A Welsh-Canadian teacher shows his ignorance of China throughout the narrative. Bowenas fellow English-speaking teachers are all American. A Bowen speech to the students precipitates his being tailed by a female police officer. Student debates before the Tiananmen demonstrations reveal students oppose the franchise for peasants and workers. Bowenas Welsh valley socialism boils. The American teachers leave the institute. Bowenas society becomes the female officer, joined by another female officer to accompany him on his summer vacation. The young officer continues her espionage training by going to Russia before spy school in Guangzhou. Bowen acquires a new tail, a male student. A senior female teacher replaces the young female officer for social and sexual life. On his return to Canada through Beijing, he proposes to see a Beijing opera, meet with the American left of the five and meet with the leaders of the aDemocratic Revolution.a