Descent from Xanadu

by Harold Robbins

  She held herself still and reached up to kiss his mouth. “My lover,” she whispered. “My beautiful lover.”

  “Sofia!” His voice was filled with wonder. “I don’t know what is happening to me.”

  She felt the tears coming to her eyes. “Maybe, Judd,” she said gently. “Maybe you’re falling in love.”

  He thrust himself into her almost angrily. “No!” he said harshly. “No! I cannot fall in love. I’m not allowed!”

  She felt his orgasm begin exploding within her and she began to ride it with her own. She held her lips tightly to him. “Love follows no one’s rules,” she whispered.

  They stayed locked together until their strength gave out and they sank together to the floor of the shower. The ice-cold water kept flooding over them.

  ***

  The Maharishi’s library was walled with bookshelves from floor to ceiling but was without a chair, a couch or desk. Cushions were spread on the rug that covered the floor. His long hair was tied back away from his face, touching the shoulders of his purple cotton caftan. His beard had been neatly brushed. He sat cross-legged on a cushion as he motioned them into the room.

  He looked at them as they entered, Fast Eddie following them. He looked up at Judd. “I beg you a thousand pardons,” he said softly, “but I would feel more comfortable if just you and the girl would remain in this room.”

  Judd nodded, looking at Fast Eddie, who hesitated a moment. “Don’t worry,” Judd said. “I’ll be safe here.”

  Fast Eddie nodded and left the room. The Maharishi pressed a button next to the cushion near him; the door closed and snapped, locked. He looked at Judd. “Thank you.”

  Judd sat down on a cushion next to the Maharishi. He turned to Sofia as she sat down before he turned to the guru. “The Phoenix is reborn out of the ashes of the Phoenix, just as the Dalai Lama is born at the moment of the Dalai Lama’s death.”

  The Maharishi didn’t speak.

  Judd met the man’s eyes. “You are not the same man I spoke to last night.”

  The guru nodded slowly. “True. My father warned me that you are a most observant man.”

  “With respect, I would speak only with your father.”

  The guru nodded. “My father will be with you in a moment.” He pressed another button next to his cushion.

  A complete wall of bookcases slid aside to reveal another room. This one was furnished in a more conventional style. Behind an ornate rose and ivory sandalwood desk sat the Maharishi. He, too, was dressed in more conventional clothing, a white suit, shirt and tie, a white silk turban on his head. He rose from his chair and bowed. “Mr. Crane, Dr. Ivancich,” he said.

  Judd rose to his feet and nodded. “Your son, Maharishi?” he asked. “Or your clone?”

  “My son and my clone,” the Maharishi said. “He is but one of many of my sons, or clones as you call them.” He smiled. “But what, then, are a man’s children if they are not clones from his seed?”

  “I have come to seek knowledge from you, sir,” Judd said. “Not to exchange philosophy.”

  “They are one and the same thing, my son,” the older man said. “I observe that you are much like my sister. She too believed only in science, not in the truth inside man’s soul.”

  “But you allowed her to experiment on you?” Judd guessed shrewdly.

  “I was the first,” the Maharishi said. “And so the first to learn that science by itself is not enough.”

  “She entrusted many of her thoughts to you that had never been imparted to anyone else,” Judd said politely.

  “But still we were always far apart in our belief,” he said. “At the end she told me you were to be the heir of all her knowledge.” He took out a leather-bound notebook and handed it to Judd. “Here are her notes from nineteen thirty-five until nineteen forty-four.”

  Judd looked down at the notebook and turned several pages. Some were in ink; most in a scrawled soft pencil. He looked up at the Maharishi. “German?”

  “Yes,” he said. “They were written secretly at night, in the laboratory of the Nazi prison camp.”

  “Then she worked for them?”

  “We all did,” he replied without hesitation. “There was no choice. We worked or were killed.”

  Silently, Judd gave the notebook to Sofia. He turned to the old man. “What work were they doing there?”

