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〃America is an interesting country； but chaotic；〃 Nomuri told her。 〃At least in this society one can know his place。〃
〃Yes。〃 She nodded。 〃There is security in that； but sometimes too much。 Even a caged bird wishes to spread its wings。〃
〃I will tell you one thing I find bad here。〃
〃What is that？〃 Ming asked； not offended； which； Nomuri thought； was very good indeed。 Maybe he'd get a Steele novel and read up on what she liked。
〃You should dress differently。 Your clothing is not flattering。 Women should dress more attractively。 In Japan there is much variety in clothing； and you can dress Eastern or Western as the spirit moves you。〃
She giggled。 〃I would settle for the underthings。 They must feel so nice on the skin。 That is not a very socialist thought；〃 she told him； setting down her cup。 The waiter came over； and with Nomuri's assent she ordered mao…tai； a fiery local liqueur。 The waiter returned rapidly with two small porcelain cups and a flask； from which he poured daintily。 The CIA officer nearly gasped with his first sip； and it went down hot； but it certainly warmed the stomach。 Ming's skin； he saw； flushed from it； and there came the fleeting impression that a gate had just been opened and passed。。。 and that it probably led in the right direction。
〃Not everything can be socialist；〃 Nomuri judged； with another tiny sip。 〃This restaurant is a private concern； isn't it？〃
〃Oh； Yes。 And the food is better than what I cook。 That is a skill I do not have。〃
〃Truly？ Then perhaps you will allow me to cook for you sometime；〃 Chet suggested。
〃Oh？〃
〃Certainly。〃 He smiled。 〃I can cook American style； and I am able to shop at a closed store to get the correct ingredients。〃 Not that the ingredients would be worth a damn； shipped in as they were； but a damned sight better than the garbage you got here in the public markets； and a steak dinner was probably something she'd never had。 Could he justify getting CIA to put a few Kobe beef steaks on his expense account？ Nomuri wondered。 Probably。 The bean…counters at Langley didn't bother the field spooks all that much。
〃Really？〃
〃Of course。 There are some advantages to being a foreign barbarian；〃 he told her with a sly smile。 The giggling response was just right； he thought。 Yeah。 Nomuri took another careful sip of this rocket fuel。 She'd just told him what she wanted to wear。 Sensible； too； for this culture。 However fy it might be； it would also be quite discreet。
〃So； what else can you tell me about yourself？〃 he asked next。
〃There is little to tell。 My job is beneath my education； but it carries prestige for。。。 well； for political reasons。 I am a highly educated secretary。 My employer … well； technically I work for the state； as do most of us； but in fact I work for my minister as if he were in the capitalist sector and paid me from his own pocket。〃 She shrugged。 〃I suppose it has always been so。 I see and hear interesting things。〃
Don't want to ask about them now； Nomuri knew。 Later； sure； but not now。
〃It is the same with me； industrial secrets and such。 Ahh；〃 he snorted。 〃Better to leave such things at my official desk。 No； Ming； tell me about you。〃
〃Again； there is little to tell。 I am twenty…four。 I am educated。 I suppose I am lucky to be alive。 You know what happens to many girl babies here。。。〃
Nomuri nodded。 〃I have heard the stories。 They are distasteful；〃 he agreed with her。 It was more than that。 It was not unknown for the father of a female toddler to drop her down a well in the hope that his wife would bear him a son on the next try。 One…baby…per…family was almost a law in the PRC； and like most laws in a munist state； that one was ruthlessly enforced。 An unauthorized baby was often allowed to e to term； but then as birth took place； when the baby 〃crowned；〃 the top of the head appearing； the very moment of birth； the attending physician or nurse would take a syringe loaded with formaldehyde； and stab it into the soft spot at the crown of the almost…newborn's head； push the plunger； and extinguish its life at the moment of its beginning。 It wasn't something the government of the PRC advertised as government policy； but government policy it was。 Nomuri's one sister； Alice； was a physician； an obstetrician/gynecologist trained at UCLA； and he knew that his sister would take poison herself before performing such a barbarous act； or take a pistol to use on whoever demanded that she do it。 Even so； some surplus girl babies somehow managed to be born； and these were often abandoned； and then given up for adoption； mainly to Westerners； because the Chinese themselves had no use for them at all。 Had it been done to Jews； it would have been called genocide； but there were a lot of Chinese to go around。 Carried to extremes； it could lead to racial extinction； but here it was just called population control。 〃In due course Chinese culture will again recognize the value of women； Ming。 That is certain。〃
〃I suppose it is；〃 she allowed。 〃How are women treated in Japan？〃
Nomuri allowed himself a laugh。 〃The real question is how well they treat us； and how well they permit us to treat them！〃
〃Truly？〃
〃Oh； yes。 My mother ruled the house until she died。〃
〃Interesting。 Are you religious？〃
Why that question？ Chet wondered。
〃I have never decided between Shinto and Zen Buddhism；〃 he replied； truthfully。 He'd been baptized a Methodist； but fallen away from his church many years before。 In Japan he'd examined the local religions just to understand them； the better to fit in； and though he'd learned much about both； neither had appealed to his American upbringing。 〃And you？〃
〃I once looked into Falun Gong； but not seriously。 I had a friend who got very involved。 He's in prison now。〃
〃Ah； a pity。〃 Nomuri nodded sympathy； wondering how close the friend had been。 munism remained a jealous system of belief； intolerant of petition of any sort。 Baptists were the new religious fad； springing up as if from the very ground itself； started off； he thought； from the Internet； a medium into which American Christians； especially Baptists and Mormons； had pumped a lot of resources of late。 And so Jerry Falwell was getting some sort of religious/ideological foothold here？ How remarkable … or not。 The problem with Marxism…Leninism； and also with Mao it would seem； was that as fine as the theoretical model was； it lacked something the human soul craved。 But the munist chieftains didn't and couldn't like that very much。 The Falun Gong group hadn't even been a religion at all； not to Nomuri's way of thinking； but for some reason he didn't fully understand； it had frightened the powers that be in the PRC enough to crack down on it as if it had been a genuinely counterrevolutionary political movement。 He heard that the convicted leaders of the group were doing seriously hard time in the local prisons。 The thought of what constituted especially hard time in this country didn't bear much contemplation。 Some of the world's most vicious tortures had been invented in this country； where the value of human life was a far less important thing than in the nation of his origin； Chet reminded himself。 China was an ancient land with an ancient culture； but i