Out of the corner of his eye, Remo saw Chiun walking in a collision course with another of Fort Wheeler's automaton soldiers. When the soldier neglected to give way before the Master of Sinanju, he was flattened into the dirt by Chiun's flailing right hand.
'Til remember to be more gentle with him," Remo said.
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T
"Now how about my place?"
"Thanks, but I've got some work to do."
"Maybe I can help. Try me."
Remo shrugged. "Know anything about a missing chaplain?"
"He was murdered, most likely. Just like the chaplains at Antwerth, Beson, and Tannehill."
"Not bad. What else do you know?"
"I'll tell you in bed, Brown Eyes."
The redhead in the captain's uniform lived off the base in a sprawling ranch house furnished in brass and satin.
"Nice place," Remo said. "I guess army salaries are higher than they used to be."
The girl laughed. "This isn't army issue. Daddy rents my living quarters for me while I'm on the road."
"Then I take it you've been to the other bases where people have been disappearing."
"That's right."
"And you're not in public relations, are you?"
"Army intelligence. I'm here to investigate the same things you are."
"And who's Daddy?"
"Osgood Nooner. Senator Osgood Nooner, the champion of human rights. You've seen him on TV. Your three questions are up."
She unbuttoned her jacket and blouse in front of Remo and stepped out of her skirt easily. Her flesh was creamy, and her red hair fell to her nipples. "I'm Randy," she said throatily as she put her hands on him.
"I can tell."
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"That's my name, silly. Randy Nooner. What about you?"
"Call me Remo," he said, as she led him to a plush bedroom dimly lit by soft pink light.
"I'm glad we know each other, Remo. I never have sex with strangers,"
"It's good to know there are still some women who hold out for a meaningful relationship."
Randy wiggled and pinched and probed and caressed and otherwise irritated Remo, who just wanted her to hold still so he could get the whole boring process over with. Along with not being able to sleep, dream, or sweat, Remo had acquired a problem with women as a result of his training with Chiun. For someone who at one time had drooled at the sight of a pretty tush, Remo's interest in fooling around with girls had dwindled to near nonexis-tence. Sinanju had done that.
Early in his training, Remo had learned the fifty-two steps toward bringing a woman to ecstasy, although he'd never encountered a woman who could hang on past step 11 before coming in a frenzy. His concentrated technique assured him that the women he was with would end up satisfied, but since the same technique left Remo yawning, sex just didn't have the same kick as it used to.
"You're really a beautiful person, Remo," Randy said, squeezing off all circulation to his privates.
"Yeah," Remo said as he touched her in a place beneath her left armpit that sent her into shrieks of pleasure. He was thinking that he hadn't eaten since noon the day before. "Say, is there a grocery store around here?"
He manipulated her calf muscles with a flutter of
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his fingers.. "Oooh," she moaned. "What do you want to eat, baby? Huh? Huh?"
Remo's eyes wandered ceilingward. This one wasn't going to get past step 4. Well, at least it would be out of the way quickly.
"Huh?" she persisted, clawing at his chest. "Tell me what you want iii your mouth. I'll give it to you. I'll give it to you good, honey. Oooh."
"Well, actually, I was thinking about rice. And maybe a little duck." He worked his fingers up to her thigh.
"Oh, duck!" Her head flailed wildly, whipping cascades of red hair into Remo's mouth. "Duck, oh, duck, baby," she yelled, frothing and shaking Hke a mad thing.
As she lay panting and sated, Remo listened to the little gurgle of hunger in his stomach. He silently cursed Chiun for developing him into a man whose major preoccupation in a woman's bed was a bowl of rice.
"You've certainly got some funny bedroom patter, Remo."
"Sorry."
"Don't apologize, darling. It drove me wild. I felt Hke you were so—so real."
"Uh huh. Suppose we could talk about the missing chaplains?"
"I'd rather talk about us."
"Okay. What do we know about the missing chaplains?"
She sighed. "Men. You're all alike. Just worried about getting your rocks off. If there's one thing I can't stand, it's sexual selfishness."
"Okay, then, forget it," he said, throwing his legs over the bed. "It's been swell."
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"You mean you're not coming back?"