conditioning, though the weather wasn’t unpleasant. A little warm, but dry and breezy.
“You can take me to the Sheraton,” he said.
“Ah, a very nice hotel.” Admiration was in Akil’s eyes. “And near the museum. Do you prefer to speak English or Chinese?”
Ben smiled. “What’s your best language?”
“Uyghur,” he said with a laugh. “But then Mandarin. School, of course.”
“Are you in university?”
“Yes, in Qinghai. I am studying agriculture.”
“Really?”
“Yes,” Akil continued in flawless Mandarin. “It is very important. My family has orchards, but we want to be more modern. To make our farm more successful.”
“Cool,” Ben muttered.
“Cool,” Akil copied him in English, grinning.
Ben smiled back. “How old are you?”
“Twenty-two. And you?”
“Twenty-one.”
“What is your name?”
“Ben.”
“Welcome to Ürümqi, Ben.”
“Thanks.”
“Why do you come to Xinjiang?” Akil asked in English.
“I’m meeting a friend here.”
“Is he Uyghur?”
“She’s… sort of Chinese. But she lives in Los Angeles now.”
“Los Angeles!” Akil exclaimed. “Hollywood. This is where you live?”
“Yes, but I’m not in Hollywood. I’m just a student, like you.”
“What do you study?”
“Political science and Mandarin. I thought it would be good to come to China to practice speaking Mandarin.”
Akil started to laugh. “You came to Xinjiang to practice Chinese? Why didn’t you go to Beijing? Or Xi’an?”
“I’m starting to think my friend had ulterior motives.”
“I think you are right.”
Fifteen minutes later, Akil dropped him off at the front of the hotel, ignoring the dismissive look of the doorman in attendance. Ben caught it, but the man was nothing but politeness for Ben, whom he greeted in English.
“Checking in?”
“Yes, thank you.” The doorman whisked his bag away as Ben turned to pay Akil.
“Here.” The young man handed him a card. “If you need a driver—”
“I’ll call you,” Ben said. “For sure. Any suggestions until I meet my friend tonight?”
“The museum is good.” Akil nodded down the street. He’d pointed it out on the way to the hotel. “You can walk there. There are signs in English, which isn’t common in Chinese museums. It will give you a good idea of the area’s history. And there are the mummies.”
“Mummies?”
Akil smiled. “Yes. They’re famous. The Loulan girl. You should see them. And if you need a driver or an interpreter—”
“I got it.” Ben held up the card. “I’ll call you.”
Akil held out a hand. “Stay cool,” he said in English.
“You too.”
He walked into the dry air-conditioning of the hotel lobby and glanced around.
Clearly new, the Sheraton in Ürümqi was probably built to appeal to business travelers. Akil had told him that Xinjiang was one of China’s fastest growing provinces, even though it was the most remote. The farthest west province of the People’s Republic bordered Mongolia, Russia, and Kazakhstan, and more than one guidebook said it had more in common with that Central Asian country than it did with the rest of Han-dominated China.
Ben knew it was a diverse region, dotted by some of the most ancient cities on the Asian trade routes.
He just had no idea why Tenzin wanted him there.
CHAPTER TWO
“Hello,” Ben said to the girl at the front desk. Despite her suit, she looked younger than he did, but her manner was completely professional. He gave her his most charming smile, hoping for a reaction. After all, it was summer break. He was on vacation. A guy could use a little fun.
“Can I help you, Mr. Vecchio?”
The desk clerk answered him in English, but he continued in Chinese.
“How are you today?” Something. Anything?
“Very well, sir. How can I help you?”
And nothing. She was the picture of efficient professionalism. Oh well.
Ben had settled into the hotel and was debating whether or not to go out in the city or sleep. Being raised by the nocturnal had given him the ability to sleep when he needed to, but he was still affected by jet lag. He had decided to stay up, hopefully stave off the worst of the exhaustion, then sleep in the afternoon. He didn’t know when Tenzin would show up, or if the vampire would be forthcoming about her real motivations. But he knew she wouldn’t show up until the sun was down. He had to be on his toes.
“I have a few hours before I need to meet a friend,” he told the clerk. “What would you recommend that is nearby?”
She pulled out a small map in English. “The Regional Museum is very good. There is an excellent exhibition on the Silk Road, which is of course very important to the history of Xinjiang. There is also shopping next door.” She held a polite hand toward the attached luxury mall, which held zero interest to him. He could get all the same things on Rodeo Drive.
“You’re the second person to recommend the museum.” Another smile that affected her not at all. “I think I’ll go there.”