A Certain Smile [antikvár]

Chapter i Miranda Graham and Yuan Li met in the Beijing airport when he appeared out of nowhere to rescue her from the shoving, elbowing crowds buffeting her on all sides. She was stuck in the taxi line just outside the terminal, pinned there while others thrust in front of her, indifferently pushing and knocking against her as she struggled to stay close to her suitcase. Assaulted by the high-pitched, incessant din, she shrank from the press of strange bodies, feeling helpless and suddenly afraid. This can 'i be happening; Vm in one of the world's biggest airports; there's nothing to be afraid of; no one is going to hurt me. But they don H like Americans and nobody smiles or gives me any space they walk right into me, as if they want to knock me down . . . She knew that was ridiculous, but she felt threatened and alone, and she had not moved an inch in ten minutes. I could be here all night, she thought, and never get to my hotel. I've got to do something; what do people do to get anywhere in this country? And that was when Li appeared, standing out from