And with a nervous flourish Chiun shook off the silk sleeve, exposing his right hand.
Remo looked. Chiun's right hand was a tense fist like a bony mallet carved from aged ivory.
"I don't get it. What happened to you?"
Chiun's face stiffened to a waxen mask. "I cannot bring myself to say."
"Come on," Remo said, approaching. "It can't be that bad. Let me see."
Chiun averted his face, offering his tightly closed fist to his pupil.
Remo took it carefully. He counted the fingers. All four looked intact. The thumb was still there, too.
Carefully Remo unbent them, opening the Master of Sinanju's fist.
"Tell me it is not as bad as it seemed in the first anguished moment of pain," Chiun moaned.
"I don't see anything," Remo said slowly.
"The longest finger. Tell me it is whole."
"It is."
"And the nail?"
"Yeah, it's- Wait a minute. It's gone."
Chiun threw a thin wrist across his forehead. "I am undone. I am shamed. I have been humiliated."
"What the hell happened?"
Chiun dragged his eyes back to his hand. They fell on the stump that was his fingernail. It projected slightly past the finger's tip, but at a slanting angle, not tapered to a point like the rest.
"It will take years to renew," he wailed.
"Well, months anyway," said Remo. "But what happened, Chiun?"
"I cannot say."
"Why not?"
"My humiliation is too great. Do not force the words from my lips. Just find the member that was once part of me."
"Okay," Remo said, relaxing slightly now that he knew Chiun hadn't really been maimed. "Give me a sec."
He found the nail easily enough now that he knew what he was looking for. It lay on the ground, clearly. visible to Remo's Sinanju-trained eyes. In the moonlight it looked strangely white, as if dead.
Remo brought it back to the Master of Sinanju, cupped in one hand.
"Now what?" he asked.
"Wrap in it warm milk," said Chiun.
"That only works with teeth," Remo said.
Chiun hovered over the cupped artifact. "Is there no hope for it, then?"
"Maybe it can be welded back on, but I doubt it."
"I cannot bear the sight of it, detached as it is."
"Maybe Super Glue would work," said Remo.
"I will not stoop to artificial nails to hide my shame. Remo, do the necessary duty for me. I beseech you."
"Do what?"
"Bury the poor thing."
"Bury a fingernail?"
"It is the only correct thing to do."
"We can do that later. Mind explaining how you managed to break this nail?"
"It is a sign that I am growing old and infirm. My Knives of Eternity have grown fragile. Never has this happened before. There is no other explanation. Not even a ronin could accomplish this on his own."
"A what?"
"If you had listened to me, this would not have happened."
"Don't blame this on me. I had to recover Smith's briefcase, okay? I didn't want a maimed rescue worker on my conscience."
"A maimed teacher is acceptable, however?"
"I didn't maim you."
"I told you Japanese were behind this tragedy, but you did not listen."
"Japanese! Where do you get that?"
In the distance a familiar rumble and growling shook the darkness.
Remo turned. "Isn't that-?"
Chiun puffed out his cheeks. "The fiend! To add insult to injury, he is stealing my dragon!"