"Well?"
"Yes," Remo admitted glumly. "I'm responsible for the child thing." He looked away with proper shame.
" 'Thing'! You call it a 'thing'! I call it a tragedy!"
"I said it was an accident," Remo said evasively.
Chiun composed himself. His face set, he folded his hands in the tunnels of his kimono sleeves. "It is done," he said, averting his injured face. "There is no way it can be undone."
"That's for sure," Remo said.
"We must make plans."
"For what?" Remo wanted to know.
"The upbringing of the child, of course."
Remo looked blank. "Upbringing?"
"He will be my pupil. You are hardly prepared to sire a male child, much less train one." Chiun hesitated. A sudden gleam came into his hazel eyes. "It is a male, isn't it?"
"How would I know?" Remo said in a miserable voice.
"It was your seed!" Chiun exploded. "Do not tell me you did not bestow upon Cheeta your best male seed."
"I said it was an accident. Now lay off."
Chiun took the puffs of hair over his ears in hand and cried, "Unbelievable! If you have sired another worthless female child, I do not know what I shall do!"
"Look, we've got nine months to sort this out. In the meantime, I've dug up a lot of dirt on Barry Black and Rona Ripper."
"Yes?"
"Black's pretending to be a Republican," Remo said.
"All republicans are pretenders," Chiun sniffed. "There have been no true republicans since Rome fell."
"And Rona Ripper's out to snuff every cigarette smoker in the state," Remo added.
"What is wrong with that? It is a worthy goal."
"Smith says it's against his edicts."
"Then it is bad, and this woman must be punished," Chiun sniffed.
"Smith says we throw our weight behind Esperanza and get him elected," Remo added.
The Master of Sinanju lifted a lecturing finger, saying, "My awesome weight is already pledged to that cause. It is your weight that has been absent."
"Well, I'm in the camp now. Where do we start?"
"We must eliminate the false candidates who pose a threat to our patron."
Remo shook his head. "Uh-uh. That's not the American way. First thing is we protect Esperanza. The rest can take care of itself."
"Nothing takes care of itself," Chiun snapped. "Especially children. You must remember that, now that you are to be a father."
Remo winced. He was only getting himself in deeper, but he had no choice. If Chiun knew the truth about Cheeta Ching, he'd go ballistic.
"Black won't be a problem," he said flatly. "He's unelectable."
"Why do you say that?"
"He has two strikes against him. He's a former liberal, and he has a record."
"And the other?"
"There's a good chance she's behind these political attacks."
"Then we must repay her in the coin of her own choosing," Chiun said firmly.
"Not the way to go. Look, Little Father. The election isn't far off. Smith thinks we should just sit tight and protect Esperanza. "
Chiun turned to face the glass balcony doors. He looked out upon the blazing San Diego night skyline, his bearded chin high.
"My loyalties are torn," he said, bleak-voiced. "I do not know what I should do. I serve Smith, yet Esperanza has promised me the treasurership of California. It is in my interest to eliminate his enemies before they grow too powerful."
"Little Father, you owe me a boon."
Chiun nodded.
"The boon I request is that you be satisfied with protecting Esperanza, not hurting the other candidates."
"You are certain you wish this?" Chiun asked thinly.
"Actually, I'd like to save my boon for a time I might need it more, but I'm on the spot here."
The Master of Sinanju turned, his wrinkled face Then wreathed in a smile. "Then you may step off your spot, for I agree to this."
"Good," said Remo.
"It is better than good," Chiun cackled. "Because it was my intention to do this all along. Heh heh. You have what you wish, and I have your boon. Heh heh."
Remo Williams didn't join in the Master of Sinanju's cackle of mirth. He was thinking ahead to the time when Chiun learned the truth about Cheeta Ching. He was sure to need that boon then.
He had planned to ask Chiun not to kill him.