  “Studies of longevity. The orders came directly down from the Fuehrer. He, as well as the Third Reich, was to live for one thousand years.” He sighed, and turned a little from Judd. “At the end of the summer of ’44, we all knew that Germany had lost the war. Panic was everywhere, among prisoners as well as among the guards. Then the orders came down that all the records were to be destroyed. Everyone connected with the experiments was to be killed.

  “But my sister resisted. Taking advantage of my dark skin inherited from my father’s second wife, who had been Indian, she placed me on the road along which the British Army was proceeding. Putting on peasant woman’s clothing, she herself turned to the Russian lines to the north. Inside her clothes she held her Russian mother’s identity card. And so we parted. That way at least one of us might survive.”

  “What experiments had she conducted on you?” Judd asked.

  “The same experiments she ran on herself,” he said. “It was a form of cellular therapy.”

  “Like Niehans?” Judd asked. “But where could you find enough of the unborn ewes you’d need for that?”

  The old man met his eyes squarely. “There were none.”

  Judd kept staring at him. For a moment he didn’t speak. “Are these the experiments she has written about in this notebook?”

  “Yes,” the Maharishi nodded.

  “But I thought she had discovered some form of self-cloning. Not of using human fetuses.”

  “That too,” the old man said. “But it was only one part of the whole.” He took a deep breath. “The human will to survive is stronger than an acceptance of death, stronger even than any sense of morality.”

  Judd kept looking at him without offering a word.

  The old man did not flinch. “Do not feel shock or disgust within you,” he offered. “Soon you too will have to make that choice.”

  “I don’t think so,” Judd said definitely. “The tremendous advances in DNA genetic engineering make all her methods obsolete. We have already developed a number of human cells in the lab that cannot be distinguished from the original. Even cells that repair themselves if damaged and some that can reproduce themselves if they are beyond repair.”

  “Are you telling me,” the old man said, “that you have discovered the secret of life?”

  “Not yet,” Judd said. “But maybe someday.”

  The old man remained silent for a moment; he shook his head dubiously. “I am sad,” he said. “The secret of life properly belongs only to the Creator.”

  “What if it is man himself who is the creator?” Judd said.

  The Maharishi looked into his eyes. “Now it is you who are exchanging philosophies.”

  “Is it any more difficult to think of this than of the methods of your sister?” Judd retorted gently.

  “I have said before that I did not always agree with many of my sister’s ideas and methods,” the old man said again.

  “But you did allow her to treat you as she would a guinea pig.”

  “She also conducted the same tests on herself,” the Maharishi insisted. He paused wearily for a moment. “But all that took place many years ago. It is the now to which we must address ourselves.”

  “Agreed,” Judd said.

  “There are many things in her notebooks that are difficult to understand and obscure, even in her language. Perhaps with the notes you have already secured these will form a whole. Then perhaps we will be able to comprehend her thoughts and discoveries.” He leaned across his desk toward them. “I am an old man,” he said. “I would like to help you in that work if I may. My wish is to understand somewhat more of my si
ster’s work and dreams.”

  Judd turned to Sofia. “Do you think it possible this man can help you learn more than if you proceeded by yourself, Doctor?”

  “Yes,” Sofia answered. “He is a unique part of a history we could never have known without him.”

  Judd looked up at the old man. “Would you object to our conducting our work here?” he asked. “We will have to install all the systems necessary for a more complex study. We will have to connect terminals that lead directly into our Computer Central.”

  “I have no objection,” the old man said.

  “Then we’ll do it.” Judd turned to Sofia. “It makes good sense. Besides, you will be safer here than anywhere else near our units.”

  “And where will you be?” she asked.

  “I have other things to do,” he said. “But we’ll be in constant touch. We will meet as soon as you have completed all your work.”

  The Maharishi rose. “Thank you, my son, and may peace emerge from your discoveries.” He paused, then added, “Now I am weary and I must rest again.”

  “Thank you, Teacher,” Judd said.

  The Maharishi smiled faintly. “I see you know some words in Hindi, my son. The word ‘guru’ means teacher in English.” He raised a hand in a sort of benediction. “Peace and truth.” He went to the door and was gone.

