thedestroyer.slavesafari-第12部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　〃Do　you　think　it　is　true？〃　asked　General　Obode　of　his　personal　valet；　a　fellow　Hausa。
　〃About　the　riot？〃
　〃About　everything。〃
　〃You　mean　the　East　and　the　West；　father　and　son？〃
　〃Yes；〃　said　Obode。
　The　valet　shook　his　Head。　〃The　Loni　are　in　their　mountains　and　there　they　shall　stay。　We　should　have　no　fear　of　a　heartless　mountain　band。　Especially　now　that　you　have　begun　to　give　them　positions　in　the　government。　They　shall　not　rise　again。　Fear　not〃
　General　Obode　thought　a　minute。　〃Draw　another　10；000　from　the　Ministry　of　the　Treasury　and　deposit　in　my　Swiss　bank　account；〃　he　said。
　Meanwhile；　across　the　Busati　plains；　a　caravan　plodded　toward　the　mountains。　Seven　trunks　on　the　shoulders　of　fourteen　soldiers　bobbed　along　the　line；　the　sun　glinting　off　their　lacquered　exteriors。
　In　front　of　this　line　marched　the　Master　of　Sinanju　and　Remo。　Remo　was　furious。
　〃You're　a　damned　two…faced　sonuvabitch；〃　he　said。
　〃A　contract　is　a　contract；〃　said　Chiun。　〃A　preceding　unfilled　contract　always　takes　precedence　over　a　more　recent　one。　It　is　only　fair。〃
　〃You're　talking　about　a　contract　over　two　thousand　years　old。　The　House　of　Sinanju　didn't　even　exist　then；　damned　two…faced　sonuvabitch。〃
　〃Name…calling　no　more　obviates　a　contract　than　a　few　years　here　or　there。〃
　〃This　thing　dates　back　before　Christ　A　few　years。　A　few　years；　Little　Father？〃
　〃It　is　you　who　choose　to　date　things　from　the　time　of　Christ；　not　the　House　of　Sinanju。　We　have　an　unfilled　contract；　paid　for；　mind　you；　paid　in　full。　It　was　from　the　year　of　the　ram。　Or　was　it　the　year　of　the　rat？〃
　〃Probably　from　the　year　of　the　two…faced　sonuvabitch。〃
　〃No　matter。　It　was　before　the　year　of　your　1950s　or　was　it　1960s　when　the　House　of　Sinanju　agreed　to　train　something　dragged　in　off　the　streets；　as　a　stopgap　measure　in　lieu　of　a　real　assassin。〃
　〃May　your　autographed　picture　of　Rad　Rex　be　burned；〃　said　Remo。
　Chiun　looked　back　at　the　trunks　and　said　something　to　one　of　the　soldiers　in　what　Chiun　had　explained　was　a　Loni　dialect。　By　the　tone　of　the　voice；　Remo　could　tell　Chiun　was　reminding　the　soldiers　that　the　trunks　contained　valuables；　probably　that　the　first　trunk　contained　the　picture　of　Rad　Rex；　the　star　of　As　the　Planet　Revolves；　and　in　case　of　emergency；　it　should　be　saved　first。
　It　had　shocked　Remo　when　he　had　first　heard　Chiun　speak　this　Loni　tongue。　He　had　thought　the　Master　of　Sinanju　knew　only　Mandarin；　Chinese；　Japanese；　Korean　and　some　English。
　But　at　the　airport　where　he　and　Chiun　had　headed　by　foot　after　leaving　General　Butler　in　the　jeep；　Chiun　had　silenced　him　while　moving　to　the　airport　gate。　When　they　had　gotten　out　of　Butler's　jeep；　Remo　had　wanted　to　go　right　back　to　town　to　get　on　with　the　job　of　looking　for　the　white　house　behind　the　iron　gate。　But　Chiun　had　demanded　they　go　to　the　airport　and　pick　up　Chiun's　luggage。　He　would　not　negotiate　or　promise。　He　wanted　his　luggage；　he　told　Remo。
　They　did　not　know　it　but　they　reached　the　airport　only　minutes　after　Butler's　airplane　had　taken　off；　and　the　permanent　military　detail　at　the　airport　was　lounging　around　in　the　terminal　when　the　two　entered。
　〃I　will　speak　to　them　in　the　language　of　the　Loni　Empire；〃　Chiun　said；　〃to　find　where　our　luggage　is。〃
　〃The　Loni？　That's　a　tribe；　Chiun。〃
　〃No；　it　is　a　great　kingdom　of　great　virtue；〃　Chiun　had　said；　which　Remo　took　to　mean　that　when　they　hired　assassins　they　paid　their　bills　on　time。
