The Middle Kingdom

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Reconstructed
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A
DELL BOOK

For
Susan

In the window full of
sunlight

Concentrates her golden
shadow

Fold on fold, until it
glows as

Mellow as the glory roses

History in China
is like an old man's memory. The distant past is often more vivid
than the present, and its stories are polished, exaggerated, and
distorted by many tellings. The Chinese have always looked to their
ancestors for their sense of direction and of duty in life. They have
had no epics and few creation stories, only history, full of moral
examples to be drawn on and evaluated afresh in every generation. For
history to the Chinese is not an objective account of the past. It is
an endless morality tale in which the characters must be explicit
villains and heroes, their virtues and vices made constantly relevant
to the present day's concerns.

—Alasdair
Clayre,
The Heart of the Dragon

Less than a day
in paradise,

And a thousand
years have passed among men.

While the pieces
are still being laid on the board

All things have
changed to emptiness.

The woodman
takes the road home,

The haft of his
axe has rotted in the wind:

Nothing is what
it was but the stone bridge

Still spanning a
rainbow cinnabar red.

—Meng
Chiao, The Stones

Where the
Haft Rotted, 9th
century
A. D.

MAJOR
CHARACTERS

Berdichev,
Soren—Owner of the giant
SimFic Corporation, which specializes in entertainment and
communications. Berdichev is one of the three leaders of the
Dispersionist faction—a group pressing for changes to the Edict
of Technological Control and freedom from the tyranny of the Seven.

DeVore,
Howard-—A Major in the
T'ang's security forces, DeVore is a highly intelligent and coldly
logical man who proves to be a leading figure in the struggle against
the Seven; the puppetmaster behind the scenes as the great "War
of the Two Directions" begins.

Ebert
,
Hans—Son of Klaus Ebert and
heir to the vast GenSyn Corporation, manufacturers of genetically
adapted servants for the elite of Chung Kuo. Ebert is a complex young
man; a brave and intelligent officer in the T'ang's security forces,
he also has a selfish, dissolute, and rather cruel streak.

Fei Yen—Daughter of Yin Tsu, one of the
heads of "The Twenty Nine," the minor aristocratic families
of Chung Kuo. The classically beautiful "Flying Swallow" is
engaged to be married to Li Han Ch'in, the royal prince. Fragile in
appearance, she can be surprisingly strong-willed and fiery.

Li Han Ch'in—Eldest son of the T'ang of
Europe, Li Shai Tung, Prince Han is a tall, very physical young man
of a temperament to match that of his intended bride, Fei Yen. A good
horseman and archer, but with an intellectual weakness not
unrecognized by his enemies.

Li Shai Tung—T'ang of Europe and one of the
Seven, the ruling Council of Chung Kuo, Li Shai Tung is an athletic
man in his late sixties. His acute intellect and long years of
experience have made him the fulcrum of the Council and unofficial
spokesman for the Seven.

Li Yuan—Second son of Li Shai Tung, Prince
Yuan is nine years younger than his brother. Of a colder, more
thoughtful temperament, he is something of a wise old man before his
time. Brought up to be one of his brother's advisors on his
accession, violent circumstances change Li Yuan's fate.

Karr, Gregor—Born beneath the Net, in the
very lowest levels of the great City, Karr is a giant of a man,
trained to be a "Blood," a to-the-death fighter, when
General Tolonen comes upon him and buys out his contract. From then
on he is the T'ang's most loyal man, used by Tolonen as his weapon of
last, resort against his enemies.

Lehnumn, Pietr—A Senior Representative for
Northern Europe in the House of Representatives at Weimar, holding
the prestigious rank of Under Secretary, Lehmann is one of the
richest men in Chung Kuo. But he is also one of the leaders of the
Dispersionist faction.-

Shepherd,
Ben—Son of Hal Shepherd,
the T'ang's chief advisor, and great-great-grandson of City Earth's
architect, Shepherd is born and brought up outside the City in the
Domain, an idyllic valley in the Southwest of England. There, in
childhood, he begins his artistic explorations which are one day to
lead to the creation of a whole new art form, the Shell, which will
have a cataclysmic effect on Chung Kuo society.

