"History is a maiden and you can dress her however you like, the Premier said."
First lines: "A bullet zipped past Cotton Malone. He dove to the rocky ground and sought what cover the sparse poplars offered. Cassiopeia Vitt did the same and they belly crawled across sharp gravel, finding a boulder large enough to prove the two of them protection."
Little did I know when I started reading The Emperor's Tomb, #8 in the Cotton Malone series, would I get a history lesson on the birth of China, what happened to Mao's body, whether oil was biotic or abiotic, and more. The author verified in the author note's in the back of the book that much of the history, science, and other events mentioned were true.
Cotton is forced to help Cassiopeia when she is kidnapped while trying to find the son of friend Sokolov, and she tells the bad guys Cotton has what they want and will bring it to them. Cotton and Cass find themselves in a battle between two factions - two men who are vying to be the emperor's replacement. The battle field takes them through old museums and new, all the while never knowing if an arch nemesis Viktor can be trusted. He was a triple threat, playing all sides.
What amazed me was each Chinese Emperor had no problem destroying any historical records that didn't support his beliefs, his rule.
"The fate of China, as has happened many times through the centuries, that's what made our culture so special. It is what set us apart from all the others. No emperor even ruled solely because of his bloodline. Instead it was the emperor's responsibility to set a moral example for both his government and his people. If he grew corrupt, or incompetent, rebellion has always been regarded as a legitimate recourse. Any peasant who could gather an army could found a new dynasty. And that happened many times. If prosperity came from his rule, then he was deemed to have gained the 'Mandate of Heaven.' His male heirs were expected to succeed him, but they too could be overthrown if judged unfit. The Mandate of Heaven must not only be maintained, but must be earned." Pau to Ni, pg 400
Getting back to the story, Cassiopeia was trying to find the son as well as the father who'd been taken by Kang, one of the men who wanted to rule. Tang was the bad guy, and just wanted power, any way he could get it. Ni was the Emperor's choice and the good guy, one who wanted a sort of democracy, a more people friendly rule. Now, throw in the ancient brotherhood of the Ba and Pau who is the leader of a group of Eunuchs and it all makes for a rather convoluted story.
Oil played a part and there were many discussions on whether it was biotic - fossil fuel which is limited supply or abiotic - naturally occurring and in unlimited supply. If they could prove it was abiotic, China could supply one hundred percent of their own oil and not rely on other countries. The father knew the truth and his son was being withheld until he could test the ancient oil found in the tombs and prove the theory. At which point, Kang would have him killed.
Long story short, the good guys won, but there was death and destruction everywhere they went. The father and son were reunited, Ni was chosen as the emperor's replacement, The secret of the oil was that is was truly abiotic but people preferred to continue believing in fossil fuels. Viktor was killed and no longer a threat. And in the end, Cotton and Cass decided to quit playing games, and be together.
Ballantine Books, 2011
471 Pages
Cotton Malone, # 8 out of 19
Historical Thriller