"And it will be again," she said softly, and nodded to Chiun before she turned to walk toward the park exit.
Pakir nodded to Remo and Chiun, then ran after the Princess.
"I do not like that man," Chiun said.
"You've got lots of company," Remo said.
Remo watched Sarra and Pakir walk away until they were out of sight. She walked nice.
"Let's go, Chiun."
"Not yet. There is one more thing."
"What is that?"
Chiun turned and walked back to the bench where they were sitting. Step by step, he moved more into the darkness, out of the reach of the lights on the far side of the field.
100 I 101
Remo watched the old Korean as he stopped, bent over, and felt the ground. He straightened up. He had an object in his hands, a small box with two arms extended from it like crab claws.
It was painted in that invisible, midnight black, and as Chiun brought it back, Remo thought how eerie it was that even close up, he could see only the silhouette of the gadget. All the light that hit the center of the object was totally absorbed and reflected nothing to the eye.
"What is that, Chiun?"
"I believe it is your skull-crusher," Chiun said.
"Where'd you get it?"
"It was supposed to have made mush out of your worthless head, thereby making the outside identical to the inside," Chiun said.
"What do you mean?" Remo asked.
"Our invisible man had this around your head when I took it from him," Chiun said.
"He did?"
"Why must I tell you everything twice?" Chiun asked. "Yes, he did."
"And that's why you let him go? You were busy saving my life?"
"Actually, that was not on my mind," Chiun said. "I just thought this might be a valuable invention and worth saving for the world. Unlike some things, which are not worth saving at all."
"Little Father," said Remo.
I
"Thank you."
"You're welcome. You tell Smith that the invisi- «<What did chhm gay?,, Smith asked
ble man got away.r
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
"You let him get away." Smith's voice was cold as a New Hampshire ski slope on a winter midnight.
"Well, actually, I didn't see him," Remo said.
"Then how do you know he showed up?" Smith asked.
"Well, actually, he tried to crush my skull!" Remo said.
"Was he successful?" Smith asked.
"That's not funny, Smitty."
"Neither is letting him get away," Smith said. "I just don't know how you managed to pull that off."
"All right. If you want to know. He showed up. I didn't see him. He tried to kill me. Chiun could have caught him or saved my life. He decided to save my life. I happen to think he made the right decision."
"I'll have to think about it," Smith said. "No identification on those eight men?"
"None. And the Princess Sarra didn't know them."
"You believe her?"
"Yes," Remo said.
Yes" "He lusts after her," Chiun called out from across
the hotel room.
"He said if he had it all to do over again, he'd [save my life again," Remo said.
102 ¦ 103
now?"
"I'm going to check out Contract magazine," Remo said. "You placed an ad and the Princess says she placed an ad. I'm going to find out who placed the other ad and see if that'll lead me to Wimpler."
"Do you think he'll still be interested in killing the Emir?" Smith asked.
"Yes. I think it's not just money with him," Remo said. "I've met him, I told you. And I think he's into power. He can't let us stop him from killing the Emir, or his whole idea of his own power goes down the tube. He'll try again."
"Interesting theory," Smith said.