"Lobsang and I must seek out the Bunji."
"What?"
"In the exact moment of her death," Lobsang said hollowly, "the Bunji's spirit entered the body of a child. The child must be found. As the last of the Worshipful Nameless Ones in the Dark Who See the Light That is Coming, it is my responsibility to seek out the Bunji's new body and guide him to the Lion Throne."
"And I will help because Boldbator Khan has decreed that China will surrender Tibet," added Kula.
"I will help, too," offered Bumba Fun.
"I will not walk with a Khampa," vowed Kula.
"The Bunji will not be found by a mere horse Mongol," Bumba Fun insisted.
"Don't you guys ever give up?" muttered Remo.
"We are Buddhists," said Kula. "We have only to be in the right place at the ordained hour, and glory and merit will shower down upon us."
"Sounds like you all have a full calendar," said Remo. He left them to their planning to rejoin the Master of Sinanju in the rear of the aircraft.
"Smith is going to have a lot to say to you," Remo warned.
"I appoint you official explainer of the House of Sinanju," Chiun said dismissively. "You may tell him what you will."
"But I don't know anything," Remo protested.
"At least you admit your ignorance," Chiun sniffed.
They sat in silence as the endlessness of Tibet rolled under their wings.
"So," Remo asked after a while, "who the hell was Gonpo Jigme?"
Chiun turned his face to the window. "I will tell you after we have escaped Tibet. And not before."
"Why not now?"
"I will tell you that later, as well."
And for the rest of the flight, Remo couldn't get another word out of Chiun. It was very strange.
But not as strange as the landscape below. It looked very familiar. Especially one rounded snowcap they overflew near the Indian border. A long scar ran down its face. Remo couldn't take his eyes off it. It looked most familiar of all.
After it was lost to sight, Remo caught Chiun looking at him strangely. Abruptly the Master of Sinanju looked away.
Chapter 39
Three days later Remo Williams was speaking to Harold W Smith by telephone from his Massachusetts condominium.
"The President has calmed down," Smith was saying.
"You mean the First Lady has calmed down," Remo corrected.
"Whatever, the crisis appears to have blown over. The Chinese had been accusing Washington of having interventionist designs, but once the President pointed out that Squirrelly Chicane perished under suspicious circumstances while being technically a guest of Beijing, their blustering abated."
"So that's it?"
"Pockets of Tibetan agitation have been put down. There have been summary executions. I'm afraid one of those was our contact in Lhasa, Bumba Fun."
"There's plenty more where he came from."
"It is fortunate that this incident did not erupt into open revolt," said Smith.
"Never happen," Remo said. "The Tibetans don't believe in fighting. Until they get a new attitude, they're stuck with the Chinese."
"Did you ever find out why Chiun intervened in Tibet?"
"No, he's being very close-mouthed about it. And he's blaming me for wrecking everything."
"On the contrary," said Smith. "Your timely arrival may have forced the best outcome among the admittedly bad possible scenarios."
"Tell that to Squirrelly Chicane's survivors," Remo said flatly.
"I understand they have been hired as consultants for a new movie based on her rather, ah, colorful life," Smith said dryly.
"I'll wait for the video," said Remo. "Speaking of video, I found that episode of 'The Poopi Silverfish Show' that started all this on tape. It's an old episode. Looks to me like Chiun saw Lobsang coming." Changing the subject, Remo asked, "You find anything on your computers about that name I asked you about?"
"Gonpo Jigme?"
"Who else?"
"Unfortunately, no. It is Tibetan. My data base is curiously deficient in that language."
"Chiun promised me he'd explain what it meant, but so far he's avoiding the subject. What gets me is why Tibet seemed so familiar. I've never been there in my life."
"Deja vu," said Smith.
"Huh?"
"A common delusion. Persons happening upon a new person or place sometimes experience false feelings of recognition. Behavioral scientists have theorized certain smells or scents associated with a person's past trigger the phenomenon. The brain recalls the scent, but the mind believes it is recalling the place."
"Yeah, well, Tibet smelled like nothing I ever encountered before," said Remo glumly.
Down below he heard the door open and close.
"Chiun's back," Remo said quickly. "I gotta run."
Hanging up, Remo ran down the stairs to greet the Master of Sinanju at the door. Chiun carried a paper sack from which the unmistakable odor of fresh fish wafted.