“I’m aware the note might’ve come from anyone,” Professor Kang said, “especially since many who live in Shangtan are making use of our mail arrangements. I know we’re at war and tensions are running high, but I trust that you, as educated young men and women, will make sure of the evidence before accusing anyone. I don’t need to tell you how much harm this has caused Mr. Lee. It’s beyond mischief, it’s malice. And it wasted valuable police time.”

Then the wail of air-raid sirens drowned out the rest of his words. The Japanese were finally paying their respects to Shangtan.

Shao scanned the parade ground for Lian. She had been upset over Meirong, that was to be expected, but lately there was something else. The way she seemed to only half listen, her attention diverted elsewhere. The wary look in her eyes, even when she smiled at him. He caught sight of her, moving with the crowd toward the air-raid shelter at the north corner of the barracks. He found her inside crouched against a wall, arms wrapped around her knees, head down. He sat on the ground beside her and looked around the shelter.

Sparrow was already there, in a corner with some of the servants. Everyone around her buzzed with excitement and nerves, but Sparrow made Shao think of a calm pool of light. Chen Ping and Shorty came in, then Professor Kang, followed by laborers carrying crates of books. As the door clanged shut on the shelter, the roar of aircraft engines told him the bombers were almost directly overhead.

The Japanese had extended their raids beyond Changsha. It took just a short diversion for Japanese planes to reach Shangtan. Tucked against the hills, their campus was one of the more difficult targets, but today the fog had cleared. And seen from above, it was clearly a military barracks.

“Don’t be scared,” Shao said. Lian’s slim body was shaking. “If bombs fall here, they’ll land on the barracks, not on the air-raid shelters. We’re dug right into the side of the hill.”

“It’s not the bombs that frighten me.” Her voice was so forlorn. In that moment, all he wanted was to protect her.

“Then what is it?” he said. “What’s frightened you?”

Lian looked around. “Stay behind with me after the all clear,” she whispered.

The air raid was brief, no more than forty minutes. The shelter emptied quickly. One of the servants propped open the shelter door and a welcome gust of cold fresh air blew in. Soon it was just the two of them sitting on hard concrete.

Lian fidgeted, then finally spoke. “It’s Wendian,” she said. “She blames Mr. Lee for Meirong’s arrest and she blames me, too.”