〃You are selling tales； Walla？〃 asked the elder brother。
〃It is best you do not know what I do；〃 said Walla wisely。 〃Governments do terrible things to people who know things。〃
〃I have often wondered why we have governments。 Tribal chiefs never did terrible things to people who knew things。〃
〃It is the white man's way。〃
〃If the white man is not here anymore； and if； as the radio says； we are getting rid of everything white； why cannot we get rid of white governments？〃
〃Because the Hausa downriver are fools；〃 Walla said。 〃They want to get rid of the white man so they can be white men。〃
〃The Hausa have always been fools；〃 said the elder brother。
In jeeps with massive supplies； the journey to Lagos would have taken a Busati army patrol a month。 Walla； carrying a knife and no food； made the journey on foot in sixteen days。
Walla found a neighbor from his village and asked him for a good place to sell information。
〃Not here；〃 said the neighbor who was an assistant gardener at the Russian Embassy。 〃They were paying good last year but this year is terrible。 The Americans are best again。〃
〃The Chinese； are they good？〃 asked Walla。
〃Sometimes they are good； but often they think it is enough to tell you funny stories in exchange for your information。〃
Walla nodded his head。 He had heard these things of the yellow men back in Busati； how they would give a button or a book and think of that as payment； and then be surprised and angry when told that was not nearly enough。
〃Americans are the best again；〃 said the gardener； 〃but take only gold。 Their paper is worth less each day。〃
〃I will take gold and I will return here and see you。 Your information has been …of value。〃
〃See the cook at the American Embassy。 He will tell you the price to ask。〃
The cook at the American Embassy promptly fed Walla and listened to his story； asking questions so that Walla would be well…prepared to negotiate。
〃This Lippincott disappearing is a good thing。 Quite valuable。 But the nature of the house is even more valuable possibly。 Who are these white women？〃
Walla shrugged。 〃I do not know。〃
〃Who frequents the house？〃 the cook asked。
〃I was told of it by a soldier。 He said that Busati soldiers who do good things are given leave to go to the house and do terrible things to the women。〃
〃Does President Obode run the house？〃 the cook asked。
〃I do not know。 I think not。 I was told that the sergeant who is at the house is a Loni。〃
〃A Loni？ Are you sure he is not a Hausa？ Hausa do those sort of things。〃
〃I know Hausa from Loni；〃 said Walla。 〃He is a Loni。〃
〃A Loni who is a sergeant。 That is very important；〃 the cook said。
〃It is worth gold？〃 Walla asked。
The cook shook his head。 〃The Americans do not know Loni from Hausa and could not care less that a Loni has reached a sergeant's rank in Busati's army。 Do you have anything on the women in the house？〃
〃They never e out alive。〃
The cook shrugged a so…what shrug。
〃I know a name。 It was told to me by a fellow of our village who worked at the airport。 I remember it because it was like Lippincott's name。〃
〃Her name was Lippincott？〃 the cook asked。
〃No。 Forsythe。 Lippincott had a Forsythe in his name。 My friend said he saw her being taken from a plane to a car。 She screamed who she was； and then was dragged into the car。 She said she was Cynthia Forsythe of Baltimore。〃
〃What did she look like？〃
〃White；〃 Walla said。
〃Yes； but what kind of white？ All whites do not look alike。〃
〃I know that；〃 said Walla。 〃Our friend said she had hair of flame。〃
The cook：thought about this and did not respond immediately。 Instead he began chopping vegetables for dinner。 When he had finished shredding long green leaves； he snapped his fingers。
〃Eighteen thousand dollars。 Gold；〃 he said。
〃Eighteen thousand dollars？〃 asked Walla； astounded。
The cook nodded。 〃That is what we ask for。 We settle for fifteen。〃 And he told Walla to withhold the name of the girl until he got the money； but to mention Lippin…cott's name quickly to make sure he got the money。 He explained that the man he would introduce Walla to was J。 Gordon Dalton； who was some kind of a spy。 He would offer Walla ten dollars or twenty dollars； whereupon Walla should get up to leave； and then Dalton would pay the fifteen thousand。
〃I knew a man who had a hundred dollars once；〃 said Walla。 〃A very rich man。〃
〃You will be rich too；〃 said the cook。
〃I will have to be。 I can no longer return to Busati。〃
By nightfall； Walla was the richest man in the history of his village and J。 Gordon Dalton was sending frantic codes to Washington。 A top level officer unscrambled the message：
