The elevator had been so crowded that Xu opted to hike up all six flights of stairs to the top floor of his building. As an Olympic gymnast and specialist on the rings and pommel horse, he possessed considerable upper body strength, but he had also worked hard to improve his legs, turning them into sinuous sticks of solid rock. Consequently, all those stairs should not have posed a problem. Yet even he was exhausted, in part from all the adrenaline and anticipation.

Xu was billeted in one of twenty such apartments constructed in the western part of the village dubbed the Residential Quarter, where another twenty buildings rose to nine floors. More than sixteen thousand athletes and officials were staying there, and Xu had encountered at least a half dozen languages within the first ten minutes of arrival.

In two weeks the opening ceremonies would commence, and until then all of the athletes could spend time training and familiarizing themselves with their new quarters--and their new roommates.

Xu's roommate had yet to arrive. The man was from Taiwan and competing on their shooting team, but that was all Xu knew about him.

Taiwan . . . Of all the countries his roommate could have been from . . .

Xu's first thought had been to seek a new room or at least swap rooms with one of his teammates, but in the spirit of the Olympic Games, he thought he would at least give the man a chance. Perhaps they could engage in some interesting political debates.

However, just mentioning Taiwan made Xu's breath grow shallow and his chest tighten. He would never forget the bitterness of his father and the lament of his mother as they spoke of the land they only referred to as Formosa.

He rose from the bed, went to the window, gazed down at the forest that stretched out between the buildings. Hundreds of people milled about down there, with knots of athletes and reporters conducting interviews on nearly every corner.

"Hello," came a voice from the doorway.

"Oh, hello."

A muscular man with short black hair and a fiery gaze stood in the doorway. He would have resembled any other Taiwanese man, were it not for those eyes.

Xu shifted to the man and offered a light handshake. "You are Fang Zhi?"

"Yes, and you're Xu Dingfa."

He nodded. "This is our apartment."

"Yes."

Their exchange was cold, formal, and Xu hoped it might remain that way. Perhaps the less they said to each other, the better.

Fang shifted inside, noted the wrinkles on the bed Xu had chosen, then carefully moved to the other bed. "I will sleep here?"

"Yes."

"So you are in the army? So was I."

Xu frowned. Why had Fang's tone lightened? First those eyes, which suggested he would be anything but friendly, and now an attempt at casual conversation?

"Fang. I must be honest. I was not happy to learn that I would be sharing a room with someone from--"

"I understand. But on the contrary, I was happy to learn I would be sharing a room with you."

"You were?"

"Yes, you are a military officer for whom I have the utmost respect."

Xu drew back his head in disbelief. "I have only known you five minutes, and already you are an interesting man, full of surprises."

Fang's eyes widened. "Yes."

For the next two weeks, Xu trained hard with his team and spent most of his free time with them. However, in the late evenings, when he returned to his room, he would find Fang sitting up in bed, reading Sun Tzu's The Art of War or a biography about Confucius. Fang spent little time socializing with his teammates, it seemed.

On the eve before the opening ceremonies, when Xu came home after a night of drinking a little too much, he found Fang, once again, sitting up and reading.

"Tomorrow the games begin--and you have done nothing to celebrate?"

Fang glanced up from his book. "My celebration will come afterward."

"You are that confident of a medal? The Taiwanese team has no reputation for victory. But the Chinese, well, we have done quite well for ourselves in the shooting events."

"I was not referring to the games." Fang set his book on his lap. "Tell me something, Xu. You tolerate me, yes. But there is something more there. Hatred. Why is that?"

Xu took a seat on his bed. "Do you know why I joined the army? The real reason? To liberate your country."

"Why does that matter so much to you?"

"It simply does."

"Would you be shocked to learn that I feel as you do?"

"As I said, you are full of surprises. But I am confused, hearing this from a former army officer such as yourself."

"I did not resign from the military."

"I see. And now you are angry with your country."

"You have no idea."

"Well, I am angry with your country, too."

Yes, the alcohol, which he had been forbidden to drink by his coaches, had taken effect, and Xu felt quite loose with his tongue, so he decided to share the story.

"You see, Fang, my parents once lived in Taipei with my two sisters and one brother. They were outspoken Chinese sympathizers, and one night, during a massive sweep by the military, they were arrested and deported to China with no chance to take my sisters and brother with them."

"So what happened?"

"My sisters and brother had to live with my uncles and aunts. My parents were forced to find work and live here in China, where I was born. For my entire life I have heard this story, and I have never met my siblings. But that is not as important as reuniting my parents with them. They are getting old now, and they want more than anything to be with their children--before they die."

"And you thought joining the army would help? You are a dreamer! A fool!"

Xu bolted from the bed and seized Fang by the neck, tightening his grip. "It will happen!"

"No, it never will. The Americans will always be in the way."

Realizing what he was doing, Xu released Fang and tried to catch his breath. "There will come a day. I promise you."

Fang rubbed his neck a moment, then said, "Maybe I am wrong, Xu. Maybe your parents will see their children again. And maybe . . . I can help you."

Xu cocked a brow. "Why?"

"As repayment for the help you will give me."

"What help?"

Fang leaned in closer and lowered his voice, as though they were being watched. "After the games, I am not going back to Taiwan."

Xu's mouth opened. "I see."

"If you help me, I will do everything in my power to help you and your parents. You have my word."

Xu took a deep breath. Perhaps it would not take much to help Fang. Perhaps if he did, Fang would become an ally for life, a fiercely loyal friend who would, indeed, help Xu attain his goal. How he would do that was not yet clear, but harnessing Fang's energy made Xu feel less like a victim and more like a warrior.

"Fang, I will have to think about this."

"I understand. But it does seem we share a common goal."

"Maybe. But I still do not trust you. Tell me what happened to you in the army."

Fang closed his eyes and bared his teeth. "We were working with the Filipino and American Special Forces teams. The Americans came up with a plan and marched us into the jungle to be slaughtered. I would not allow that to happen. And, for saving my men, for doing the honorable thing of rejecting an unconscionable order, I was rewarded with disgrace and discharge. My family name has been ruined. The news made my mother ill. She is near death. And now there is only one thing left to do."