The China Gambit by Allan Topol

Author:Allan Topol [Topol, Allan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781936467259
Publisher: Trab Publishing
Published: 2013-03-11T23:00:00+00:00

51

SAN FRANCISCO

Elizabeth was staring at the Four Seasons dinner menu, but not reading it. She was thinking about all the incredible things she’d done since she met Craig. Even today, when they weren’t getting chased or shot at, she had her picture taken for phony documents above a produce shop in Chinatown. What a wild ride.

Meantime, she had gone shopping to buy suitcases, clothes, books, cameras, and film. She had to look like a tourist accompanying her husband on a business trip to China when they flew to Beijing early tomorrow morning.

She glanced out of the window at Market Street below. A trolley car was passing by, pedestrians scrambling to get out of the way.

Craig signaled for a waiter who rushed over. She told the young man, “I’ll have the mixed salad and crab.” Craig ordered a salad and another of those steaks he loved. Then he said to the waiter, “We’ll have bottle of the Brunello by Antinori.”

She looked at him with alarm. “Do you think you should drink? Dr. Rollins said that with the medication, which you’re still taking…”

“You worry too much. I’ll just sip a little.”

During dinner, he said softly, “How ironic that China and Iran are uniting to try and dominate the world.” He explained to her what those two countries were doing in the sixth century, B.C. Cyrus had expanded the Persian Empire to include over fifty million people. At about the same time, Confucius was the seminal thinker of the period.

“There are so many astounding developments in Chinese history. The Ming Navy was crossing the Indian Ocean and traveling to Africa almost a hundred years before Columbus and the European explorers. A great creative age for technology and culture came two centuries before the renaissance in Europe.”

As he spoke, pausing from time to time to eat and drink wine, she was astounded at the depth of his knowledge. She was listening enough to ask questions from time to time, but they weren’t really engaged in a discussion. He seemed so serious. It was as if he were giving a seminar. This was a side of him she’d never seen before.

Her mind wandered, thinking about him.

Suddenly, she wanted him to make love to her. He’ll probably be a good lover. Strong, but sensitive. Concerned with her pleasure, too.

Thinking about it, she was becoming wet, her face flushed.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Nothing. Why?”

“You look red.”

“Maybe it’s the wine.”

He smiled at her, then reached over and placed his hand on hers. The waiter refilled their glasses.

When the waiter took their dessert order, he said, “We have a Grand Mariner soufflé.”

“I love that,” she said with enthusiasm.

“One for the two of us,” Craig said.

Waiting for the soufflé, they talked about San Francisco and their visits over the years. Beneath the surface of their conversation was the tension of what awaited them in China.

Suddenly, she remembered. Today was March 26. She stood up, “Be right back. I have to go to the ladies room.”

En route, she passed the waiter. “Will you please put a candle in the soufflé?”

Moments later, it arrived with a lit candle.

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