  Judd turned toward the younger man, still seated on the cushion. “Your father is an extraordinary man,” he said. “May I inquire how old he is?”

  “Of course, Mr. Crane,” the younger man said quickly. “He is eternal.”

  22

  At six thousand meters above sea level, white snow covered the top of the Andes, summer or winter. Judd, seated in the copilot’s seat of the new Crane VTOL, with its peculiar X-shaped wings, watched the black cross made by its shadow across the glistening white snow from the sinking sun behind it.

  “It’s beautiful, Mr. Crane,” the pilot said.

  “Yes, Tim,” Judd said. “We don’t see snow like this in Florida.”

  “I mean the plane, Mr. Crane,” Tim said. “It handles as if it were born to be an eagle. There’s never been a plane like this.”

  “I know that,” Judd said.

  “If the Defense Department doesn’t take six hundred of these, then they’re nuts,” the pilot said. “I’ve flown all of them. From the first Harrier to the last. This puts everything else away.”

  “They’ll take it,” Judd said. He looked over the mountainside cresting over the plateau. “We’re almost there.”

  “Five more minutes,” the pilot said.

  Judd turned toward the rear of the cabin. Fast Eddie sat alone among the six passengers seats. “What do you think of it?” Judd asked.

  “If we could bring all that snow into the States,” Fast Eddie grinned, “we’d make a billion dollars.”

  “Always thinking of something to eat,” Judd laughed.

  “I bet it’s bad cold out there,” Fast Eddie said.

  “Five below zero.”

  “That’s bad cold,” Fast Eddie said.

  Judd turned to the pilot. “Tell them we’re coming in. I want to go into the crater, not land on the plateau.”

  “Yes, sir, Mr. Crane,” the pilot said. He turned to the digital panel of the radio. There was a squawk, then he spoke into it. “Calling Xanadu radio. Calling Xanadu radio.”

  A voice came through the speaker. “Xanadu radio hears you. We have you on radar. You are seven thousand, one hundred meters on northeast track. Your coefficient is 21, 21, zero, 93, 21. Acknowledge.”

  “Acknowledge, Xanadu. We are locking in.” He switched on the automatic direction finder. “This is Mr. Crane aboard Crane VTOL Six. Request landing in crater.”

  “You seem pretty big, Crane VTOL Six,” the speaker barked. “I don’t think we have enough room down here for you.”

  Judd spoke through his throat microphone. “Maybe you haven’t heard us clearly, controller. I am Judd Crane and you’re going to make room for us, and I don’t give a damn how you do it.”

  The voice from the speakers respectfully hushed at once. “Sorry, sir. Just give us a few moments, sir, until we move several of the choppers up to the plateau.”

  “Thank you, controller,” Judd said and switched off his mike. “Asshole,” he said.

  Ten minutes later the VTOL was descending straight down into the crater as if it were an elevator on cable tracks. Inside they snuggled into their fur-covered, down-lined parkas and waited for the signal to open their doors. A blast of freezing air told them they could disembark. The pilot pressed the button and the staircase opened for them.

  Judd came down the staircase first. Doc Sawyer grinned at him beneath his fur parka. “Welcome to Xanadu, the top of the world.”

  Judd grabbed his hand warmly. Behind Sawyer he could see Dr. Schoenbrun. He reached to take the German’s hand. “Welcome, Mr. Crane.”

  “Let’s get out of the cold,” Sawyer said, turning away.

  They began to follow him. Judd took it all in quickly—men boarding copters being lifted to the plateau, others going up on the covered elevator built into the side of the mountain. Their flight bags told him they were going to board the large C-5s he had seen waiting to take off. Sawyer opened a huge steel door; they stepped into the warmth of the building.

  “Two weeks,” Sawyer said with no attempt to hide his satisfaction. “We made it in two weeks.”

  “Yes, Mr. Crane,” the German added. “It is all ready for you. In the morning you can press the button and the nuclear generator begins to build up its heat.”

  “How long will it take to be completely operational?” Judd asked.