JAMES FORSYTHE LIPPINCOTT； BALTIMORE； MISSING。 BELIEVED DEAD IN BUSATI BUSH。 FOUL PLAY SUSPECTED。 CYNTHIA FORSYTHE； BALTIMORE； HELD HOSTAGE。 AWAIT INSTRUCTIONS。 INVESTIGATING。
Since Lippincott was part of the famous Lippincott family which numbered governors； diplomats； senators and most important； bankers； the message went to several department heads at 4：00 A。M。 There was one problem with Dalton's message。 Cynthia Forsythe could not be a hostage in Busati。 She had been killed in an auto accident three months earlier。 It had made the papers because she was related to the Lippincotts。
It was decided quietly to check out the dead girl's body。 By noon； from dental work and a thumb print； the body was identified as not； definitely not； the body of Cynthia Forsythe。
〃Who is it then？〃 asked the State Department man。
〃Who cares？〃 said the FBI man。 〃It's not the Forsythe girl。 That means she probably is a hostage in Busati。〃
〃Well； we're going to have to tell the White House；〃 said State。 〃God help anyone who runs afoul of the Lippincotts。 Especially the bankers。〃
'。 Five reports on the case were made in the White House； four of which went to various Lippincotts。 The fifth was hand…delivered to an office in the Agriculture Department in Washington； where it was coded and sent by scrambler to what the sender believed was an office in Kansas City。 But the line went to a sanitarium in Rye； New York； and in that sanitarium a decision was made that unknowingly fulfilled an ancient prediction made soon after the Loni tribe had lost its empire：
〃Terror from the East shall join with terror from the West； and woe to the enslavers of the Loni when the destroyer of worlds walks along the Busati。〃
CHAPTER THREE
His name Was Remo and his life was being made miserable by a television programming decision。
〃Because of our coverage of the Senate1 investigation into Watergate； As the Planet Revolves and Dr。 Lawrence Walters； Psychiatrist…at…Large will not be shown today；〃 the announcer had said。
When Remo heard that； he uttered his first prayer since childhood。 〃Lord； have mercy on us all。〃
The wisp of an Oriental who had sat placid in his golden kimono before the color television set； let out a sound Remo had heard him use but once before； and then only in his sleep。
〃Yaaawk；〃 said Chiun； the Master of Sinanju； his wisp of a white beard shaking in disbelief。 It was if someone had hit the old man a body blow…that is； if there was a man who walked the earth who could do that； which Remo doubted very much。
〃Why is this？ Why is this？〃 demanded Chiun。
〃Not me； Little Father。 Not me。 I didn't do it。〃
〃Your government did it。〃
〃No； no。 The television people did it。 They thought that more people would want to watch the Senate investigation than the soap operas。〃
Chiun pointed a long bony finger at the set The long fingernail seemed to quiver。
〃Who would want to watch those ugly white men when they can see the beauty and the rhythm and the grace of true drama？〃
〃Well； they have polls； Chiun。 And they question people about what they like and don't like and I guess they figured more people would want to watch the investigations than your serials。〃
〃They did not ask me；〃 said Chiun。 〃No one asked me。 Who asked me？ If they asked me； I would say let the beauty of the drama remain。 Beauty is rare but investigations you have with you always。 Where is this person who does the questioning？ I would speak with him for surely he would be interested in my opinion also。〃
〃You're not going to kill a pollster； Little Father；〃 said Remo。
〃Kill？〃 said Chiun； as if Remo had broached the subject to a Carmelite nun； instead of the most deadly assassin in existence。
〃Those things do tend to happen； Chiun； when someone gets in the way of your daytime shows。 Or are you forgetting Washington and those FBI men； or New York and all those Mafiosi？ You remember。 They turned off your programs。 Chicago and the union thugs。 Remember？ Remember who had to get rid of the bodies？ Do you forget those little things； Little Father？〃
〃I remember beauty being interrupted and an old man； who has given the best years of all his skills to an ingrate； being reprimanded for attempting to enjoy a moment of beauty。〃
〃You have a very selective memory。〃
〃In a country that fails to appreciate beauty； a memory which forgets ugliness is a necessity。〃
And that had begun the renewed personal supervision of Remo's training by the Master of Sinanju。 No longer could Remo do his exercises alone。 Depriv