Tolonen,
Knut—General of Li Shai
Tung's security forces, Tolonen is a big, granite-jawed man and the
staunchest supporter of the values and ideals of the Seven. Possessed
of a fiery, fearless nature, he will stop at nothing to protect his
masters, his belief in the necessity of stasis—of tradition and
order—is seemingly unshakable.

Ward, Kim—Bom in the dark wasteland beneath
the great City's foundations, Kim has a quick and unusual bent of
mind. His vision of a giant web and of a place of light prompts him
to escape that savage hell and enter the world Above. But his escape
proves only another form of slavery, as he finds his great natural
intelligence bought and sold as a commodity by the Companies.

LIST
OF CHARACTERS

THE
SEVEN AND THE FAMILIES

Chi Hu Wet—Pang of the
Australias.

Hou Ti—T'ang of South
America.

Li Ch'i Chun—brother of and
advisor to Li Shai Tung.

Li Feng Chiang—brother of
and advisor to Li Shai Tung.

Li Han Ch'in—first son of
Li Shai Tung.

Li Lin Yua—first wife of
Li Shai Tung.

Li Shai Tung—T'ang of
Europe.

Li Yuan—second son of Li
Shai Tung.

Li Yun-Ti—brother of and
advisor to Li Shai Tung.

Pei Chao Yang—son and heir
of Pei Ro-hen.

Pei Ro-hen—head of one of
"The Twenty Nine" (the Minor Families).

Tsu Ma—second son and heir
of Tsu Tiao.

Tsu Tao Chu—third son of
Tsu Chang, deceased first son of Tsu Tiao.

Tsu'Tiao—T'ang of West
Asia.

Wang Hsien—T'ang of Africa.

Wang Sau-Leyan—fourth son
of Wang Hsien.

Wei Feng—Tang of East Asia.

Wu Shih—Tang of North
America.

Yin Fei Yen—"Flying
Swallow," daughter of Yin Tsu and betrothed of Li Han Ch'in.

Yin Sung—brother of Fei
Yen.

Yin Tsu—head of one of "The
Twenty Nine" (the Minor Families) and father of Fei Yen.

RETAINERS
OF LI SHAI TUNG

Auden, William—Sergeant in
Security under Hans Ebert.

Chung Hu-Yan—Chancellor to
Li Shai Tung.

DeVore, Howard—Major in the
service of Li Shai Tung.

Ebert, Hans—son of Klaus
Ebert and Lieutenant in Security.

Ebert, Klaus Stefan—head of
OenSyn (Genetic Synthetics) and advisor to Li Shai Tung.

Erkki—guard to Jelka
Tolonen.

Fest, Edgar—Lieutenant in
Security.

Haavikko, Axel—Lieutenant
in Security.

Heng Chi-Bo—Li Shai Tung's
Minister of Transportation.

Heng Kou—third brother of
Heng Chi-Fb.

Heng Yu—son of Heng Fan and
nephew of Heng Chi-Po.

Hung Feng-Chan—Li Shai
Tung's Chieg groom.

Karr, Gregor—"Blood,"
or fighter, below the Net.

Lao Jen—Junior Minister to
Lwo Kang.

Lwo Kang—son of Lwo Chun-yi
and Li Shai Tung's Minister responsible for the Edict of
Technological Control.

Nan Ho—Li Yuan's Master of
the Inner Chambers.

Nocenzi, Vittorio—Major,
later General of Security, City Europe.

Pearl Heart—maid to Li
Yuan.

Pi Ch'ien—Third Secretary
to Junior Minister Yang Lai.

Shepherd, Ben—son of Hal
Shepherd.

Shepherd, Beth—wife of Hal
Shepherd.

Shepherd, Hal—advisor to Li
Shai Tung and head of the Shepherd family.

Shepherd, Meg—daughter of
Hal Shepherd.

Ssu Lu Shan—official of The
Ministry.

Shiao Shi-we—martial arts
tutor to the Li princes.

Shu San—Junior Minister to
Lwo Kang.

Sweet Rose—maid to Li Yuan.

Tolonen, Knut—General of
Security, City Europe.

Tolonen, Jelka—daughter of
General Tolonen.

Yang Lai—Junior Minister to
Lwo Kang.

DISPERSIONISTS

Barrow, Chao—Representative
of the House of Representatives.

Berdichev, Soren—head of
the SimFic (Simulated Fictions)

Corporation. Berdichev, Ylva—wife
of Soren Berdichev.

