[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
eliminating the troubadour who was to compose the hymn of glorious me for the
beauteous Wylander. Of course, you could make some of it up to me if you were
to wear the appropriate garments of celebration, sparing me from traipsing
around in these rags for the next year of my life. Which, I might add, at my
age could be my last."
"Guilt me no guilt, Little Father. I am not wearing black pajamas for six
months. Smitty would have a fit. Assuming, that is, we haven't quit before
then," he muttered.
Chiun raised an eyebrow. "Why would we do that?"
"I'm not going to easily forget what he did to me, Chiun," Remo warned. "He
froze my wigglies for thirty years. If he'd just kept the temperature a few
degrees colder, maybe he'd have given Judith White exactly what she wanted."
The old Korean waved a bony hand, erasing Remo's complaints from the air.
"Whatever wrongs you think Smith committed against you in those days, they
predate your becoming Sinanju and therefore have no bearing on Sinanju
contracts. However, if this is a grievance you feel you must pursue, you may
bring it up at our next contract negotiations."
Remo shook his head. "Ah, it's probably just as well. One year is a long way
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off. I'll be over all this by then."
"Actually, our current contract is slightly longer than the standard one
year."
Remo noted his teacher's sly tone.
"How much longer?" he asked, suddenly worried. Chiun stroked his thread of
beard thoughtfully. "Five years," he admitted. "Give or take."
"You signed on with Smith for five more years?"
"It was during our time in Sinanju. My last official act as Reigning Master
was to negotiate our contract."
"Five freaking years?" Remo demanded.
"You said yourself in one year you would forget what Smith had done. Knowing
your wandering mind, one month would probably suffice. Think of how much more
you will have forgotten it in five years." He held up a hand, halting Remo's
protests. "Best of all, our current contract gives us our loophole."
"I keep telling you there is no loophole," Remo groused. "Sinanju tradition
forbids a Master from serving his Emperor's successor. According to that rule,
we can't work for Howard if Smith goes belly up. End of story."
"I may not work for his successor," Chiun said craftily. "You, on the other
hand, are another story. I signed a long-term contract with Smith as my final
official act as Reigning Master. Until the moment you assumed Reigning
Masterhood, you were technically my apprentice. That is how you are referred
to in our current contract, which remains in force as long as I live.
Tradition says nothing about a Master's successor signing an all-new contract
with the successor of his Master's Emperor. When Smith passes, you may sign
with Howard without having defied tradition." Remo opened his mouth to argue,
but stopped. He started again, but again he said nothing. Finally he tipped
his head, nodding. "Dammit, you old shyster, you found a loophole." Remo
sighed loudly. "Still, I don't like to be nailed down for that long. But it's
been six months since we were in Sinanju, so that leaves just over four years.
I guess I can put up with four more years."
"Bearing in mind that there are option years built into the contract," Chiun
warned.
"Sweet mother of mercy," Remo said.
"But when the option runs out, you will get to negotiate the next contract all
by yourself."
"Swell. I'm really looking forward to the year 3000," Remo said.
"Of course, as Reigning Master Emeritus, I may intervene in the event that you
plan to sign something stupid," Chiun warned.
Remo wanted to laugh. Instead, he sat in silence, staring at his hands. Chiun
sensed the disharmony in his pupil.
"What is wrong, my son?" the old man asked.
"I don't know," Remo said. "It's kind of odd. It's like for the moment we're
right back to where we always are, with contracts and arguing and you telling
me I'm stupid. But things are going to be different now. I'm Reigning Master,
you've got an eye on that retirement cave back in Sinanju, Smitty's got that
kid helping him out. Everything's changing. I kind of don't want it to end."
At this, a smile cracked the aged face of the Reigning Master of Sinanju
Emeritus.
