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y society； if you knew the aphorisms； you could break the code。 Success here was always proclaimed in the most positive terms。 Setbacks were brushed aside without admission as something less than a stunning success。 Failure was something to be blamed on individuals who'd failed in their duty… often to their great misfortune。 But a real policy disaster was invariably explained as a situation that could yet be restored。
〃rades； we still have our strengths；〃 Zhang told them all。 〃Of all the great powers of the world； only we have intercontinental missiles； and no one will dare strike us hard while we do；〃
〃rade； two days ago the Americans totally destroyed bridges so stout that one would have thought that only an angry deity could so much as scratch them。 How secure can those missiles be； when we face a foe with invisible aircraft and MAGICal weapons？〃 Qian asked。 〃I think we may be approaching the time when Shen might wish to approach America and Russia to propose an end to hostilities；〃 he concluded。
〃You mean surrender？〃 Zhang asked angrily。 〃Never！〃
It had already started； though the Politburo members didn't know it yet。 All over China； but especially in Beijing； people owning puters had logged onto the Internet。 This was especially true of young people； and university students most of all。
The CIA feed； darkstarfeed。cia。gov/siberiabattle/realtime。ram； had attracted a global audience； catching even the international news organizations by surprise。 CNN； Fox； and Europe's SkyNews had immediately pirated it； and then called in their expert mentators to explain things to their viewers in the first continuous news coverage of an event since February of 1991。 CIA had taken to pirating CNN in turn； and now available on the CIA website were live interviews from Chinese prisoners。 They spoke freely； they were so shocked at their fates…stunned at how near they'd e to death； and so buoyantly elated at their equally amazing survival when so many of their colleagues had been less fortunate。 That made for great verbosity； and it was also something that couldn't be faked。 Any Chinese citizen could have spotted false propaganda； but equally； any could discern this sort of truth from what he saw and heard。
The strange part was that Luo hadn't mented on the Internet phenomenon； thinking it irrelevant to the political facts of life in the PRC； but in that decision he'd made the greatest political misapprehension of his life。
They met in college dorm rooms first of all； amid clouds of cigarette smoke； chattering animatedly among themselves as students do； and like students everywhere they bined idealism with passion。 That passion soon turned to resolve。 By midnight； they were meeting in larger groups。 Some Leaders emerged； and； being Leaders； they felt the need to take their associates somewhere。 When the crowds mingled outside； the individual Leaders of smaller groups met and started talking； and super…Leaders emerged； rather like an instant military or political hierarchy； absorbing other groups into their own； until there were six principal Leaders of a group of about fifteen hundred students。 The larger group developed and then fed upon its own energy。 Students everywhere are well supplied with piss and vinegar； and these Chinese students were no different。 Some of the boys were there hoping to score with girls…another universal motivation for students…but the unifying factor here was rage at what had happened to their soldiers and their country； and even more rage at the lies that had gone out over State TV； lies so clearly and utterly refuted by the reality they saw over the Internet； a source they'd learned to trust。
There was only one place for them to go； Tiananmen Square； the 〃Square of Heavenly Peace；〃 the psychological center of their country； and they were drawn there like iron filings to a magnet。 The time of day worked for them。 The police in Beijing； like police everywhere； worked twenty…four…hour days divided into three unequal shifts； and the shift most lightly manned was that from 2300 to 0700。 Most people were asleep then； and as a direct result there was little crime to suppress； and so this shift was the smallest in terms of manning； and also posed of those officers loved the least by their manders； because no man in his right mind prefers the vampire life of wakefulness in darkness to that in the light of day。 And so the few police on duty were those who had failed to distinguish themselves in their professional skills； or were disliked by their captains； and returned the pliment by not taking their duties with sufficient gravity。
The appearance of the first students in the square was barely noted by the two policemen there。 Their main duties involved directing traffic and/or telling （frequently inebriated） foreign tourists how to stumble back to their hotels； and the only danger they faced was usually that of being blinded by the flashes of foreign cameras held by oafishly pleasant but drunken gwai。
This new situation took them totally by surprise； and their first reaction was to do nothing but watch。 The presence of so many young people in the square was unusual； but they weren't doing anything overtly unlawful at the moment； and so the police just looked on in a state of bemusement。 They didn't even report what was going on because the watch captain was an ass who wouldn't have known what to do about it anyway。
〃What if they strike at our nuclear arms？〃 Interior Minister Tong Jie asked。
〃They already have；〃 Zhang reminded them。 〃They sank our missile submarine； you will recall。 If they also strike at our land…based missiles； then it would mean they plan to attack us as a nation； not just our armed forces； for then they would have nothing to hold them back。 It would be a grave and deliberate provocation； is that not so； Shen？〃
The Foreign Minister nodded。 〃It would be an unfriendly act。〃
〃How do we defend against it？〃 Tan Deshi asked。
〃The missile field is located far from the borders。 Each is in a heavily constructed concrete silo；〃 Defense Minister Luo explained。 〃Moreover； we have recently fortified them further with steel armor to deflect bombs that might fall on them。 The best way to add to their defense would be to deploy surface…to…air missiles。〃
〃And if the Americans use their stealthy bombers； then what？〃 Tan asked。
〃The defense against that is passive； the steel hats we put on the silos。 We have troops there…security personnel of Second Artillery mand…but they are there only for site security against intruders on the ground。 If such an attack should be made； we should launch them。 The principle is to use them or lose them。 An attack against our strategic weapons would have to be a precursor to an attack against our nationhood。 That is our one trump card；〃 Luo explained。 〃The one thing that even the Americans truly fear。〃
〃Well； it should be；〃 Zhang Han Sen agreed。 〃That is how we tell the Americans where they must stop and what they must do。 In fact； it might now be a good time to tell the Americans that we have those missiles； and the willingness to use them if they press us too hard。〃
〃Threaten the Americans with nuclear arms？〃 Fang asked。 〃Is that