modem for accessing the Internet.”
“Really? I get to do that so seldom. At work, you see, it is not encouraged for us to surf the ’Net, except when the Minister wants something specific.”
“Is that so? What ’Net interests does Minister Fang have?”
“Mainly political commentary, and mainly in America and Europe. Every morning I print up various pieces from the newspapers, the Times of London, New York Times, Washington Post, and so on. The Minister especially likes to see what the Americans are thinking.”
“Not very much,” Nomuri observed, as the wine arrived.
“Excuse me?” Ming asked, getting him to turn back.
“Hmph, oh, the Americans, they don’t think very much. The shallowest people I have ever encountered. Loud, poorly educated, and their women ...” Chet let his voice trail off.
“What of their women, Comrade Nomuri?” Ming asked, virtually on command.
“Ahh.” He took a sip of the wine and nodded for the waiter to serve it properly. It was a pretty good one from Tuscany. “Have you ever seen the American toy, the Barbie doll?”
“Yes, they are made here in China, aren’t they?”
“That is what every American woman wishes to be, hugely tall, with massive bosoms, a waist you can put your hands around. That is not a woman. It’s a toy, a mannequin for children to play with. And about as intelligent as your average American woman. Do you think they have language skills, as you do? Consider: We now converse in English, a language native to neither of us, but we converse well, do we not?”
“Yes,” Ming agreed.
“How many Americans speak Mandarin, do you suppose? Or Japanese? No, Americans have no education, no sophistication. They are a backward nation, and their women are very backward. They even go to surgeons to have their bosoms made bigger, like that stupid child’s doll. It’s comical to see them, especially to see them nude,” he concluded with a dangle.
“You have?” she asked, on cue.
“Have what—you mean seen American women nude?” He got a welcome nod for his question. This was going well. Yes, Ming, I am a man of the world. “Yes, I have. I lived there for some months, and it was interesting in a grotesque sort of way. Some of them can be very sweet, but not like a decent Asian woman with proper proportions, and womanly hair that doesn’t come from some cosmetics bottle. And manners. Americans lack the manners of an Asian.”
“But there are many of our people over there. Didn’t you ... ?”
“Meet one? No, the round-eyes keep them for themselves. I suppose their men appreciate real women, even while their own women turn into something else.” He reached to pour some more wine into Ming’s glass. “But in fairness, there are some things Americans are good at.”
“Such as?” she asked. The wine was already loosening her tongue.
“I will show you later. Perhaps I owe you an apology, but I have taken the liberty of buying you some American things.”
“Really?” Excitement in her eyes. This was really going well, Nomuri told himself. He’d have to go easier on the wine. Well, half a bottle, two of these glasses, wouldn’t hurt him in any way. How did that song go ... It’s okay to do it on the first date... Well, he didn’t have to worry about much in the way of religious convictions or inhibitions here, did he? That was one advantage to communism, wasn’t it?
The fettuccine arrived right on time, and surprisingly it was pretty good. He watched her eyes as she took her first forkful. (Vincenzo’s used silverware instead of chopsticks, which was a better idea for fettuccine Alfredo anyway.) Her dark eyes were wide as the noodles entered her mouth.
“This is fine ... lots of eggs have gone into it. I love eggs,” she confided.
They’re your arteries, honey, the case officer thought. He watched her inhale the first bit of the fettuccine. Nomuri reached across the table to top off her wineglass once more. She scarcely noticed, she attacked her pasta so furiously.
Halfway through the plate of pasta, she looked up. “I have never had so fine a dinner,” Ming told him.
Nomuri responded with a warm grin. “I am so pleased that you are enjoying yourself.” Wait’ll you see the drawers I just got you, honey.
Attention to orders!”
Major General Marion Diggs wondered what his new command would bring him. The second star on his shoulder ... well, he told himself that he could feel the additional weight, but the truth was that he couldn’t, not really. His