Warren Murphy: Slave Safari

Chiun looked up, saw Remo, and said: "Where were you when I needed you?"

"You told me not to interfere."

"Ah yes, but would a worthy son have listened? No. He would have said, ah, that is my father, he is in danger, nothing must stop me from saving him. That is what a loyal son would have said. It is the difference between good breeding and being something the cat dragged in."

"Well, it didn't really matter anyway. It was just a trick. Nobody stands on hot coals."

"Come," Chiun suggested. "We will go out and walk the fire together. It is done often in the civilized sections of the world," meaning, Remo knew, the part of the world Chiun came from. "Japanese do it. Even some Chinamen."

"But how?" Remo said.

"Because they are at peace with themselves," Chiun said triumphantly. "They think of their souls instead of their stomachs. Of course to do that one must first have a soul."

"Bicker, bicker, bicker," Remo said. "It was still a trick."

"The stupid never learn; the blind never see," Chiun said and would say no more.

Remo turned to Hillary Butler. "We'll get you started on your way home tonight"

She nodded. "I want… well, I want to thank you. I don't really understand all this, but maybe… well, anyway thank you."

Remo raised a hand. "Think nothing of it."

Chiun said, "You may be grateful. The Master has done what he had to do. This one… well, he did the best he could."

Later, as they prepared to leave, Remo stood near the graying fire pit, and picked up a small chip of wood from the ground. He flipped it out into the pit of coals. The chip of wood hit, seemed to break up the steady pattern of heat waves for a split second, then flared into flame.

Remo shook his head. He turned, and saw Chiun standing there, smirking.

"There is still time for you to learn the fire walk."

"Try me next week," Remo said.

Remo, Chiun and Hillary Butler left the Lord camp that night with a hundred-man Loni escort, fourteen of them with no other responsibility but to carry Chum's luggage.

Saffah and Obode bade them good-bye, then Saffah took Remo to one side.

"Good-bye, Remo," she said. She began to say something else, stopped herself, said a word that sounded to Remo like "nina-upenda" and walked quickly away from him.

On the trail down the mountainside, Chiun said more to himself than to Remo, "I am glad we did not have to kill Obode."

Remo glanced at him, suspiciously. "Why?"

"Hmmm?" Chiun said. "Oh, there is no reason."

"There is a reason for everything you say," Remo said. "Why are you glad we didn't have to kill Obode?"

"Because the chief of the Hausa is to be protected."

"Who says? Why?" Remo demanded.

Chiun was silent.

"Two-faced sonuvabitch. I'm going to get Smith to get the Washington pollsters to take the soap operas off again."

Chiun considered this for a moment. "There is no need for you to punish an old man."

"Then talk. Why was Obode to be protected?"

"Because when my ancestor many years ago left the Loni and they were overthrown…" Chiun paused.

"Get on with it."

"He left to go work for the Hausa," Chiun said. "For more money," he explained brightly.

"Well, I'll be. Talk about double-dealers," Remo said. "Has any Master ever played anything straight?"

"You know not the meaning of such words," Chiun answered.

"Yeah? Well, try this. Nina-upenda," he said, repeating the Lord word that Saffah had spoken to him.

"Thank you," Chiun said and Remo had to find out later from one of their guards that the word meant "I love you."

It made him feel good all over.