“So is a baby alligator. You don’t see me changing my life for one.” Wade’s teeth shone, but his eyes darkened. “Your behavior only shows how damaging this baby business is. You came to China to do a job, and I will not give you a hand in jeopardizing it.” He turned on his heel and left the room.

She clutched Lulu. How she missed Beverly and her guidance and Gabby, her friend from jazz school who had accompanied her in her earlier years on the road as part of the dance troupe. Gabby now lived at Nola's Colorado ranch, nursing her fourth baby. She no longer understood nor cared about the entertainment world. Nola wished she had faith to guide her; it had been years since she had spoken to the rabbi in the Manhattan synagogue. Then he had helped her reclaim her Jewishness in order to ease her admission into Eddie’s reluctant family. But her too-short induction into Judaism had failed to confer upon her an identity that would withstand the pressure of time and travel.

“Why don’t you call President Corwith?” Leslie asked, holding a steamy washcloth for Nola's face. “He chose you to represent America here. Call him.”

“It’s five in the morning in D.C. Besides, he’d have to accept his ambassador’s assessment of the situation.” She shook her head. “I’ve thought of everything and everyone. Mauriello. He has clout. He may not mind doing me this favor. He could talk to Kong Ruiji. But I know the premier, too; I don’t need Mauriello for an introduction. I can go directly to the number-one man in all of China and plead with him. But he must already know every detail of this saga. Don’t you see? He’s probably the one pulling the strings. No one would take a baby from a celebrity while she’s Kong Ruiji’s guest without his knowledge—or orders.”

“Attatt—paa—eeeggg—” Lulu answered.

“That about sums it up, Dumpling.” Nola lowered herself on the carpet and kissed the bridge of the tiny nose.

“There’s Daniel. And Keith Schwartz,” Leslie said, thinking of Phonomania’s first president.

“You’re going down the chain of command. Daniel is a staffer from academia. Keith? He’s out sailing for many months in Lord-knows-where. Since he’s sold Phonomania Records, there’s no secretary, no office where I could contact him. If he has e-mail access, I don’t know his address.” Nola stacked a tower of colorful plastic rings and let Lulu undo it. “I’ve even thought of sidestepping them all and calling Barbara Walters.”

“Well?”

“It’s sure to create backlash. That’s where the problem begins. The Chinese are upset about the media exposure.” She shook her head. “More of it would only make matters worse.”