　〃Well；　let's　get　your　luggage　and　get　back　to　the　capital。　I've　got　work　to　do。〃
　Chiun　raised　a　long　bony　finger。　The　nail　reflected　the　overhead　light　like　a　sliver　of　diamond。　Chiun　called　to　one　of　the　guards　in　what　sounded　to　Remo　like　the　Swahili　spoken　as　the　main　language　of　Busati。
　〃They　re　not　going　to　talk　to　you；　Chiun。　We're　foreigners。〃　
　〃Speak　for　yourself；　white　man；〃　had　said　the　Master　of　Sinanju。
　Remo　crossed　his　arms　and　waited　confidently　for　Chiun　to　get　a　rifle　pointed　at　him　by　one　of　the　guards。　Let　him　fight　his　own　way　out；　thought　Remo。　Perhaps　there　would　even　be　a　flaw　in　a　stroke。　That　would　be　good　to　watch；　even　though　Remo　wasn't　going　to　hold　his　breath　waiting　to　see　it
　Chiun　spoke　first　in　Loni　dialect；　then　translated　for　Remo。
　〃I　am　the　Master　of　Sinanju　and　this　is　Remo　who　is　white　but　close　to　me。　I　tell　them　close；　Remo；　because　they　would　not　understand　your　natural　disrespect　and　lack　of　appreciation。　I　would　see　your　king　for　a　debt　I　owe　as　a　Master　of　Sinanju。　Remo；　they　will　know　this；　for　it　must　be　spoken　of　widely　in　their　villages　and　temples　that　there　is　a　debt　owed　by　the　Master　of　Sinanju。〃
　The　two　guards　conversed　heatedly　between　themselves。　Remo　smiled。
　〃You　mean　to　tell　me；　Little　Father；　that　two　African　soldiers　are　going　to　remember　a　centuries…old　contract　by　a　foreign　hitman。〃
　〃Try　as　you　might；　Remo；　you　will　not　understand　the　nature　of　Sinanju。　The　Loni　know　how　to　appreciate　he　services　of　the　Masters　of　Sinanju；　not　like　the　Chinese　emperors　or　the　vile　Americans。〃
　Remo　shook　his　head。　When　Chiun　began　on　the　glories　of　Sinanju；　there　was　no　reasoning　with　him。　Perhaps　five　people　in　all　the　world　had　heard　of　the　House　of　Sinanju…four　of　them　must　be　in　intelligence　agencies　and　the　fifth　an　obscure　dust…covered　historian。　But　to　hear　Chiun　tell　it；　Sinanju　was　more　important　than　the　Roman　Empire。
　Chiun　babbled　on　and　the　soldiers　looked　confused。　They　motioned　for　Remo　and　Chiun　to　follow　them。
　〃You　will　see　how　a　true　people　of　dignity　treat　a　Master　of　Sinanju；〃　Chiun　whispered　proudly　to　Remo。　〃There　are　those　with　enough　culture　in　the　world　to　see　a　true　assassin　as　more　than　a　hitman　as　you　call　him。　You　will　see。〃
　〃Chiun；　you　don't　even　know　if　these　soldiers　are　Lord。　They're　probably　going　to　shake　us　down。〃
　〃You　have　them　confused　with　Americans；〃　Chiun　said。
　The　soldiers　led　Chiun　and　Remo　to　an　officer　where　Chiun　again　explained　something；　hands　moving　unusually　rapidly　for　just　the　telling　of　a　story。　Remo　tried　to　discern　from　the　officer's　face　what　the　reaction　was；　but　the　officer's　night　face　was　as　changeless　as　space。
　The　officer　pointed　to　a　newstand　inside　the　airport。
　Chiun　nodded　and　beckoned　to　Remo。
　〃You'll　see。　You'll　see　what　true　respect　is；〃　he　said。　〃Follow　me。〃
　Remo　shrugged。　The　air　terminal…slightly　smaller　than　the　one　in　Dayton；　Ohio…was　five　tunes　too　big　for　the　passenger　use。　Remo　waited　with　Chiun　at　a　periodical　stand　which　had　mostly　English　language　publications。
　〃We'll　store　your　luggage；　Chiun；　making　sure　your　picture　of　Rad　Rex　is　safe　and　tonight；　I'll　check　out　the　white　house　with　the　iron　gate。〃
　〃No；〃　said　Chiun。　〃We　must　wait　for　that　officer。　To　leave　now　would　be　disrespectful　to　the　Loni。〃
　〃How　e；　Chiun；　these　Loni　have　your　respect？〃
