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they had erected tents around her base, and groups of students were always present, ready to defend her.
    But the government will tear the statue down, Clee thought, sighing heavily.
    Luke Michaels, seated next to Clee, looked at him. “Something wrong?”
    “I was just wondering how long that’s going to be standing there,” he murmured, gesturing to the statue.
    “I dunno.” Luke shmgged, ran a hand through his darkred hair and turned his earnest freckled face to Clee. “Forever, perhaps?”
    Clee laughed hollowly. “I give it a couple of days, at the most, before it’s totally destroyed. And I can guarantee you this, Luke— it won’t be standing there a week from today.”
    “Yeah, I guess you’re right, it’s such a thorn in Deng’s side.
    Well, it’s a thorn in all of their sides. The Gang of the Old can’t stand the sight of it, and they consider the making of it an act of pure defiance. It was wishful thinking on my part, hoping the statue would stand forever as a sort of tribute to the kids.”
    “Nobody around here is going to pay them a tribute, except for us—the international press. We have to keep telling the world about them and their struggle, do whatever it takes to accomplish that.”
    Luke nodded, and shifted his position slightly, he leaned back against the stone and closed his eyes. It was photojournalists like Clee and correspondents like Nicky who risked their lives to bring the tnuth to the public, and he found the two of them inspiring. He especially admired Nicky Wells, she was what his mother called a real trouper. He wasn’t married yet, or seriously dating anybody special, but when the time came for him to settle down, he hoped he would find a woman like Nicky. There was something warm and reassuring about her, and she didn’t put men down.
    He had been part of Nicky’s crew for just over a year, and he had seen and learned a lot, working with her. At twenty-seven, he had been in the television business for only five years, and he knew he was green in some respects. But Nicky had been helpful and nice to him right from the start, and had treated him like a seasoned veteran. She was a stickler about punctuality and a lot of other things as well, and a perfectionist, and sometimes she
    could blow her stack. But she was a pro, and he’d do just about anything for her.
    He wished she could find a good guy. Sometimes she looked sad, and her eyes would have a distant expression, as if she were remembering something painful. There were strange rumors about a man she’d been in love with before Luke joined her team.
    Apparently he’d treated her badly. Arch and Jimmy were pretty close-mouthed about it, though, and he didn’t like to ask too many questions. Still, it was a shame she was alone. What a waste of a lovely woman-“Luke! Luke!”
    The sound engineer sat up with a jolt, hearing his name. He looked down, and at the base of the monument people were milling about, as they usually were, since this spot was command headquarters for the student movement. The foreign press corps tended to congregate in the area too, and there was always a great deal of activity. His buddy Tony Marsden was beckoning to him.
    Luke waved back, and stood up. “I’ll go and see what Tony wants,” he said to Clee. “Maybe he knows something we don’t, has some new information. I’ll be back.”
    “Take your time,” Clee said, gazing out on the square. He knew he would be leaving China soon, the end was in sight. His elbows on his knees, his head propped morosely in his hands, he felt dreadful for the kids—they were so idealistic, so innocent, so brave. When he first came to Beijing almost six weeks ago, he had found them full of excitement and hope. They had spoken stirring words about liberty and democracy, and had sung their songs and played their guitars.
    But tonight their guitars were still, and soon their voices would be still too. He shuddered slightly and felt the prickle of