"Why say you that, old one?" Boldbator wondered, after the laughter had died.
"What would you say if I said the Master of Sinanju was abroad in Mongolia on this very eve?"
"I would say, where is your proof?"
"And I would say that you saw the very proof in the Chinese corpses freezing on the steppe."
Boldbator's eyes shifted to the old Korean.
"I would agree with you, then," he muttered.
"Would you follow the Master of Sinanju if he asked it of you, horse Mongol?"
Boldbator raised his cup. The others followed his gesture.
"I would follow the Master of Sinanju to the ends of the earth as his slave," Boldbator announced proudly.
"Think carefully on your words, horse Mongol. For what if I said I could make the Master of Sinanju appear before your eyes, tonight, on this very eve, in this very ger?"
"I would speak them to his face," asserted Boldbator. "But first I would ask you how you could work such magic."
"Words," intoned the old Korean. "Six in number."
"They would have to be powerful words," Boldbator said carefully, his milk forgotten.
"They are."
"Then speak them."
The old Korean stood up suddenly, flinging off his sheepskin cloak, to stand revealed in silken robes the color of a royal phoenix.
"I am the Master of Sinanju!" cried the old Korean.
Whereupon Boldbator the Mongol touched his head to the Oriental rug in the prescribed full bow.
"My horse is yours," he said simply. And he wept with joy.
Chapter 19
The Iron Rooster pulled into Hohhot after darkness had fallen.
Fang Yu had to tell Remo they had arrived. He had no way of knowing otherwise. He had become a little irritable having to depend on her to find his way around. In a nearly thirteen-hour ride he had seen no English signs at any of the train stops.
Fang Yu led the way to a forward car.
Suddenly she turned and pushed Remo back.
"Go back," she hissed. "Go back."
Remo looked past her and saw the soldier who had earlier confronted them over Remo's documents.
"He know this not your stop," Fang Yu said bitterly.
"Damn," Remo muttered. He led the way back, punching the square button that made the automatic doors between the cars roll aside. Most had to be encouraged with a hard sideways shove.
They passed through the cars. Remo could tell the nosy soldier was still following them. His heavy boots made a distinctive clopping.
"What we do?" Fang Yu whispered.
"Step ahead of me," Remo urged.
Fang Yu hurried by. She hit the square button and the door rolled aside.
Remo followed her. The door slid shut behind him.
He stopped. Fang Yu hesitated. He urged her to keep going with an angry shake of his head.
Fang Yu picked up her pace.
Behind Remo, the steel door rolled aside. The soldier walked right into Remo's open-handed blow. His skull made a melon-imploding sound in the sudden sac his head became. Remo was disappointed. It didn't go pong. It was more of a hong sound.
Quickly Remo stuffed the body under the platforms between the cars. Then he went after Fang Yu.
"Come on," he said, pulling her by the hand.
"What happen?" she demanded excitedly. " Where soldier?"
Fang Yu's question was answered as they passed between cars and she spotted a patch of green under her feet.
She gasped like a stepped-on cat.
"What you do? Why you do that?" she said angrily.
"What else was I supposed to do?" Remo hurled back.
"He was Chinese soldier. You think you can just kill Chinese soldier like this is Western movie? He will be found. Questions raised."
"So?"
"They behead criminals in China. You not know that?"
"I don't care," Remo said, squeezing her hand lightly.
Fang Yu went silent as they passed through several softseat cars, where their English might be understood. They found an exit car and stepped into the darkness of the Hohhot station.
Fang Yu waited until they had departed the station on foot before she resumed her argument.