　〃Because；　unlike　some　people；　they　have　earned　it。〃
　〃Chiun；　I　don't　want　to　hurt　your　feelings；　but　really　now。　Every　Master　of　Sinanju　has　been　taught　Loni　dialect　for　centuries；　because　you　still　owe　them　a　contract？〃
　〃Correct。〃
　〃I　kind　of　think　that　little　debt　might　have　been　forgotten　by　now。　Just　how　many　languages　do　you　know　well？〃
　〃Really　well？〃
　〃Yeah。〃
　〃One。　My　own。　The　rest　I　use。〃
　Remo　noticed　an　imported　copy　of　the　New　York　Times　selling　for　2。50。　Under　the　fold　of　the　front　page；　there　was　a　story　about　the　television　networks　adjusting　their　Watergate　coverage　to　allow　the　showing　of　soap　operas。
　〃As　the　Planet　Revolves　is　back　on　the　air　in　the　states；〃　said　Remo；　mildly。
　〃What？〃　demanded　Chiun。
　〃Your　shows。　They're　back　on。〃
　Chiun's　mouth　began　to　work　as　he　fried　to　speak；　but　nothing　came　out。　Finally　he　said；　〃I　left　America　under　the　condition　that　I　was　leaving　a　void。　America　has　lied　to　me。　How　could　they　have　returned　the　programs　just　like　that　after　taking　them　off　just　like　that？〃
　〃〃I　don't　know；　Little　Father。　But　I　think　now　we　can　get　about　our　business　so　we　can　get　back　to　the　States　faster；　right？　You　can　pay　your　respects　to　the　Loni　some　other　time。　If　they've　waited　a　couple　of　thousand　years；　they　can　certainly　wait　another　one　or　two。〃
　For　the　first　time；　Remo　saw　Chiun　in　conflict。
　Just　then；　the　Army　captain　they　had　spoken　to　walked　up　to　them；　and　said；　in　British…tinged　English：　〃My　men　and　I　have　been　delighted；　sir；　by　your　telling　of　that　silly　Loni　fairy　tale。　To　show　our　pleasure；　we　will　be　glad　to　retrieve　your　luggage　for　only　one　hundred　dollars　American。〃
　Remo　put　his　hand　up　over　his　mouth　to　stifle　a　laugh。
　Chiun　resolved　his　internal　conflicts。　The　frail　Oriental　went　whirring　into　the　newspapers；　shredding　them。　The　stand　went　into　a　wall　rack　and　the　wall　rack　went　into　the　vendor　who　went　into　the　lighting　fixtures　along　with　the　rack；　stand　and　little　shredded　bits　of　white　papers　that　slowly　settled　like　a　soft　snowfall　in　the　Busati　Air　Terminal。
　〃Just　so　it　should　not　pass；　this　perfidy；　in　calmness；〃　said　Chiun。　The　captain　who　had　tried　to　shake　them　down　had　begun　to　back　away；　when　a　word　from　Chiun　stopped　him。
　This　time；　Chiun　did　not　translate　for　Remo　as　he　spoke　with　the　captain。　Finally；　Chiun　beckoned　for　Remo　to　follow　him。　As　they　walked　behind　the　captain；　Chiun　said　softly　to　Remo；　〃They　are　not　Loni；　these　people。〃
　〃Good。　Then　let's　go　to　the　city　and　finish　what　we　came　to　do。〃
　〃First　I　must　finish　what　I　came　to　do；〃　Chiun　said。
　Several　hours　later；　as　they　trudged　across　the　Busati　plain；　Remo　was　still　picking　little　bits　of　newsprint　out　of　his　jacket　pockets　and　bitching　at　Chiun　for　deceiving　him　into　thinking　they　were　going　back　to　the　capital　city。
　〃I　told　you；〃　Chiun　said。　〃An　older　contract　takes　precedence。〃
　〃That　doesn't　answer　my　problem；　Little　Father。〃
　〃To　a　fool；　nothing　is　an　answer。〃
　〃You　and　I　are　paid　by　the　same　employer。　We　have　a　job　to　do　and　we　are　not　serving　him。〃
　〃You　may　leave　if　you　wish；〃　Chiun　said。
　〃How？〃　said　Remo　looking　around　the　plain。　〃I　don't　even　know　where　I　am。〃
　〃When　did　you　ever？〃　said　Chiun　and　marched　on　happily　toward　the　mountains　in　the　distance。　For　a　full　day　they　walked　and　Remo　plained　about　the　assignment　being　missed；　the　Loni　who　would　undoubtedly　rob　them　when　the　two　got　to　their　village　and　the