Descent from Xanadu

by Harold Robbins

  ***

  Judd walked out to the edge of the hill. Dense fog was rolling in fast. It was heavier near the ocean but beginning to crawl across the highway, turning the headlights of the cars into dim pinpricks of light. He looked at his wristwatch. Twenty-one hundred hours. Davidson came up beside him.

  “The way it looks, we’ll be right on schedule,” he said. “I’ve got the men suiting up.”

  Judd nodded, then turned to John. “Where the hell is Mrs. Evans? You said a half hour a long time ago, John.”

  “Don’t worry, sir,” John said. “Fast Eddie has two of his best men with him. She’ll be here in time.”

  They went back into the operations shack. John pointed to a big five-pointed star house on the map and then the others in a circle around it. “Alana said the Maharishi lives in the center room of the star house. Each point of the star has a different-colored curtain to the center room and is opened when he gives his audiences. He always sits facing the center room, his back to one of the closed curtains from behind which he appears. It’s never the same curtain, each color has a significance of another color plane of life. Tonight’s color is red, the color plane of blood. These audiences always take place at exactly ten o’clock.”

  “That’s a break,” Judd said. “At least, we’ll know where he’s going to be.”

  “There are always two guards behind each curtain,” John said. “That means once we take care of the outside we have to handle the guards inside. I’m taking no chances. I’ve got two cars going in before you, each carrying seven specialists.”

  Judd nodded. “And where is your girl while all this is going on?”

  “She’ll be down at the gates, opening them for us.”

  “There are two men down there,” Judd said. “How does she plan to take care of them?”

  John smiled. “I told you she was bright. She’s going to the gatehouse, stone-cold naked. And I mean she’ll seem stoned out of her mind. There’s not a single man who won’t open his door to see what’s going on when it’s a body like hers. The minute the door is open she throws two vial glass apples into the guardhouse and they’re out of action in two seconds. She needs five seconds more for the gas to evaporate and she presses the button to open the gates. The first two men out of the car are electronics experts. They’ll take care of the alarm system, and by that time we’re on our way up to the compound. Alana will lead us right to the point of the star behind our man’s back.”

  Judd smiled at him. “She’s still stone-cold naked, I hope?”

  John didn’t smile. “No, sir. We have a jumpsuit ready for her.”

  A car pulled up outside the operations shack. Fast Eddie came in with Sofia. “What the hell took you so long?” Judd greeted them.

  Fast Eddie held out his hands in helplessness. “Women,” he said. “I’ll never understand them. You know where I finally found her? In the beauty parlor.”

  Judd looked at her sternly. He didn’t utter a word.

  Sofia smiled at him. “I discovered a fabulous long-haired wig. Shiny beautiful black hair. Do you like it?”

  For a moment he choked, then he found his voice. “You look exactly like a woman in a Marina Del Rey singles bar.”

  “It is very American,” she said.

  He nodded. “Yes, very. Now let’s get ready. We should be leaving any minute now.” He took her by the arm. “Let’s get back in the car.”

  He stood beside the open car door. Davidson came over to him. “It’s time, sir. Twenty-two hours.”

  “Good luck,” Judd said.

  He watched Davidson walk to the catapult, lock his body into the harness of the batlike hang glider. Davidson placed his feet in position in the catapult. There was a brief whoosh and he disappeared in the fog that hung over the edge of the plateau. After Davidson, one after another, the others went hurtling through the dense air behind him.

  When the last glider was lost in the impenetrable fog, Judd got into the car. “Let’s go,” he said to the others. “We rendezvous in twenty-five minutes.”

  20

  Two cars had already pulled up in front of the partially opened gates before the limousine rolled up behind them. Judd opened his door and got out of the car. “What’s holding us up?” he asked as John came toward him.

  “We fucked up,” John said flatly. “We never expected the gate openers to be on rotating combinations. The center track opened but the outside track locked after two feet. I’ve got the electronics experts trying to unscramble it.”

