“Here’s the deal,” he said. “The Chinese are hoping to make a big-budget Schindler’s List-type movie to dramatize the horrific Nanjing massacre by the Japanese in 1937. A German civilian saved thousands of Chinese refugees from rapes and murders. There’s a Caucasian female role that Kong Ruiji believes you can play. You’ll show your compassion toward the Chinese people and at the same time work with their government in its efforts to garner sympathy—”

“If sympathy is what they’re after, they could find it without my help if they stopped rolling over protesters with tanks and killing babies in orphanages.” She yanked at the dance shoes. Lulu would be a poster child. What would happen to her once the media diverted its attention to the next sensation? “I hope you’ve told him to do you-know-what.”

“You’re missing the point. They’re trying to make you happy. The Double Happiness tour has encountered some glitches and it is important that we smooth things out.”

“Please don’t insult me like I’m a kid with a scraped knee. Of all people, you should know that I can’t be compensated for my loss of Lulu with a movie offer. A movie offer!”

He drummed his fingers on the dresser. “What do you want me to do?”

“I assume that you’ve done as much as you can in this matter.” She rose to her feet, feeling the ache of their estrangement. But the certainty that she would never see Lulu again broke her inner self into a million pieces. Lulu, her flower. All that remained to fill the vacuum would be the song that would create awareness of China’s infanticide.

The fourth stanza for “Flower Babies” popped up inside her.

“Flower babies, forever in our hearts you’ll glow,/ Each little silenced flower now a star.//

You shine down on a world you’ll never know,/ Your wails strum the strings of my guitar.//”

CHAPTER 18

CHAPTER 18

Nola bounded into the hotel’s grand ballroom.

Jean-Claude’s nervous fingers were rifling through the music pages strewn around him. “Let’s go over tomorrow’s program,” he said. “We’ve broken up your performance into two parts, before and after that mega-Las-Vegas-type show by the Australian dancers. They’re already practicing in Shanghai. More feathers and glitz than China has ever seen.”

“They’re supposed to warm up the audience for me, not the other way around.” But she liked the idea of splitting her performance. She was exhausted.

Jean-Claude bent over a list on which he marked the audience responses to various songs at the Forbidden City concert. “We received huge applause for ‘A String of Magical Moments,’ and ‘Superstitions.’ We can add another love song. How about ‘Don’t Wait for Life to Begin?’ An oldie but goodie—”