MOL on Virtual PC Linux or PowerPC Linux?

[citizen]

Dear MOLers,

I need to run Mac OS 8.6 for the MacAuthorize Hub software in MOL.  It 
will not run on anything newer than 8.6.  My questions are which way 
should I go when I need the following requirements?

I need Mac OS 8.6 running on MOL to communicate with the Modem in a G4 
667 powerbook to do credit card transactions!  Is this possible?  Can MOL 
communicate with the modem hardware?

If it is possible, what would be a better way to go?

Run Virtual PC running Linux running MOL over MacOS X?

Or run PowerPC Linux with MOL running on top of that?  

If it is the later, what flavor of PowerPC Linux should I use?  Yellow 
Dog Linux or PowerPC Linux? Or is there something better and cheaper?

With PowerPC Linux, can you set it up to be able to boot into Linux...and 
then reboot into Mac OS X?

Thanks so much in advance for any insight you can give me,

Scott