Reluctantly the village people started to drift off. Curiosity slowed their feet. But at an angry exhortation from Master Chiun, they broke and ran. The Master was beside himself with fury. They understood it was not safe to remain.
Chiun waited until the last flop of sandaled feet had faded from hearing. He faced Remo and Jilda.
"You tricked me!" Remo said.
"And me," added Jilda. "Your letter told me nothing about a wedding. Only that my presence was urgently required."
Chiun dismissed their complaints with flapping hands. "Trivia! I will not hear of it! Do you not realize what has happened here?"
"Yes," Remo said bitterly. "You ruined my life."
"Your life! Your life! What about mine? I am shamed. You are shamed. We are all shamed."
"What have I to feel shame for?" asked Jilda, patting Freya's head. Frightened by Chiun's strident voice, the little girl had buried her face in Jilda's shoulder.
"For this!" said Chiun, pulling back the hood of Freya's snowsuit. It came off like a golf-club cover, revealing hair like new gold.
Remo and Jilda looked at Chiun blankly.
Seeing their expressions, Chiun stamped a foot and spoke his shame aloud, which only made it worse. "A female. The firstborn of my adopted son, the next Master of Sinanju, is a lowly female."
"So what?" said Remo.
"Yes, so?" agreed Jilda.
Chiun pulled at the hair tufts over his ears in frustration. "So what! So what! She is useless. Masters of Sinanju have always been male."
"I have not given permission that this child be entered into Sinanju training," Jilda said firmly.
"Your permission is not needed," snapped Chiun. "This does not concern you, only Remo, the child, and me."
"I am the child's mother."
"Has she been weaned?"
"Of course. She is nearly four years old."
"That means your work is done. Remo is the father and I the grandfather-in spirit, of course. We make all decisions concerning the child's future. But it does not matter now. Everyone knows that females are uneducable. Their bodies cannot handle Sinanju. They are good only for cooking and breeding. In that order."
"Have you forgotten, old man, that I was the representative of my people at your Master's Trial? Only Remo and I survived that ordeal. I am female and a warrior, too."
"A warrior is not an assassin," Chiun spat. "My people will never again look upon us with respect. It is your fault, Remo. You gave this woman the wrong seed. You should have given her a good male seed, not an inferior female seed."
"I'm a father," Remo said bewilderedly. He reached out to touch the little girl's hair. It felt soft and fine.
"You sound surprised," snorted Chiun. "You knew that she bore your seed when you and this woman parted after the Master's Trial."
"I asked that you not tell him," Jilda said accusingly. "You promised to keep this child our secret."
"He had to know. The child bears the spirit of Sinanju. Or at least I supposed it had. Why did you not tell me it was a female?"
"This is Remo's child. The rest does not matter."
And at that particular piece of white imbecility, the Master of Sinanju threw up his hands.
"I give up! I am ruined. Disgraced. And no one understands. "
But neither Remo nor Jilda was listening. Remo was stroking his daughter's head as Jilda looked on tenderly. The tension seeped from her face, to be replaced by a mother's contented pride.
"Hi, there," Remo said quietly. "You don't know me, but I'm your daddy."
Little Freya looked up. "Daddy," she giggled, reaching for Remo's face. "I missed you."
"May I?" Remo asked. Jilda nodded.
Remo took his child in his arms. She was heavier than he had expected. Freya had most of Jilda's features, but her face was rounder. Her eyes were as brown as Remo's, but not as deeply set.
"How could you miss me?" Remo asked. "You've never met me before today."
Freya hugged Remo's neck. "Because you're my daddy," she answered. "All little girls miss their daddies. Don't they?"
"Awww," said Remo, hugging her tightly.
"Uggh!" said Chiun, turning his back disdainfully.
"Little Father, maybe you should go for a walk or something," Remo suggested. "Jilda and I have things to discuss. "
"If anyone wants me," Chiun muttered, "I will be committing suicide. Not that anyone cares." He strode up the shore path, his stovepipe hat rocking to his angry gait.
Jilda took Freya from Remo and placed her on the ground. "Play, child," she bade her daughter.
"Why didn't you tell me about her?" Remo asked, watching Freya playing with the good-luck streamers.
"You know my reasons."
"I want to hear them from you."
"After the Master's trial, when I knew that I carried your child, I understood that there could be no place for me in your life. Nor you in mine. I did not belong in Sinanju. I could not be with you in America. Your work is dangerous. You have many enemies-and one enemy in particular. I could not risk this child's life. Keeping my own counsel was the only way I knew to avoid our facing an impossible choice."
"I almost went after you, you know."
"I would have fled," Jilda said.
"But you're here now," Remo pointed out.
"I received a letter from Master Chiun, bidding me to come to Sinanju. I was told you were in danger, and that only my and our child's presence would save you."