The burly American General in steel-rimmed spectacles who emerged behind him, pausing to light a cigarette, was General Vinegar Joe Stillwell, his deputy and also Chief of Staff to Chiang Kai-shek. The greatest expert on China of anyone in the Allied Forces, he was also fluent in Cantonese.

He perched on the rail. "Well, here he comes, the great Chairman Mao."

"What happened to Chiang Kai-shek?" Mountbatten asked.

"Found an excuse to go up-country. It's no use, Louis, Mao and Chiang will never get together. They both want the same thing."

"China?" Mountbatten said.

"Exactly."

"Yes, well I'd like to remind you this isn't the Pacific, Joe. Twenty-five Jap divisions in China, and since the start of their April offensive they've been winning. No one knows that better than you. We need Mao and his Communist Army. It's as simple as that."

They watched the Dakota land. Stillwell said, "The Washington viewpoint is simple. We've given enough lend-lease to Chiang."

"And what have we got for it?" Mountbatten asked. "He sits on his backside doing nothing, saving his ammunition and equipment for the civil war with the Communists when the Japs are beaten."

"A civil war he'll probably win," Stillwell said.

"Do you really think so?" Mountbatten shook his head. "You know, in the West Mao and his people are looked upon as agrarian revolutionaries, that all they want is land for the peasants."

"And you don't agree?"

"Frankly, I think they're more Communist than the Russians. I think they could well drive Chiang Kai-shek out of mainland China and take over after the war."

"An interesting thought," Stillwell told him, "but if you're talking about making friends and influencing people, that's up to you. Washington won't play. Fresh supplies of arms and ammunition must come from your people, not American sources. We'll have a big enough problem handling Japan after the war. China is your baby."