Kaspar got to his feet slowly. "It means that Apollo has chosen a vessel." Kaspar stood.
"You mean that Remo nuisance?"
Kaspar nodded. "East has met West. The prophecy is fulfilled. But the young Sinanju Master is attempting to fight his destiny." He thought for a moment. "He must be returned to us."
"But we have no idea where he is," Esther said.
"At present, no," Kaspar admitted. He began pacing back and forth beside the open crevice atop the platform. "The services of Sinanju are quite costly," he reasoned. "Much more than most wealthy individuals are willing to pay. In all likelihood Sinanju is employed in some covert capacity by the United States government. It is there we will begin." He started down the stairs.
"This is a big country, Kaspar," Esther said. "The government is huge. Where are you going to start?"
Kaspar did not slow his pace down the rocky steps.
"At the top."
It was early evening and Smith's footfalls were the only sound in the basement corridor of Folcroft's security wing. Like the report of a rifle shot, each single step echoed sharply off the sickly green walls.
Smith couldn't remember the last time he had felt this weary.
He had just gotten off the phone with the President. The nation's Chief Executive had vaguely threatened to defund CURE if Smith didn't look into the political morass that Mark Kaspar had created.
A part of Smith had been tempted to tell the
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president that CURE was already on the case, but with the Truth Church situation still unresolved and Remo's status up in the air, he decided it would be best to leave matters as they were. Besides, it would be better for all concerned to let the President shut down the secret organization than allow him to believe that Smith could be used as a political tool of the executive branch.
In the end the President had hung up, unhappy with Smith, but willing to await developments.
Smith understood the President's anger.
Earlier that afternoon Mark Kaspar had appeared on CNN, ostensibly to comment on the failed assistant-secretary-of-state appointment. As the segment unfolded, Kaspar began hinting of even more tumultuous events unfolding in Washington. The little man revealed that the loss that morning of the State Department spot would be as nothing compared to the major political problems facing the President in Washington that very afternoon.
The resignations started at about 4:00 p.m.
Five congressmen in the President's party had held a joint news conference to say that they were resigning. Since the entire House was up for reelection in the fall, the resignation of these five players was a critical blow to the President's legislative agenda. It was probably already too late for the party to field viable candidates in these five crucial races, and so the President was looking to take some major hits in the House—the wing of Congress his party had hoped most to retake in the fall midterm elections.
Because of his obvious insider's knowledge, the three major networks competed to get Kaspar on their
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nightly news shows. He had appeared on two, both BCN and MBC, being interviewed in-depth by the networks' respective anchormen about the latest problems facing the president.
On both programs Kaspar had predicted two more major resignations before the evening was through.
By nine o'clock, eastern standard time, two ranking senators of the President's party had quit, each citing "personal reasons" for his unexpected decision.
Smith had run a computer check on all seven men and had traced several payments—through various agents—to the Church of the Absolute and Incontrovertible Truth.
It all came down to Kaspar.
Smith's thoughts immediately turned to T. Rex Calhoun and the child-molestation charges. Kaspar must have had information just as damning against the other legislators to force them to step aside so quickly. One of the senators had served in Congress for over thirty years.
Smith was thinking of the telephone call from the President as he approached the door at the end of the long corridor. It was odd, but as he raised his knuckles to knock on the thick metal panel, Smith realized that getting chewed out by the President of the United States was far less threatening to him than what he was about to do.
Smith rapped sharply on the door.
"Enter."
Inside the room the Master of Sinanju sat cross-legged on his woven reed mat. Smith allowed the door to swing closed behind him.
Chiun rocked back and forth, humming quietly to
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himself. His ancient eyelids, as thin as the most delicate rice paper, were closed in meditation.
Smith cleared his throat. "Am I disturbing you, Master Chiun?"
The old Korean's eyes remained closed. "Does the bee disturb the delicate flower?" he asked. Of course the answer was yes, but Chiun did not speak the words as an insult. It was always good to leave the employ of an emperor on the best possible terms. ' 'Has your mighty warship arrived?"
Smith hesitated. "I'm sorry?"
"The vessel that will return Remo and myself to Sinanju."
"Ah, the submarine. There has been a slight, er, delay."
Chiun ceased his subtle rocking motion. His parchment eyelids fluttered open.
"It has already been two weeks," he said, eyes narrowing.
"It will arrive any day now," Smith assured the Master of Sinanju.
Chiun closed his eyes and resumed the side-to-side motion. "Then my heart soars that I will see my homeland once again." His tone was colored with the unmistakable message that he considered this meeting with Smith finished.
"Master Chiun?" Smith asked.
Chiun checked his meditation chant. "What is it now?" he asked impatiently. The rocking motion was more forced as the Master of Sinanju labored to maintain a level of inner peace.
"I thought that I should prepare you...." Smith
considered his next words carefully, as if revealing a secret shame. "Remo has been injured," he said quietly.
Chiun stopped rocking at once. "Explain," he said sharply.
"He has been shot," explained Smith. "Twice. He has also sustained a few minor injuries—multiple cuts and abrasions. I am not certain what else is the matter, but he suffered some kind of fainting spell when I spoke to him earlier today. I have arranged for his transport back to Folcroft."