"It didn't explode. But there was flash, I guess. The sky turned yellow. So did the grass and trees and everything. Then the Union prisoners started pouring out of the pit, and were they scared. Every one of them babbling about the yellow light."
"Then what happened?"
"Chiun and I went to investigate and when we got to the Crater, the bomb or whatever it was started screaming and melting into a puddle of slag."
"In other words, it self-destructed?"
"Now that you put it that way, yeah. Sure."
Chiun's thin voice added, "You forgot about the man in the pit, Remo. Tell Emperor Smith about him."
"Oh, right," said Remo. "Before the bomb melted. We found a Union guy in the pit. He wasn't like the others, who were scared. He was kinda down."
"Down? Do you mean depressed?"
"Yeah, and he claimed after the yellow light exploded in his face, everything turned blue. That part doesn't make much sense, I know."
"Actually it does," said Smith.
"It does?"
"Yes, it was a phenomenon of color where if one stares at a certain color for a long time, then looks away, he will see the complementary color as an afterimage in his retina."
"Blue complements yellow?"
"I believe it does," said Smith, saving his US. map file and bringing up another file.
"Then I guess red insults green, huh?" Remo chuckled.
"Describe this yellow light," Smith said without humor.
"It was very very bright. But we didn't look directly into it."
"But you say it frightened those who did?"
"Scared the living beans out of them," said Remo.
"Now, this pink light. Describe it."
"Pink. Nice. Pleasant."
"Bright pink?"
"Happy pink," said Remo.
"Very happy pink," said Chiun.
"The happiest," added Remo in a happy voice.
"But it was intense?" Smith prompted.
"I wouldn't call it hot pink, although it sure wasn't cool."
"Where did the pink light come from?"
"The mouse's ears. Didn't I mention that?"
"What mouse's ears?"
"You know how a hot-air balloon supports a wicker basket?"
"Yes."
"The cars were fixed to the baskets. Fours sides, four ears. When the balloons showed up, they started to glow."
"The basket or the ears?" asked Smith.
"The ears. Then everything turned pink."
"And nice," added Chiun.
"I see," said Smith. After a pause he asked, "Was there anything else unusual?"
"Except for the mini-Civil War?"
"Yes, except for that."
"I don't think so."
"Tell Smith about the French woman," prompted Chiun.
"Oh, yeah. There was the French woman."
"Yes, you mentioned her before."
"After the press trucks charged in, she showed up again, trying to figure out what was going on."
"Did she?"
"She was talking into a cellular phone or something. What was it she told the party on the other end, Little Father?"
" 'La charade se perpetre-' "
"No, I mean in English."
" 'This charade is perpetrated by bright colored lights. Bright colored lights are the key.'"