  “A week,” Dr. Schoenbrun said. “As soon as it reaches maximum power, it turns itself off and on automatically. It polices itself by robotics and its life span should be infinity.”

  “What if it malfunctions?” Judd asked.

  “It shouldn’t,” the German said pedantically. “First, there are no moving parts, it’s nothing but pure atomic power. Second, if there is a malfunction, it has capabilities built into it to repair itself. Mr. Crane, I assure you that this is the most perfect perpetual motion machine that man has ever developed.”

  “I just want to be sure,” Judd said. “After all, it’s my own life I’m betting on.”

  “The machine will work,” Dr. Schoenbrun said stiffly. “I can’t guarantee your life.”

  “Seven o’clock tomorrow morning,” Judd said crisply.

  The German doctor looked puzzled. “Mr. Crane?”

  “We press the button,” Judd said. He turned to Sawyer. “I’m going to my apartment to grab a shower. Okay for dinner at nine tonight?”

  Lee nodded. Judd turned to Dr. Schoenbrun. “Doctor?”

  “With pleasure, Mr. Crane,” he answered with a click of heels.

  Lee was seated on a couch sipping a Scotch on the rocks as Judd came into the room from the shower. He waited until Judd had tied the sash around the robe. “Feeling good?” he asked.

  “Okay,” Judd answered. “Why do you ask?”

  “No headaches?”

  “None.” Judd looked at him. “What are you thinking?”

  “I’m curious about the increase in the number of brain cells. What did Sofia think?”

  “She said to wait and see. She didn’t understand it, either.”

  “I’d like to run another series. Scans, EEG, the works,” Lee said. “I’d feel better if we found the scan showed no further activity.”

  “What are you afraid of?” Judd asked.

  Lee met his eyes. “That you didn’t exactly tell me the whole story. I think you did have some of those cloned cells injected into you.”

  “And if I did?” Judd asked. “I’m okay. I don’t feel any bad effects.”

  “Increasing brain cells can possibly have a bad effect. Wild-growing cells could turn out to be a cancer, or a tumor. We just don’t know.”

  “I’m okay,” Judd said, annoyed. “Let’s drop i
t.”

  “Cheers.” Lee sipped his drink. “Being down here for two weeks, I’ve been out of touch with things. Did you finally meet with the Maharishi?”

  “Yes,” Judd said.

  “Get what you wanted from him?”

  “Some,” Judd answered. “He had the notes we were looking for. We found out that he was Zabiski’s brother. They worked together in a German lab almost until the end of the war. The study was longevity.”

  Lee was silent.

  “The old lady was experimenting on cellular therapy long before anyone. But did you ever wonder what cells she was using?”

  Lee nodded. “I have a hunch. Human fetuses.”

  “What leads you to that conclusion?” Judd pursued.

  “Her insistence on artificial impregnation of those girls. After all, just one girl would have been enough to check your ability to produce a normal child. A dozen girls was overdoing it.”

  “But all those girls miscarried,” said Judd.

  “That wasn’t your fault,” Lee said. “I managed that for the girls. My stomach wasn’t strong enough for what the old lady wanted to do. Human beings aren’t yet ready to replace laboratory animals, no matter what those years working for the Nazis did to the good doctor.”

  “Did you know that I did have a child?” Judd went on casually.

  Lee’s surprise was genuine. “No.”

  “Sofia,” Judd said. “I don’t know how she managed it, but she didn’t go through with the abortion. Then she made her way from Russia to the States to bear the child.”

  Lee stared at him. “Did you know about it?”

  “Not until Barbara told me that day she walked out of the last meeting in San Francisco.”

  “Have you ever spoken to Sofia about it?”

  Judd shook his head. “What was there to talk about? It is no responsibility of mine and I’m not going to change my life.”

  “But the child,” Lee began. “What about it?”

  “Barbara has it and that’s fine with me.”

  “Aren’t you curious? Not just to see it, but whether it looks like you—”

  “Barbara told me all I need to know,” Judd broke in. “So he has blue eyes like mine. I really don’t care.”