Lost in Translation Page 0,96

thought in a quick flood of relief; far away from that horrible Lieutenant Shan in Yinchuan.

He poured her tea.

She started to eat, then, feeling his eyes on her, looked up. He was not eating. Instead he was watching her, playing with one of his chopsticks.

His fingers moved deliberately up and down the wooden utensil. He watched her while he did it.

Am I imagining this? she thought.

No. He’s actually doing it.

"I think, despite everything, we may be close to it." He didn’t glance at his fingers stroking the kuaizi. His eyes stayed on hers. "Do you think so? Do you think we’re close?"

"Close to what?" she whispered, barely able to speak.

"Finding Sinanthropus. Of course."

She could only nod, afraid to even breathe.

"I really think we are," he said, but now his voice had gone slightly hoarse.

Then an utter change clicked over him. "Eh," he said, "Dr. Spencer." He laid the chopstick down.

Adam sat noisily beside them. "So? We have a meeting with somebody?"

"Today, we hope. Someone military."

Spencer nodded. Still suffused with his new optimism, he started serving himself.

She snatched a glance at Lin. He ate as if nothing had occurred.

She cleared her throat gently at the empty desk. A fuwuyuan came out from the back room, her world, her bed and desk and basin. "Miss, I trouble you too much. Is there any phone?"

"No phone," said the tall, equine woman.

"May I ask, where is there a phone?"

The woman thought. "In Yinchuan."

"So it’s like that."

The woman made the faintest affirmative expression with her eyes, high set, brilliant, and black.

Now what do I do about Horace? Alice despaired. I’m out in the middle of nowhere, there’s no phone, and what if he is dying?

What if. Because the day will come, maybe soon, when I’ll stand on this earth without him. He’ll be gone and it’ll just be me, Alice Mannegan.

Free to choose, to love.

Free to live in China, or in the United States.

No—not the United States. People will still remember. My name will still be Mannegan and people will never let me forget it. It’s not worth fighting it there. But I could live here—or Hong Kong or Taipei. Nobody cares or knows or is even aware of it in Asia. And I could let my guard down, be what my instincts tell me to be. My real self. It was the same thing Pierre had wished for Lucile: You know that nothing makes me more happy than to feel that you are living fully by the best of yourself.

"Hai you qita shi ma?" the woman inquired.

Alice shook her head sadly. "No. Nothing else."

"The lieutenant will see you now," said the crisply uniformed soldier.

He held open the door.

Lieutenant Shan half rose from behind his desk, all courtesy, all controlled bearing.

Oh, God, she thought: it’s him—he’s in charge of the Army here too.

The lieutenant recognized her too. She saw it in his face, although he covered expertly.

Shan smiled. Everyone smiled back except Alice.

Kuyuk made introductions. "Dr. Lin, Dr. Kong of Huabei University, and the Americans, Dr. Spencer, Miss Mo."

Lieutenant Shan emitted the small hospitable sounds which were correct in such situations. These monosyllables conveyed his pleasure at meeting them, but by their brevity reminded everyone of his very busy, very superior position.

Ah, good, Alice thought, watching him. He still didn’t know she spoke Chinese. Kuyuk had not identified her as the interpreter, just introduced her by name. Now Shan was directing himself entirely at Kuyuk, Lin, and Kong—ignoring her and Spencer, obviously assuming the two Americans didn’t understand him. It’s too good to be true, she thought. He still doesn’t know.

Of course, before the meeting’s over he’s going to find out I speak Chinese, but I can control when it happens. When? she thought. What moment do I select to make it crystal clear that when his soldiers brought me in the other day I understood every single vulgar word he said? She drew a careful breath, kept her face neutral.

Now Kuyuk delineated their research in Chinese, explaining why they believed Peking Man to be in the cave. Shan listened, impassive.

She stepped close to Spencer and delivered a soft, discreet translation into his ear.

When Kuyuk completed his monologue Shan cleared his throat. "It is our honor to welcome you to the Alashan Banner of Inner Mongolia. As you have surmised, the cave in question is part of our installation. It cannot be entered, I’m afraid. The equipment inside is very sensitive, highly sophisticated. Exceedingly dangerous."

Alice’s lips parted in surprise. So polished! And he’d been so