"Don't look now, Chiun, but Robin's got her feathers in an uproar," Remo shouted. "Better duck!"
Remo hit the ground. Chiun danced out of the way as the helicopter, twisting like an angry wasp, swept overhead. It went through the running creature and lifted just clear of the trees.
When it circled back, there was no sign of the creature. There was only the shadow-clotted stand of trees.
The helicopter circled angrily. Then, as if relenting, it settled to the ground.
"It's in that bunch of trees," Remo said, opening the door.
Robin sat staring through the Plexiglas bubble.
"Robin?"
"I went right through him," she choked. "He went through me. I didn't feel anything. He was inside this
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helicopter. Then he was gone. It was like he wasn't real."
"Why don't you just come out?" Rerao said solicitously. "We'll talk about it."
He reached out to take her arm. She wouldn't budge.
"He is a ghost, isn't he? An actual ghost."
"No," Remo said. "He's no ghost. Come on out and I'll try to explain it to you."
"I never used to believe in ghosts," Robin said in a stunned voice. "They didn't fit into my world. They're not in the regs."
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When Robin Green was collected enough to step from the Bell Ranger helicopter, Remo patiently explained what he and Chiun had witnessed.
"So you see," Remo finished quietly, "he can't be a ghost. Ghosts don't run around with battery packs strapped to their backs."
Robin shuddered visibly. "I went through him," she moaned. "It was as if he was laughing at me. And that unnatural white face!"
"All white faces are unnatural," Chiun said under his breath. He was staring into the silent trees.
"Do you mind?" Remo said. Turning to Robin again, he took her by the shoulders. He looked her square in the eye. "Come on, get a grip on yourself. That was no ghost. Just because we can't explain it doesn't mean we have to be afraid of it."
Robin looked up. Her blue eyes were miserable.
"I don't know how to feel about this anymore," she said, her voice hollow. Her lower lip trembled uncontrollably.
"Join the club. But if we're going to deal with this, we're going to have to do it rationally. Even Chiun doesn't believe it's a ghost anymore. He says it's Russian."
"Russian?" Robin said sharply.
"That word, krahseevah" Remo explained. "It's Russian. It means 'beautiful.' "
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"He said that when he saw the jeans," Robin said slowly. "And the steaks."
"Then he is definitely a Russian," Chiun announced. "Only a Russian would become excited over American blue jeans." He kept his narrow eyes on the trees.
"Hah! There! Did you see?" he demanded, pointing.
Remo's head snapped around. He saw a ghostly white light slip between two trees.
"Okay," Remo said decisively. "He's on the move again. My guess is he'll try to confuse us with the old shell game. Instead of which shell is the pea under, it'll be which tree is the Krahseevah hiding in."
"Krahseevah?" Chiun and Robin said in unison.
"Anybody got a better name for it?" Remo wanted to know.
No one did. Swiftly Remo explained his plan.
"Robin. You get up in the air. I think our Krahseevah is in trouble. Chiun and I will try to flush him out of the trees. See if you can spot him when he tries to leave. When you get a fix, we'll just hop on and follow him."
"What good will that do?" Robin asked doubtfully. "You know we can't touch him. How can we catch him?"
Remo kept an eye on the tree the Krahseevah had entered as he answered. "It's like this," he said. "It knows we can't touch it, yet when we chased it, it stopped dead and let us prove that for ourselves. It could have kept on going. But I think it wanted to discourage us. Maybe it figured if we realized it was beyond our reach, we wouldn't bother to follow it."
"It is protecting something," Chiun said quickly. "A lair, perhaps."
"Exactly," Remo returned. "And if it's trying to get to a special place, maybe we can trap it there. Somehow."
"A sound plan," Chiun said. "Let us execute it."
"Are you with us on this?" Remo asked Robin.
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Robin Green stuck out her chin decisively. "I'm going to clip this bird's wings," she said. "You just watch me."
She ran to the helicopter and sent it into the air. She circled methodically.
Remo turned to Chiun. "Okay, know which tree he went behind?"
"Of course."
"Good. Go for it. I'll circle in from the other side. I have a hunch he won't stay inside very long. Maybe he can't. Let's see what develops."