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Nicholas and his secret protectors will be chivalrous enough to come to our rescue if the necessity arises.”
    Olga smiled a bit and shook her head. “I know you’re just joking, Sasha. But doesn’t it worry you, even a little?”
    I shrugged. “Let the government worry about such notions. I’m much more concerned about my human biology exam.”
    “Me too.” Olga rose to her feet. “I suppose I better go study.”
    She departed to her apartment located just down the hall from mine, leaving me with my uneasy thoughts. I looked through my notes and thumbed a thick volume written by Ipatiev himself, where he illustrated some especially savage and sloping foreheads as indicators of intellectual inadequacy. He had a chapter on Chinamen as well, and I tried reading it before flinging the book across the room — the faces illustrated there, all toothy and barely human, bore no resemblance to the gentle features of Chiang Tse and his countrymen, who were all polite and soft-spoken, and who were kind to me. Yet, I suspected that the majority of my classmates would rather believe the book than their own eyes. This is why, I decided, I could not possibly fail this exam — as unfair as it was, all five women were closely scrutinized, and any shortcoming on our part would reflect on future generations. A sense of historical responsibility weighed on me until I had a cry and went to bed early.
    Saturday was upon us before I was ready for it — drowning in readings and incomprehensible problems, I was entirely too preoccupied. It was a blessing, since it allowed me to barely notice the habitual mockery of my classmates. That in turn seemed to enrage them further, and I rarely had a chance to walk to class without hearing a snide remark. The day before our scheduled visit to the Crane Club, as I was leaving the auditorium, I heard a man’s voice say, “Look at her. Takes after her aunt Menshova.” This was not a surprising statement — my aunt was well known and almost universally disliked. I turned around to see a clump of several younger men, some of whom I recognized from last season. There was no indication as to which one of them spoke, and all smiled, almost predatorily.
    I gave them a long measured look and continued on my way.
    The same voice spoke again. “I hear this one is going to be an old maid too.”
    I did not dignify it with a reaction, until someone else added, “I hear she’ll marry a Chinaman.”
    I spun around, feeling my face burn. “Instead of marrying a brainless cowardly lout like any of you? Why, it’s a capital idea!”
    A few laughed, the rest appeared outraged. I continued on my way. By then, we had left the building and early dusk was descending over the campus. It occurred to me then that I was alone and rather helpless. Six or seven of the men followed behind me, never closing the distance between us. I almost regretted my insolence when Dasha Muravieva and Larisa Kulich caught up to me, and the pursuers dispersed.
    “What happened?” Dasha asked me.
    I caught my breath and let my heart calm down before I answered. “I don’t know, but I think it would be a good idea for us to walk in pairs, and never alone.”
    Dasha and Larisa nodded and grew serious. I thought bitterly that I did not need to explain to them what I meant when I said “us.” They knew we were separate from everyone on campus, and that even our families could not protect us from the subtle menace of our fellow students.
    So I was relieved when Saturday had arrived, and looked forward to visiting the very mysterious Crane Club. I had only heard rumors of the place, and wondered if there would be any opium smoking, or any of the other indulgences ascribed to the foreigners. Chiang Tse did not seem capable of anything unwholesome — and neither did his friends. I had heard, however, rumors of strange devices housed in the Chinamen’s club.
    The rumors turned out to be true. The outside of the building was an unassuming