"Juilli do Banda Sinanchu?"
The old Oriental stepped up to the bedside and inclined his balding head in respect.
"Let me translate that," said Shane Billiken. "She said that she is Princess Sinanchu, of the lost continent of Atlantis. "
The Oriental whirled on him suddenly.
"What lies are these? Are you deaf? She just asked me if I am the Master of Sinanju. Now, still your false tongue. This is a historic moment."
And Chiun faced the girl again. He spoke. To Shane Billiken's surprise, his words sounded very much like the girl's. The same inflections and accents.
"Do juty da Banda Sinanchu," he said firmly.
The girl rose from the bed and, sobbing, poured out a torrent of words. She pulled the leather pouch from under her costume and spilled the coins at the old Oriental's sandaled feet.
Shane Billiken drifted up to get a closer look at the coins. The guy named Remo got in his way.
"Like he said, this is a historic moment, Elvis."
"I thought you didn't know what was going on here."
"I don't. I'm just along for the ride."
Shane backed off.
As he watched, the girl and Chiun exchanged an excited volley of words in the same strange language. During the course of their talk, Princess Sinanchu fell to her knees and began to cry into her hands. The old Oriental laid a tender hand on her lustrous hair. He made sympathetic clucking sounds, like a father to a frightened child. When at last the princess found her composure, the Master of Sinanju turned to Shane Billiken.
"The Low Moo has told me how you rescued her from the sea."
"We're Soul Mates. Did she tell you that?"
"And how you housed her and fed her."
"Yeah, I've been good to her. You see, she was my wife when I was King of Atlantis about seven or eight million years ago."
"And for those mercies," continued Chiun, "I will not slay you for the lies you speak to me now."
"What do you mean, lies? We were husband and wife in Atlantis. Disprove it if you can."
"Atlantis is a fraud, perpetrated by that Greek Plato to trick sailors into going to sea in search of it."
"Bull!"
"It is well known among my people that Plato had a relative who built boats. The story of Atlantis was but a scheme to drum up trade."
"That's ridiculous. She's a princess."
"That much is true."
"It is? I mean, I know it is! What I want to know is how come you speak her language when the best language experts in the world say her tongue is unknown'?"
"Because truly it is a lost tongue. Or one believed to be lost. I know it only because my ancestors passed it down from generation to generation so that we, at least, would not forget."
"Forget what?"
"Moo."
"There he goes again," Remo sighed.
"Moo?" repeated Shane Billiken.
"Moo."
Shane Billiken looked at the little Eastern guy and at the white man named Remo. Then he looked at Chiun again.
"I'm not following very much here."
"Correct. You are not following us. We are leaving now. "
"Well, nice of you to drop in," Shane Billiken said, relief suffusing his puffy features. "Fernando will see you to the hole where the door was."
"Remo, gather up the coins. They belong to us now."
"No, they don't. They belong to Princess Sinanchu, and Princess Sinanchu belongs to me."
"Truly?" said the Master of Sinanju as Remo scooped up the coins and stuffed them into his pockets. "Have you told her that?"
"Yeah, actually."
"Then perhaps you should tell her again."
"Er, you can do it if you want."
"Thank you, I will," said Chiun. He turned to the girl and spoke a few words. She listened carefully.
Then Princess Sinanchu walked up to Shane Billiken. Her face was not pleasant. She slapped his once, hard. He fell back into a Japanese taboret and knocked over an ion fountain.
"Hey!" he said, coming to his feet angrily. "I could sue her for that!"
"Be grateful that she told me of your kindness, otherwise your transgressions would not be overlooked on this day. "
And taking Princess Sinanchu by the elbow, the old man who called himself the Master of Sinanju led her from the room.
On his way out, the one named Remo waved good-bye. "See you later, alligator," he said.
Chapter 7