"End?" Chiun scoffed. "You are worried about endings? So many years have we
been together, so many things have we seen. You have had so many days of [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl ocenkijessi.opx.pl
eliminating the troubadour who was to compose the hymn of glorious me for the
beauteous Wylander. Of course, you could make some of it up to me if you were
to wear the appropriate garments of celebration, sparing me from traipsing
around in these rags for the next year of my life. Which, I might add, at my
age could be my last."
"Guilt me no guilt, Little Father. I am not wearing black pajamas for six
months. Smitty would have a fit. Assuming, that is, we haven't quit before
then," he muttered.
Chiun raised an eyebrow. "Why would we do that?"
"I'm not going to easily forget what he did to me, Chiun," Remo warned. "He
froze my wigglies for thirty years. If he'd just kept the temperature a few
degrees colder, maybe he'd have given Judith White exactly what she wanted."
The old Korean waved a bony hand, erasing Remo's complaints from the air.
"Whatever wrongs you think Smith committed against you in those days, they
predate your becoming Sinanju and therefore have no bearing on Sinanju
contracts. However, if this is a grievance you feel you must pursue, you may
bring it up at our next contract negotiations."
Remo shook his head. "Ah, it's probably just as well. One year is a long way
Page 117
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
off. I'll be over all this by then."
"Actually, our current contract is slightly longer than the standard one
year."
Remo noted his teacher's sly tone.
"How much longer?" he asked, suddenly worried. Chiun stroked his thread of
beard thoughtfully. "Five years," he admitted. "Give or take."
"You signed on with Smith for five more years?"
"It was during our time in Sinanju. My last official act as Reigning Master
was to negotiate our contract."
"Five freaking years?" Remo demanded.
"You said yourself in one year you would forget what Smith had done. Knowing
your wandering mind, one month would probably suffice. Think of how much more
you will have forgotten it in five years." He held up a hand, halting Remo's
protests. "Best of all, our current contract gives us our loophole."
"I keep telling you there is no loophole," Remo groused. "Sinanju tradition
forbids a Master from serving his Emperor's successor. According to that rule,
we can't work for Howard if Smith goes belly up. End of story."
"I may not work for his successor," Chiun said craftily. "You, on the other
hand, are another story. I signed a long-term contract with Smith as my final
official act as Reigning Master. Until the moment you assumed Reigning
Masterhood, you were technically my apprentice. That is how you are referred
to in our current contract, which remains in force as long as I live.
Tradition says nothing about a Master's successor signing an all-new contract
with the successor of his Master's Emperor. When Smith passes, you may sign
with Howard without having defied tradition." Remo opened his mouth to argue,
but stopped. He started again, but again he said nothing. Finally he tipped
his head, nodding. "Dammit, you old shyster, you found a loophole." Remo
sighed loudly. "Still, I don't like to be nailed down for that long. But it's
been six months since we were in Sinanju, so that leaves just over four years.
I guess I can put up with four more years."
"Bearing in mind that there are option years built into the contract," Chiun
warned.
"Sweet mother of mercy," Remo said.
"But when the option runs out, you will get to negotiate the next contract all
by yourself."
"Swell. I'm really looking forward to the year 3000," Remo said.
"Of course, as Reigning Master Emeritus, I may intervene in the event that you
plan to sign something stupid," Chiun warned.
Remo wanted to laugh. Instead, he sat in silence, staring at his hands. Chiun
sensed the disharmony in his pupil.
"What is wrong, my son?" the old man asked.
"I don't know," Remo said. "It's kind of odd. It's like for the moment we're
right back to where we always are, with contracts and arguing and you telling
me I'm stupid. But things are going to be different now. I'm Reigning Master,
you've got an eye on that retirement cave back in Sinanju, Smitty's got that
kid helping him out. Everything's changing. I kind of don't want it to end."
At this, a smile cracked the aged face of the Reigning Master of Sinanju
Emeritus.
"End?" Chiun scoffed. "You are worried about endings? So many years have we
been together, so many things have we seen. You have had so many days of [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]