  “We’re losing time,” Judd snapped. “Blow it open.”

  “Do that and we’d have all the cops in California on our ass,” one of the experts whispered. John turned back to Judd. “No way we can open the other gates. There’s a safety lock on them that goes on the minute the alarm unit has been disconnected.”

  “We can squeeze through the open two feet,” Judd said. “Let’s start walking.”

  “It’s three-quarters of a mile to the house,” John said. “And we’re not sure we’ve taken out all the guards and their dogs.”

  “We go in anyway,” Judd said.

  “Maybe you better wait in the car, Mr. Crane. We’ll call you when it’s all clear.”

  “And maybe by that time the Maharishi will be gone. If he’s as smart as I think he is, he’ll have a safe room and an escape route. Our only shot is to get there as fast as we can. We start running.”

  John nodded and turned to the men waiting at the gate. He waved his hand. “Go!” he called.

  The men pushed through the gate and began racing up the driveway. Fast Eddie and Sofia followed immediately behind Judd. John gestured as they passed the guardhouse. Alana came out, just finishing pulling the zipper closed on her jumpsuit.

  “Shit!” she said to John. “I’m sorry. I blew it. I should have figured that one myself.”

  “It’s done,” John said. “Now let’s make the best of it.” He turned to two of the men. “You two stay close to Mr. Crane. I want nothing to happen to him.”

  They began running up the driveway, Alana leading them. After several yards they could see several of the hang gliders sprawling on the ground. Close to them were two men lying on the ground not far from three Dobermans, stretched out sleeping quietly.

  Sofia stared at them and touched Judd’s arm. “It’s okay,” he assured her. “We took care of them with our dope darts. They’ll be out for four hours, with nothing bothering them except a headache.”

  “You should’ve told me to wear running shoes,” Sofia called after him. “High heels aren’t meant for running.”

  “Stop bitching,” Judd said. “You can go barefoot.”

  She kicked off her shoes and was able to keep up with him. They passed other guards and dogs, all stretched out. Beyond them on the ground lay several hang gliders completely smashed.

  A few minutes later she was gasping for breath. “I’ve got to stop,” she called. “I can’t catch my breath. I’ve never gone into training for this kind of thing.”

  “Pop two of these under your nose,” Fast Eddie said, putting two white-netted capsules in her hand.

  “What the hell would amyl nitrate poppers do for me?” she said. “I’d fall down and have twenty orgasms.”

  “These aren’t poppers,” Fast Eddie said. “These are special uppers from our labs. Released oxygen under pressure with a touch of coke.” Quickly he snapped one himself. “Yeah!” he said. “I’m Superman.”

  Sofia followed him. The energy burst through her. Suddenly she wasn’t gasping for breath anymore. She felt as if she could run the five thousand meters at the Olympics.

  She looked over to Judd, running quickly, easily, with no apparent breathing problem. She wondered if he was doing this naturally or whether he, too, had popped some of the pills. She made a mental note to ask him when they had the time.

  As they reached the head of the driveway, several men in black jumpsuits emerged from the darkness. Davidson ran toward them. “You’re late,�
� he said to John. “What happened?”

  “The gates fucked us,” John answered. “How did you make out?”

  “Okay,” Davidson said. “I think we took them all out. Of course there may be others inside the compound, but we were under orders to wait for you.”

  “Good,” John said. He turned to Alana. “Now which entrance do we go through?”

  Alana gestured to the second of the star’s spokes. “There’s just one thing to keep in mind. The moment we step on the concrete steps around the house, the floodlights all go on.”

  “Got it,” John said. He turned to his men. “I want two men at the entrance of each spoke. Three men at each entrance to the houses at the circumference. Four men at the gates of the kennels. I don’t want anyone out of any of the houses. I want them bottled in. Tight.”

  He turned to Judd. “I take three men with us. We move first. The moment we move, the rest of you take up your positions.” He glanced around. “All understand?” No one spoke. He turned back to Judd. “It’s your show now, sir.”

