"I don't want any of the village girls," Remo said vehemently.
"But you cannot marry a white girl," said Mah-Li.
"Why not? I'm white. Although Chiun doesn't think so."
"No? What does the Master think?" she asked.
"That I'm part Korean. It's crazy. With one breath he castigates me as a clumsy white. With the other he tries to convince me of my Korean heritage. According to him, somewhere in the line of Sinanju, there's an ancestor of mine. Isn't that crazy?"
Mah-Li looked at Remo through her veil and he studied her. Mah-Li's face was a pale oval behind the gauze but he could not discern her features. He felt drawn to look, even though it made him uncomfortable.
"I think there is a little of Korea in your face, around the eyes. Their shape, but not their color. The people of my village do not have brown eyes."
"Chiun just wants to justify giving Sinanju to a white man," Remo said.
"Have you ever heard the story of the lost Master of Sinanju, Remo?" Mah-Li asked quietly.
Remo liked the way Mah-Li pronounced his name. She had to force the R and she rolled it in the Spanish style.
"Lost Master? Was that Lu?"
"No, that was another Master."
"You know the story?"
"Everyone knows the story," said Mah-Li. "It was many years ago. There was a Master who was known as Nonga, whose wife bore him many daughters, but sadly no sons. Many were the daughters of Nonga, and each year another was born. And Master Nonga grew sullen, for he was unable to sire a male heir. By law, Sinanju could only be passed through the male line."
"Another strike against this place," said Remo. "One year, when Master Nonga was very old, his wife, who was not so old, finally bore him a son. And the Master named this son Kojing, and he was very proud. But his wife kept a secret from Nonga, for she had in truth borne him two sons, as identical as snow peas. She hid the other son, whom she named Kojong, for she feared that the Master would slay Kojong, for there was a law in Sinanju that only the firstborn could be taught Sinanju. And Kojing and Kojong were born at the same time. She feared the Master Nonga, to solve this dilemma would drown one son in the cold waters of the bay."
"How did she keep the second one hidden?" asked Remo. "This isn't a big place, even now."
"She was very clever, this wife of Master Nonga. She hid the babe in the hut of a sister during Kojong's baby years. And when Kojong was a boy, he was in all ways identical to Kojing, and so she enlisted Kojing and Kojong in a game. On even days Kojing would live with Master Nonga and be his son, eating with the family and knowing parents, and on the other days, Kojong would live in the hut, and pretend to be Kojing. And this went on until the two boys were two men."
"You mean the old guy never caught on?"
"He was very old, and his eyesight, although excellent for seeing far things, was not good for things near. Master Nonga did not suspect he had two sons. When the time came to teach Kojing Sinanju, the trickery continued. Kojing learned the first day's lesson and at night taught it to Kojong, who took the lesson of the second day and passed it on to his brother, and so this went until both had absorbed Sinanju.
"On the day Kojing was invested as the next Master, Master Nonga died, for in truth he lived only as long as he needed to fulfill his obligations, for he was very tired of baby-making and being the father of so many useless girls."
"I bet," Remo said.
"And on that day, Kojong revealed himself. But there could be only one Master of Sinanju, and so Kojong, because he was not Kojing, the boy Master Nonga thought he was training alone, announced that he was leaving Sinanju, and leaving Korea, to live. He pledged not to pass along knowledge of the sun source, but instead to pass along only the spirit of his ancestors, the many Masters of Sinanju, saying to the village, 'The day may come when a Master will sire no sons and the line of Sinanju will face extinction. On that day seek out the sons of Kojong, and in them find a worthy vessel to carry on the traditions.' And so Kojong sailed into the cold mists of the bay."
"Did any Master of Sinanju ever turn to an ancestor of Kojong?" Remo asked.
"No one knows."
"Chiun never told me that story."
"It is the way of the Master to do what he does. We do not question it here."
"Maybe I'm descended from Kojong."
"If so, Kojong's spirit has at last returned to Sinanju," she said.
"Yeah, but I'm not carrying the spirit of Kojong inside me, according to Chiun. I'm carrying the spirit of Shiva."
"In Sinanju, we believe that we have lived many lives. The spirit does not change, just the color of the eyes that the spirit sees with."
"Before, sometimes I've known things," Remo said. "It's like I'm carrying memories of Sinanju inside of me, memories of Masters who have gone before. I never understood it before. But the way you just explained it to me, I think I understand now."
"You belong here, Remo."
"I do, don't I?"
"It is your destiny. You should accept it."
"I could live here, Mah-Li. If you would share this life with me," Remo said.
Mah-Li turned away. "I cannot."
"Why not?"
"It is forbidden."
"I am the next Master of Sinanju," Remo said with conviction. "I decide what's forbidden around here." Impulsively Remo leaned forward and with both hands lifted the veil from the hidden face of Mah-Li, the beast.
Remo, who had seen many strange things in his life, was unprepared for the sight which greeted his eyes.
He gasped.
For Mah-Li was beautiful. Her face was intelligent and animated, her skin smooth as poured cream. Hair as black as a raven's wing framed the delicate beauty of her beautifully modeled features like a setting for the work of a master artisan. Laughter lurked well back in her eyes, as if waiting to be released, but it was there. Her eyes were Western eyes, like Remo's, not slanted, and he laughed aloud as he realized that was why the villagers called her ugly.
"Maybe I'll stay here," Remo said suddenly. "Maybe you'll marry me?"
"It is for the Master of Sinanju to give his approval of what you ask."
"Then I'm going to see him-right now," Remo said, jumping to his feet.
Remo ran into the caretaker, Pullyang, on the way to Chiun's house.
"The Master wishes your presence," Pullyang said.
"I'm on my way."
Chiun was sitting on his throne in the treasure house of Sinanju when Remo entered. The Master of Sinanju looked like an old turtle, slowly lifting his head at Remo's approach.