"The Communists have taken over the city, Miss Davis. That was the firing we heard. The troops went over to them. Even the General's body-guard has deserted. The boys at the telephone got word what had happened, came and gave us a false report and cleared out. This last officer who just came was on guard at the arsenal. They have taken that over. I'll bet," he added, turning to look down at Captain Li, "our little friend here could tell us something about this." "As you leave," said the General, "you had better take Li with you and shoot him somewhere outside. See if he is armed, will you, Shultz?" Mr. Shultz leaned over the back of Captain Li's chair, jerked him to his feet and felt his body expertly. "Nope," he answered, finding nothing. Captain Li, who had taken his mauling with the absent expression of a child being undressed for bed, on being released as absently sat down again. The room was extraordinarily still. For a moment they all sat listening to the stillness which pressed in upon them the completeness of their desertion. Megan thought how absurd this all was. She had expected a night of alarms and bloodshed and yet it had all come about in a way peculiar, apparently, to China. The General had simply been sold out. Nothing more would happen unless he insisted on remembering that Captain Li also had forgotten his place in society. Mah-li of course was safe. If she was to share the fate of the Communists it was certain that she was now sharing their triumph. The General had failed there at any rate. She repeated this to herself with an exultant satisfaction. He had tried to preserve a decorum that was already a corpse. And perhaps since he had failed, since he had been forced to do as she asked, it might be possible to forgive him. Even now, though she was still ready to heap every reproach on him, she felt an obscure, imperative necessity to reinstate him. "I think we'd better take Li with us," said Mr. Shultz, breaking the silence. "But I don't like to shoot him unless I have to. Come along, General, let's get going." The General did not answer, and made no movement of getting up. He stared at Mr. Shultz, and Megan saw on his face the same expression of doubt she had seen before, when he had spoken of Doctor Strike and the safe-conduct pass. It was a doubt that struck at the deepest roots of his beliefs. "What's the matter?" demanded Mr. Shultz. "Do you mean," said the General, "you want me to come with you?" Mr. Shultz looked at him in astonishment, and as the General's meaning dawned on him he was even embarrassed. He said nothing. The General spoke haltingly and in a low apologetic voice. "But I am the one they are after. If I come with you your chances of getting away are practically nothing." Mr. Shultz suddenly regained his assurance. "Oh, go to hell," he said jovially. "What do you think I am!"