His most High Holiness the Dali Lama, Fletcher Quill, Jive Boy, Jason Aki stare out the window of Slick Brainy's personal 10 seat jet as the dark industrial waste laden clouds part,

Beijing China's airport comes into view... The routine will be several days in four wheel drives, the caravan winds north to the lower Egin Gol River and then on to the upper reaches of the lake Baikal watershed. His Holiness is quiet and reflective as Quill's cell phone goes off, " Mr. Secretary better sit down my friend bad news from Paris I'm afraid!" Good morning Mr. President don't tell me Duke and Bigfoot have gone too far and wasted innocents?" Details are still being checked out, it appears your old friend and his long time sniper spotter have been killed. They were ambushed in the Luxemburg Gardens by the same gang that set up Barry Bonds back in your home town Fletcher." " Man, Duke is gone, can't believe it sir, are you absolutely sure" At this point it is confirmed, Duke's remains are on the way to Arlington."

The Dali Lama puts his arm around Fletcher as the two new friends watch the plane hit the Chinese runway. On the tarmac a large crowd of welcoming red robed young monks and press await the lads as the worlds only living man- god and a most reserved Fletcher Quill move into the hot August sun... As the monk's converge bowing and chanting while holding the Mongolian national symbol " Soyombo" banner, his Holiness smiles broadly holding Quill's arm joins his people in a moment of supreme love and compassion... The magic of the welcoming becomes slightly tainted as a column of Chinese soldiers many armed with video camera's descend on the tranquil scene...

" Your Holiness we have a less welcoming cadre among us, you must be used to this brand of passive aggressive behavior?"

" Fletcher you are most observant, one must realize from now on we are in the sleeping dragon's lair, as we move into the out skirts of Mongolia you will find our reception becomes imbued with much raw emotion. My people have been in a state of siege and almost continues genocide for many years and yet our collective spirit thrives, thrives because of the universal love and unlimited tolerance that the Supreme Being has bestowed..."

Three four wheel drives quickly pull up and luggage is loaded along with Quill's beloved bamboo fly rods and Jive & Jason's gear. Jason Aki is busy taking photos, Jive Boy is holding court with a gang of young monk's, Mongolian maps are spread out on the trucks tailgate, his Holiness points to several prime fly fishing areas the team will explore before ending up at the Sera Monastery in Lhasa Tibet sight of future kite Olympics.

" These modern maps amaze me, look here Fletcher, this is Lake Aksai. In the winter it is thought ancient spirits rise from this haunted lake. This lake called Nam-Tso-Lake is another sacred place where your fly fishing skills may serve you well. You will see strange mosquito like insects in great numbers if we are lucky? "

" Your Holiness I'm still dumfounded is Duke really gone?"

" Here for a moment gone forever your western religions preach! Perhaps your friend is only preparing for his next incarnation, is may be he will come back as an enlightened bright spirit."

Dali Lama's welcoming monk's have prepared a modest welcoming feast composed of Yak butter cookies and a strange liquor that bites Quill's tongue... trucks are loaded and ready to roll, suddenly a young Chinese soldier approaches to engage his Holiness.

" Sir, I have great reverence for you and your people. It is not the people of China who are your enemies's, it is those sad small minded old men who at the moment run our country. What has happened to your peaceful kingdom and your passive loving people is a great crime against all humanity equal to any genocide. Please realize we the people always have you in our prayers, always!"

" My son your kind words fill my heart, we who dwell in the clouds under Tibetan skies understand it is not the people of China who continue to persecute us. Perhaps blind and dumb western leaders will one day show compassion as you have, we can only prey and leave this puzzle to the highest authority, go in peace my son..."

" Your Holiness the people of China hold you and your peoples plight as high as Tennamin Square, many of my fellow soldiers include you sir in our prayers knowing the doves of peace hover over Tibet waiting for compassion and his sisters love and peace to arrive..."

As the trucks slowly wind through Beijing's over crowded back streets it becomes quickly apparent how serious the volume of thick air pollution so heavy one can breath it in every breath! The price of unbridled over heated economy that could care less about clean air and the natural world...

" Fletcher look around you at the price of uncontrolled growth, my heart weeps for this country and its leaders. The rivers run almost black with pollution, animals and birds have little hope of surviving and the world at large has no idea how serious this unthinking unplanned growth truly is."

" As a boy I visited here and many other Asian countries, in the early 1960s it was wall to wall poverty. I prey for these wonderful stoic people and their path to a more balanced industrial growth. Tell me sir in Tibet will we see this kind of pollution in the waters we will throw flies?"

" No not yet, but it is coming as China continues to repopulate and overwhelm my people as part of its internationally condoned ongoing reckless genocide my friend!"

" Excuse me Mr. Quill can I ask you to autograph my hat sir? Your exploits and writing on international fly fishing is quite popular among all sportsmen here in China..."

" Ahhh, Fletcher power of the internet!"

The caravan begins it's overland trek due north through the daunting Gobi Desert leaving Beijing and China behind in the mist, quickly coal black night skies resplendent in uncountable stars mesmerize this eclectic band of brothers...

" Fletcher its has been three days and nights, how long until we get near fly fishable waters?"

" Jason according to my G.P.S., Egin Gol River is doable by night fall, Jive Boy looks as if he could stay on this quest forever hey invisible surfer?"

" Man, I can't get over the Dukester and Bigfoot buying the farm like that! That Marine led some kind of life boys... He was on the dias when Sedat got whacked, was on the roof Saigon Embassy when that went down, several Vietnam tours and countless international whack jobs so secret even I was never let in on it. All those hero ghosts in Arlington National Cemetery will have fine company to welcome..."

" Look over that rise your Holiness is that the Egin Gol River ?"

The Dali Lama and his band of eccentric misfits stare out at open plains dotted with sheep herders, skies ruled by soaring hawks. A place where time not only stands still, it refuses to move under any conditions! The boys prepare for perhaps the most isolated fly fishing left on the planet?

Stay tuned for next episode - Will the specter of a fallen friend taint this trip? International Tibet Kite Olympics Coming up!