She listened, intently. The night was quiet, and she might be alone. Then again, she might not. The girl in the red gown wished she were somewhere other than Beijing, huddled in a doorway in the night. But where would she be, if she could choose? Back in England, probably. There, she would be fearless. There, dangerous men would not be chasing her across the city, seeking to recover an ancient idol - really, it was an ugly thing, wooden and splintery. She wished she knew what all the fuss was about. James had wanted it, though, and so she'd given it to him. She didn't have it! But try telling that to Ling Xuang. He didn't believe her, and James was gone - not that she'd betray him anyway. Stupid, stupid and faithful to the end. She cursed her own stupid nature, even while she hoped desperately that James was all right, that he was off sipping champagne somewhere and relaxing.

To her great surprise, the door she was leaning against suddenly opened inward. She stumbled backward with a tiny shout of surprise, recovering herself against the door jamb, peering curiously into the darkened room. Was it a ... shop? Something? She could see shelves, and many boxes. It smelled dusty. What she didn't see was who had opened the door. "Hello?" She called out, hesitantly. The door closed quietly behind her. A dim green glow