and Clee were the first to reach the crowds of people flooding Changan. And almost instantly they were separated from each other by the swirling masses.
She had never seen anything like this in her life. It was formidable. What Jimmy had said was true. The citizens were blocking the army, preventing the soldiers from moving forward, literally holding them back with their bodies. They truly were a human shield. She saw that they were actually pushing the soldiers back. And what an army it was. Kids, she thought in astonishment, as she stared at the troops. They were just kids; they looked even younger than the students.
Nicky lost no time. Without considering her own safety, she moved closer to the crowds, needing to be nearer the action. Within seconds she was surrounded by people, caught in the middle of them against her own volition, and swept forward by the force and movement of their bodies. There was a lot of pushing and shoving. Several times she swayed, almost went down. At one moment, as people pressed into her from behind, she reached out, desperately clutched at a man’s arm. He swung around angrily, then quickly helped her to regain her balance. Almost immediately, and unexpectedly, a young woman grabbed at her jacket, as the crowd surged forward yet again, carrying everyone closer to the troops. Nicky almost fell because the Chinese woman was clinging to her with such tenacity, but somehow she stayed upright, and they bolstered each other, gave each other physical support. The mass of people swept on and on, and Nicky thought she would stumble or be knocked over, or that she would be trampled. She was conscious of people jostling her, pressing into her from all sides. And so hemmed in was she that she had trouble keeping her balance, staying on her feet.
Exactly at the precise moment she experienced her first flicker of panic, wondered if she was going to be crushed to death, she felt a hand grasp her elbow roughly. Half turning her head, looking over her shoulder, she saw Arch standing immediately behind her.
‘Thanks,’ she gasped with relief, then shouted above the noise, ‘The troops seem to be unarmed.’
‘They also look frightened to death.’
‘Bewildered.’
There was a great deal more pushing and shoving and jostling, as well as angry shouting on the part of the Beijingers before they surged onward en masse. They were like a huge tidal wave of immense force and power, as they propelled Nicky and Arch along with them.
Immediately ahead were the young soldiers, none of whom looked to be a day older than eighteen. They were being mauled and bruised and scratched as the people pushed at them, ranted at them. Nicky began to realize that the inflamed citizens of the capital were lecturing the soldiers, scolding them as if they were their children. Most of the troops were milling around in total confusion, and many of them had broken down and were starting to cry.
Clinging to Arch tightly, Nicky exclaimed, ‘These kids don’t know what the hell this is all about!’
‘I’m convinced of it,’ Arch answered, putting his arm around her waist, grabbing her to him, determined to keep her safe in this melee.
Unexpectedly, she saw Jimmy pushing his way closer to them.
How he had found them in the crowds Nicky would never know. He had sprung up as if from nowhere, and swiftly he took hold of her arm. ‘Come on, we’re getting out of this mob!’ he cried.
By using great force and being ruthlessly aggressive, Jimmy and Arch managed to push Nicky and themselves through the seething mass of people until they were finally staggering out onto the extreme edge of Changan Avenue. They were sweating and panting, and the three of them stood huddled together under the trees at the side of the wide boulevard, breathing sighs of relief as they straightened their clothes.
Arch said, ‘By the looks of those kids, we weren’t in danger of being shot at, but we were in danger of being trampled to death by that mob.’
‘Our best bet is to stand here and watch what’s happening from the sidelines,’ Nicky announced.
Arch and Jimmy were startled by her words.
Jimmy said, ‘Hey, that’s a new one for you, kiddo! When have you ever been on the sidelines?’ Not waiting for an answer, he rushed on, ‘But you’re right, it is safer here. Being in the middle of that lot was like being in the centre of … a stampede. And what an army it is … just look at ’em. They’re burdened down with camp gear, canteens and knapsacks, yet they don’t have any weapons.’ He shook his head wonderingly.
‘I told you they weren’t armed, Arch,’ Nicky said.
Clee hurried to join them a few minutes later. His hair was rumpled, his jacket ripped, but otherwise he looked totally unscathed. His Nikon was slung around his neck and there was a triumphant glint in his dark eyes. ‘I got some great shots,’ he told them.
‘Isn’t that a bit dangerous, showing your camera, Clee?’ Jimmy asked, eyeing the Nikon nervously. ‘It’s liable to get pulled off your neck and smashed.’
‘Not by this bunch, James,’ Clee shot back confidently. ‘They’re on my side, on our side. They want their pictures taken … they’re chanting the usual thing … tell the world, tell the world.’
‘But the riot police -’ Arch began and abruptly stopped. ‘I guess there are no police around.’
‘It’s doubtful,’ Clee responded. ‘At this moment, anyhow.’
‘Maybe I should go and get our cameras, try something live with Nicky,’ Jimmy suggested, looking at Arch. ‘We might just get away with it.’
‘No,’ Arch said.
‘I’ll do a phone narration, and we can film on the balcony later, Jimmy, as we planned,’ Nicky soothed, knowing it was hopeless to argue with Arch when he was in this overly-cautious mood. She had frequently been in the line of fire on battlefields and he hadn’t batted an eyelash or said anything about danger. But ever since they had been in Beijing he had been mouthing words of warning constantly, and she couldn’t help wondering why. She would ask him later. Now was not the time. She glanced around, her eyes seeking Luke. He was nowhere to be seen; neither were Yoyo and little Mai. They had been swallowed up by that mass of swaying, shouting people.
But eventually, much to her relief, Luke hove in view, and Yoyo and Mai were with him. She was limping, had obviously hurt her leg or her foot, and Yoyo was helping her.
‘Has Mai been injured?’ Nicky cried in concern, running to them.
‘Not serious,’ Yoyo said. ‘Man stand on Mai’s foot. She okay.’
Nicky put her arm around the Chinese girl’s shoulders in a rather motherly fashion, and the four of them walked over to the spot where the others were gathered.
Luke said to Nicky, ‘It’s surprising the rest of us weren’t hurt. You are okay, aren’t you, Nicky?’
‘I’m fine, thanks, Luke. And presumably you are?’
‘Not a scratch.’
They sat down under the trees on the side of Changan Avenue, wanting to collect themselves and cool off. In spite of the breeze, the air was warm, almost heavy, and both Nicky and Clee took their jackets off. Arch passed around a packet of cigarettes but everyone declined, except for Yoyo. Mai sat next to him, examining her foot, and said something to him in Chinese. He smiled, nodded, quickly turned to Nicky.