Blake, Peter—head of
Personnel for Berdichev's SimFic Corporation.

Cho Hsiang—subordinate to
Hong Cao and middleman for Pietr

Lehmann. Clarac, Armand—director
of the "New Hope" Project.

Douglas, John—company head.

Duchek, Albert—Administrator
of Lodz.

Ecker, Michael—company
head.

Hong Cao—middleman for
Pietr Lehmann.

Lehmann, Pietr—Under
Secretary of the House of Representatives.

Lehmann, Stefan—son of
Pietr Lehmann.

Moore, John—company head.

Moore, Paul—Senior
Executive of Berdichev's SimFic Corporation.

Part, Charles—company head.

Ross, Alexander—company
head.

Weis, Anton—banker.

Wyatt, Edmund—company head.

OTHER
CHARACTERS

Andersen, Leonid—Director
of the Recruitment Project.

Baxi—chief of the tribe in
the Clay.

Chang Yan—plantation guard.

Chan Shui—young worker in
the Casting Shop.

Chu Heng—"kwai,"
or hired knife, a hireling of DeVore.

Crimson Lotus—singsong girl
in Mu Chua's.

Golden Heart—singsong girl
in Mu Chua's.

Gosse—Security soldier.

Hwa—"Blood," or
fighter, below the Net.

Janko—bully in the Casting
Shop.

Kao Chen—assassin and
"kwai" (hired knife).

Kao Jyan—assassin.

Kirov, Alexander—Marshal to
the Seven, Head of the Council ofGenerals.

Krenek, Henryk—Senior
Representative of Martian colony.

Krenek, Irina—wife of
Henryk Krenek.

Krenek, Josef—company head.

Krenek, Maria—wife of Josef
Krenek.

Lo Ying—"Panchang,"
or Supervisor; friend of Kao Chen.

Lo Yu-Hsiang—Senior
Representative in the House.

Lu Ming-Shao—"Whiskers
Lu," gang boss below the Net.

Lung Ti—Secretary to Edmund
Wyatt.

Maitland, Idris—mother of
Stefan Lehmann.

Matyas—Claybom boy in
Recruitment Project.

Mu Chua—"Mother Chua,"
owner of the House of the Ninth Ecstasy, a singsong house, or
brothel.

Nung—Supervisor of the
Casting Shop.

Pavel—young man on the
plantation.

Peng Yu-wei—tutor to the
Shepherd children.

Peskova—Lieutenant of
guards on plantation.

Rosten—Captain of Security
of the Domain gates.

Siang—Jelka Tolonen's
martial arts instructor.

Si Wu Ya—"Silk Raven,"
wife ofiSupervisor Sung.

Sung—-Supervisor on
plantation.

Sweet Honey—singsong girl
in Mu Chua's.

TaiCho—Kim Ward's tutor.

Teng Fu—plantation guard,

Tong Chu—assassin and
"kwai" (hired knife).

Tung Liang—boy in the
Casting Shop.

Wang Ti—wife of Kao Chen.

Ward, Kim—"Lagasek,"
or Starer, a Claybom orphan.

White Orchid—singsong girl
in Mu Chua's.

Wolfe—Security soldier.

Yu, Madam—First Level
socialite.

Zhakar—Speaker of the House
of Representatives.

Who
built the ten-storeyed tower of jade? Who foresaw it all in the
beginning, when the first signs appeared?

—T'lEN
wen
(Heavenly Questions)
by Ch'u Yuan, from the ch'u tz'u
(Songs
of the South), second century
B.C.

Yin

IN
THE DAYS before the world began, the first Ko Ming Emperor, Mao
Tse-tung, stood on the hillside at Wuch'ichen in Shensi Province and
looked back at the way he had come. The Long March, that epic journey
of twenty-five thousand
li
over eighteen mountain ranges and
through twelve provinces—each larger than a European state—
was over, and seeing the immensity of China stretched out before him,
Mao raised his arms and addressed those few of his companions who had
survived the year-long trek.

"Since P'an
Ku divided heaven from earth, and the Three Sovereigns and the Five
Emperors reigned, has there ever been in history a long march like
ours?" he said. "In ten years all China will be ours. We
have come this far—is there anything we cannot do?"