  Judd nodded. “Okay. Let’s go.”

  Even before they began to run toward the house, the floodlights lit, turning night into day.

  “Fuck it!” he swore. “What the hell happened?”

  Alana pointed toward a large Doberman, who was poised ears up, alert. In the next moment, they heard a slight ping. The dog loped toward the corner of the house, stopped suddenly, raised his leg, pissed happily across a geranium plant, gently lay down and went to sleep.

  Alana was at the door first. She opened it. Judd followed her, John and the others just behind. Stepping as softly as they could on the marble floor, she led them to a wide red-beaded curtain. She parted a tiny corner of the curtain.

  Judd peered through it, saw the back of the Maharishi. Beyond the Maharishi were seated sixteen to twenty young girls all in the lotus position, eyes fixed adoringly on the guru.

  Silently Judd waved his hands to signal the security men to position themselves to take the guru. When they were in place, Judd stepped through the curtain.

  He had taken less than two steps when he found himself clasped around his chest from behind by arms like bands of steel, lifting him from the floor.

  A voice next to his ear said, “Relax! If you resist, you will not be killed but you may be crippled for life.”

  Judd struggled only to catch his breath as he was hurled to the floor. Then he heard a faint ping; the arms that had bound him fell away as if their steel had melted.

  Another voice, deep and calm, came to him. “Mr. Crane.” He saw the figure of the Maharishi turn slowly. “I have been waiting for you for a long time. Perhaps for longer than you thought.”

  Judd stared at the Maharishi as he rose. He was taller than he had appeared, perhaps because he was standing on a raised platform or possibly because of his ascetic thinness and the drape of the robe that hung from his shoulders to the sandals on his feet.

  He turned toward the girls, who began to rise from their seated positions, nervously aware of the sudden intrusion. They seemed eager to flee, though they seemed not to know which way to go. The guru was calm. “Do not be frightened, my children,” he urged. “Resume your inner calm. No harm will come to you from these men. They come to me as friends, seeking knowledge.”

  The girls, reassured, settled on the platform, resuming their lotus positions. The guru turned to Judd. “It would be more conducive for our talk if you would arrange for the departure of your men. The closeness of so many strangers disturbs our calm and meditation. Here we all understand that life stretches from an endless past into infinity.”

  He stepped down from the low platform and walked toward Judd. His eyes were tawny yellow and piercing. “We have many things to discuss, my son,” he said.

  “Yes,” Judd said.

  The guru nodded. “But now I must rest,” he said. “I am not as young as I used to be. Without sleep I do not function as well as I should. I think that it will take six hours for your group to leave and to allow the compound to return to normal. I would appreciate it if you could allow me to rest so we could begin our meeting precisely at sunbreak.”

  Judd was silent, uncertain of the man’s intent.

  “I give you my word I will not deceive you. We will meet as I promise,” the Maharishi went on.

  Judd felt something familiar in the presence of the Maharishi. He could not mask his surprise. He stared at the topaz-yellow eyes before him. “I know you,” he said tonelessly.

  “You are very observant,” the guru said. “You knew my sister.”

  “Zabiski,” he exclaimed. “Of course!”

  “She was my older sister.”

  “That explains it,” Judd said. “But what—”

  “It will all be explained,” he said. “My sister was a genius. But we will discuss all this when we meet again at sunbreak. Now, I must rest.”

  The guru rose to his feet. “I feel more restful with two girls beside me. It balances the Ying and Yang within me.”

  Judd was silent.

  “I have heard that you too have found the same balance. If you so desire, we can offer you the same help.”

  Judd took a deep breath. “Thank you,” he said. “I think not this time. I search only in myself this night.”

  “As you will,” the guru answered. “My friends will show you to your rooms.”

