"Named, no doubt, by the smell his kimono gave off after he returned from the hunt," Remo said smugly.
"Ik is a proud Korean name," Chiun said huffily. Smith rolled up to the skin. He fingered the hide carefully. It felt rough and scratchy. In places the fur was matted. The head was attached by a tube of skin. It lolled over the hide drunkenly, its eye sockets empty. Feet and paws hung from the main portion by furry flaps.
"What is this?" Smith asked, pointing to a beaten gold oval to which a string of bear teeth was attached in joined arcs.
"That is the symbol that will soon make the evildoers quake in their boots," Chiun said proudly. "I made it myself. "
Remo came around to the front, curious.
"That looks kinda like-" he started to say.
"Correct! The dreaded emblem of Bear-Man."
"Bear-Man?" Smith whispered. Remo started edging for the door.
"Yes!" Chiun cried. "Soon to be a registered trademark of Nostrum, Inc."
"I fail to comprehend," Smith said blankly.
Remo called back from the half-open door, "You two sort this out."
"Hold, Remo," Chiun shouted. "For this concerns you."
"No, it doesn't," Remo said quickly. "And there's no way you're getting me to put on that rug."
Sudden comprehension broke over the craggy features of Harold W. Smith.
"Ah," he said.
"You understand?" Chiun asked Smith hopefully.
"Yes, and I'm afraid I must agree with Remo. The problem with his doing investigations has to do with his conspicuousness. His face could be recognized by anyone."
"That's settled," Remo said, coming back from the door.
"Exactly," Chiun continued. "This mighty costume will convert that from a problem into a solution. And incidentally, make us all billionaires. Think of it, Smith. If Americans can believe in the fearsomeness of the lowly bat, what will they think of the awesome Bear-Man, scourge of Wall Street?"
"They will think the circus is in town," Remo said quickly. "Right, Smitty?" Smith didn't answer. His brow was furrowing in thought. Remo started to edge back toward the door again.
"It could work," Smith said slowly. It was almost inaudible, but the words reached Remo clear across the room.
Chiun turned his head. "Remo. Put this on. Show Smith how formidable a figure you cut as the mighty Bear-Man."
"I am not-repeat, not putting on that flea-bitten thing,"
Remo insisted. "It looks ridiculous."
"In my homeland," Chiun explained, "the bear is the most formidable animal. Unlike the bat, which flutters like a mere rag in the wind."
Smith looked up from his thoughts.
"It's absurd," he said, "but it could get us through the weekend. Until the stock market opens again."
"No," Remo said firmly.
"Remo, listen to me," Smith said fervently. "We have only the weekend in which to work. It may be all over by then if the stock market tumbles once more. I've a three-pronged attack in mind. I will conduct an investigation of this Crown Acquisitions, Limited by computer. Chiun will manage Nostrum, which I believe may be the target of a hostile takeover because it owns significant Global stock, without which Global cannot be merged or absorbed."
"Have no fear, Smith," Chiun said sternly. "There is no threat that I cannot fight."
"This one may be different. You've never gone up against a hostile takeover."
"I spit upon those who dare try."
"The third line of attack is to investigate those who bought up large blocks of Global stock. Remo is the perfect person to do this."
"Not me. I don't know anything about stock."
"But you do know about persuasion."
"So does Chiun. He can persuade paint off a fence."
"I must be at my desk to fend off those who would assault my office building," Chiun inserted.
"And I am bound to my desk as well," Smith said. " I would go into the field myself, but as I am now in a wheelchair, I'm afraid my effectiveness is limited. And I am still subject to weak spells. I really shouldn't be under this strain."
Chiun turned on Remo.
"Remo!" he shouted loudly. "How dare you imperil your emperor's health by your stubbornness."
"He's not my emperor," Remo said flatly. "Never was."
"Yet he needs you," Chiun said.
"Your country needs you," Smith added. "And the world. For that is what lies in the balance."
Remo's unhappy expression wavered. He looked from Chiun to the bear suit to Smith and back to the suit again. Chiun held the suit higher so that its dangling-bear-tooth emblem rattled like an Indian talisman.
"All right " Remo said at last. "I'll pitch in. For the world. Not for Smith or the organization."
"Excellent," Smith said.
"But I'm not wearing that cockamamie suit," Remo added firmly. "And that's final."
Chapter 8
Douglas Lippincott was in banking. His father had been in banking, and before that his father had been a banker.