THE SADDEST GIRL SINCE THE SONG DYNASTY

THE SECOND LAST SUPPER - PART II

The venue for the night, a favorite of Dor-Yen's, was a second floor, wood-paneled establishment near Fuxing Park specializing in Yunnan cuisine. He had reserved a table for thirteen in the private room he always asked for, and had pre-ordered far too much considering how little he himself, Lady Zhao and several other regulars ate. On Dor-Yen's right and looking furious with something was Sooming, and on his left was his latest best-friend, a New Zealander named Trav.

Trav, Dor-Yen explained, had spent the last ten years wandering China, going from East Coast to Western Desert and back with a camera and one change of clothes like it was his job. Officially though – specifically, by the classification of his visa – he was a mature student. In the process of unending travel, Trav had picked up the language, had familiarized himself with all aspects of life and living in the country, and had developed an Asian aura Ander could sense, but couldn't quite articulate.

"I'd love to stay longer," Trav said, "I really want to. But you know... I'm applying for a work permit actually. And to be honest, I'm not sure I could go back to New Zealand, to any Western country. I'm not sure I could adjust..."

Ander thought he spoke with the air of a war veteran. At one point, though it was in relation to the quality of beaches and some obscure facts about local taxes, he spoke of the Vietnam War.

Lady Zhao had sent Ander on ahead for reasons relating to make-up application and feminine hygiene. She and Bingbing then arrived at the restaurant last, thus stranding herself in a psychologically isolated corner of the room between Bingbing and a girl freshly arrived from a small village. This was a disaster. Her fortuneteller, in contrast to her more progressive and mainstream female advisors, had quite seriously warned Lady Zhao in a meeting the previous year to be wary of other women, saying her chi flow created repulsive forces analogous to that of a magnet, that of two positive poles, and that Lady Zhao's life energy induced in other females only contempt. Whereas prior to the fortuneteller's intervention it had been merely a prejudiced feeling, Lady Zhao now believed on a cosmic level that associating with others in her gender category brought strife and drama. A whole day spent with Bingbing had already driven her to take a course of spuriously labeled health pills.

Indeed, this diagnosis had had the double effect of reinforcing Lady Zhao's perception that she got along best with men, specifically men she thought had good physiques, good conversation skills, and good grades. To achieve any fulfilling social engagement that dinner, Lady Zhao felt the need to shout across the round table at Dor-Yen, Trav, Spring, and Ander.

"Yeah, long time no see... Work is as unsatisfactory as ever... Have you seen Tann the Terrible recently? You know he isn't a tofu eater?... Hey! This place is always so crowded and expensive and the food isn't even that great and the lighting is too red..."