  ***

  The guest rooms were in a separate house on the perimeter of the main one. The house was small, as were the guest rooms. A single narrow bed and chair. A small wooden chest with four drawers. The bathroom had only a stall shower and an unpainted wooden closet for clothing. The toilet, without a cover, sat below a window high on the wall. The walls of the room were painted white, without decoration or pictures. It contained neither a telephone nor a radio.

  Fast Eddie looked at Judd. “You have more room in the back of your car.”

  “Don’t complain. We’ll manage.”

  “How?” Fast Eddie asked. “I got the eyes for some of those chicks but they ain’t no room to squeeze them into these little rooms.”

  “Maybe if there’s a will here, there’s a way,” Judd laughed. “Maybe one of the chicks will take you to her room.”

  “That’ll be the day,” Fast Eddie said, disgruntled. “With all those monster bodyguards and crazy dogs. I ain’t going to even as much as stick my nose out the door. Especially my prick. I’m small enough as it is.”

  “Go to bed. We have to be up early tomorrow.”

  Fast Eddie slid sideways through the door to allow Sofia to enter the room. “What do you think?” she asked Judd at once.

  “About what?” he asked.

  “Zabiski’s brother. Do you believe it?”

  “I have no reason not to,” he said.

  “Strange,” she said. “We never heard one thing at all about such a person, but he seems to have heard everything about us.”

  “What’s on your mind?” he asked.

  “The only other person that knows that much about us is Andropov.”

  He stared at her. “Do you think he might be working with the Russians?”

  She shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. I only know that I don’t trust anyone anymore. Maybe he’s working directly for the Central Committee of the Politburo. They’re all old men, even Andropov. And they all would like to extend their lives and their power.”

  “I don’t know what to tell you,” Judd said. “Security told me that everybody, FBI and IRS, were trying to get to him.”

  “I’m afraid,” she said.

  Fast Eddie hurried into the room. “I scored!” he said.

  Judd stared at him.

  Fast Eddie looked at him. “You know that stewardess we got on the plane, Valerie Ann?” he asked. “I just met her sister. She’s one of the chicks right here and looks a hundred times better than her sister.”

  He left the room before they could say a word to him. Then Judd looked at Sofia. “That may be the reason
the Maharishi was expecting us,” he said.

  “Perhaps,” Sofia said. “But I’m still frightened.”

  Judd paused a moment. “Nothing’s going to happen until morning. I advise that you try to get some sleep.”

  She stared at him. “Do you mind if I stay with you?”

  He pointed to the narrow bed. “In this?”

  She nodded. “I don’t mind sleeping on the floor.”

  21

  She woke suddenly on the narrow bed. She rolled, turning around. Judd was seated on the floor, motionless, his legs crossed in the lotus position. His eyes opened toward her. “Good morning,” he said.

  “Did you sit like that all night?” she asked.

  He nodded.

  “You didn’t have to do that. I’d’ve made room.”

  He smiled. “I thought you’d be more comfortable alone on that bed. Besides I’m used to this position.” He rose to his feet. “Want to join me in the shower?”

  “If there’s enough room for both of us, I’d love it.”

  “Come on then,” he said. “We’ll find out.”

  The water from the shower was freezing cold. She gasped for breath. “Jesus!” she exclaimed, shivering.

  He pulled her to him. “This better?”

  “Much,” she said. She looked up at his face. “I don’t understand you, Judd.”

  He smiled. “This is nothing to understand. I feel horny.”

  She felt his phallus hard against her. “Beautiful,” she whispered.

  He crooked his arms under her knees and lifted her off her toes. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hung upon his torso. “Oh God!” she exclaimed as she felt him slide deep inside her. “You’re so hard!”

  He looked into her eyes. “Isn’t that the way you like it?” he whispered huskily.

  “I love it,” she gasped. “I love you. I want to keep you inside me forever.” She began shivering orgiastically. “Oh God! I’m coming already!”

  His hands grasped her buttocks so tight to his loins she was unable to move against him. “Go slow,” he commanded harshly. “I don’t have the control I used to, and I don’t want to come too quickly.”