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〃Lieutenant Rong； I am Barry Wise of CNN。 Do you know the reason for your orders？〃
〃This house is a place of political activity which is ordered closed by the city government。〃
〃Political activity？ But it's a private residence…a house； is it not？〃
〃It is a place of political activity；〃 Rong persisted。 〃Unauthorized political activity；〃 he added。
〃I see。 Thank you； Lieutenant。〃 Wise backed off and started talking directly to the camera while Mrs。 Yu went to her fellow church members。 The camera traced her to one particular member； a heavyset person whose face proclaimed resolve of some sort。 This one turned to the other parishioners and said something loud。 Immediately； they all opened their Bibles。 The overweight one flipped his open as well and started reading a passage。 He did so loudly； and the other members of the congregation looked intently into their testaments； allowing the first man to take the lead。
Wise counted thirty…four people； about evenly divided between men and women。 All had their heads down into their own Bibles； or those next to them。 That's when he turned to see Lieutenant Rong's face。 It twisted into a sort of curiosity at first； then came prehension and outrage。 Clearly； the 〃political〃 activity for which the home had been declared off…limits was religious worship； and that the local government called it 〃political〃 activity was a further affront to Barry Wise's sense of right and wrong。 He reflected briefly that the news media had largely forgotten what munism really had been； but now it lay right here in front of him。 The face of oppression had never been a pretty one。 It would soon get uglier。
Wen Zhong； the restaurateur； was leading the ad…hoc service； going through the Bible but doing so in Mandarin； a language which the CNN crew barely prehended。 The thirty or so others flipped the pages in their Bibles when he did； following his scriptural readings very carefully； in the way of Baptist； and Wise started wondering if this corpulent chap might be taking over the congregation right before his eyes。 If so； the guy seemed sincere enough； and that above all was the quality a clergyman needed。 Yu Chun headed over to him； and he reached out to put his arm around her shoulder in a gesture that didn't seem Chinese at all。 That was when she lost it and started weeping； which hardly seemed shameful。 Here was a woman married over twenty years who'd lost her husband in a particularly cruel way； then doubly insulted by a government which had gone so far as to destroy his body； thus denying her even the chance to look upon her beloved's face one last time； or the chance to have a small plot of ground to visit。
These people are barbarians； Wise thought； knowing he couldn't say such a thing in front of the camera； and angry for that reason； but his profession had rules and he didn't break them。 But he did have a camera； and the camera showed things that mere words could not convey。
Unknown to the news crew； Atlanta had put their feed on live； with voice…over mentary from CNN headquarters because they hadn't managed to get Barry Wise's attention on the side…band audio circuit。 The signal went up to the satellite； then down to Atlanta； and back up to a total of four orbiting birds； then it came down all over the world； and one of the places it came to was Beijing。
The members of the Chinese Politburo all had televisions in their offices； and all of them had access to the American CNN； which was for them a prime source of political intelligence。 It came down also to the various hotels in the city； crowded as they were with businessmen and other visitors； and even some Chinese citizens had access to it； especially business people who conducted their affairs both within and without the People's Republic and needed to know what was happening in the outside world。
In his office； Fang Gan looked up from his desk to the TV that was always kept on while he was there。 He lifted the controller to get the sound； and heard English； with some Chinese language in the background that he could not quite understand。 His English wasn't very good； and he called Ming into his office to translate。
〃Minister； this is coverage of something right here in Beijing；〃 she told him first of all。
〃I can see that； girl！〃 he snapped back at her。 〃What is being said？〃
〃Ah； yes。 It is associates of the man Yu who was shot by the police two days ago 。。。 also his widow 。 。 。 this is evidently a funeral ceremony of some sort…oh； they say that Yu's body was cremated and scattered； and so his widow has nothing to bury； and that explains her added grief； they say。〃
〃What lunatic did that？〃 Fang wondered aloud。 He was not by nature a very passionate man； but a wise man did not go out of his way to be cruel； either。 〃Go on； girl！〃
〃They are reading from the Christian Bible； I can't make out the words； the English speaker is blanking them out 。 。 。 the narrator is mainly repeating himself； saying 。。。 ah； yes； saying they are trying to establish contact with their reporter Wise here in Beijing but they are having technical difficulties 。 。 。 just repeating what he has already said； a memorial ceremony for the man Yu； friends 。 。 。 no； members of his worship group； and that is all； really。 They are now repeating what happened before at the Longfu hospital； menting also on the Italian churchman whose body will soon arrive back in Italy。〃
Fang grumbled and lifted his phone； calling for the Interior Minister。
〃Turn on your TV！〃 he told his Politburo colleague at once。 〃You need to get control of this situation； but do so intelligently！ This could be ruinous for us； the worst since those foolish students at Tiananmen Square。〃
Ming saw her boss grimace before setting the phone down and mutter； 〃Fool！〃 after he did so； then shake his head with a mixture of anger and sorrow。
〃That will be all； Ming；〃 he told her； after another minute。
His secretary went back to her desk and puter； wondering what was happening with the aftermath of the man Yu's death。 Certainly it had seemed sad at the time； a singularly pointless pair of deaths which had upset and offended her minister for their stupidity。 He'd even advocated punishing the trigger…happy policemen； but that suggestion had e to nothing； for fear of losing face for their country。 With that thought； she shrugged and went back to her daily work。
The word from the Interior Minister went out fast； but Barry Wise couldn't see that。 It took another minute for him to hear the voices from Atlanta on his IFB earphone。 Immediately thereafter； he went live on audio and started again to do his own on…the…scene mentary for a global audience。 He kept turning his head while Pete Nichols centered the video on this rump religious meeting in a narrow； dirty street。 Wise saw the police lieutenant talk into his portable radio…it looked like a Motorola； just like American cops used。 He talked； listened； talked again； then got something confirmed。 With that； he holstered the radio and came walking directly to the CNN reporter。 There was determination on his face； a look Wise didn't wele； all the more so that on the way over； this Lieutenant Rong spoke discreetly with his men； who tu