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.""The little guy did that?" Robin said, pointing to a dramatically leaningtelephone pole coming up on their right."Without even trying.My guess is he spotted the Krahseevah while you wereplaying chicken and took off after him.""And I suppose he just happened to forget to bring his car along?""Chiun doesn't like cars much.He says they're too slow.""I'll believe it when I see it," Robin said huffily, folding her arms.Shewinced.Her ribs hurt.And her breasts felt like two humongous throbbingPage 74 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlbruises.Noticing her reaction, Remo asked, "You think you're up for this?""I'll be fine once I catch that Russian."The lights of a desert community appeared up ahead.And in the solemn glow, apalm tree abruptly shook, shivered, and fell over."We're getting close," Remo said, pushing the accelerator to the limit.170Rair Brashnikov slowed down when he approached the town.Once he had changedhis flat tire, he did not plan to stop again until he reached Los AngelesInternational Airport, but neither did he wish to attract the attention of theCalifornia authorities by driving too fast.A neon sign on the left side of the road caught his eye.It said "Orbit RoomMotel." As Rair drove past it, he saw that it was a low stucco building withan attached bar.The bar was dark but in the window rows of fine liquorbottles gleamed invitingly.Good American liquor was at a premium on theRussian black market.Rair drove more slowly.Checking the rearview mirror, he saw no sign ofpursuit.He executed a careful U-turn and pulled into the Orbit Room parking lot,thinking: What harm could there be in it?The Master of Sinanju left the palm toppled and sprinted on down the highwaytoward the lights of a town.He hoped that Remo was behind him.He could notunderstand what had happened to him.Back at the place where they had waited for the Krahseevah, Chiun had beensitting in the car, his eyes keen and unwavering.He did not see theKrahseevah enter the building that for some reason was called by whites aplant, and did not see him leave it.But it happened that his magnificent eyes spied his pupil, Remo, atop abuilding away from his post.Chiun recognized from Remo's crouching bodylanguage that he was stalking someone.That was enough for the Master of Sinanju, who burst from the car like a blotof blackness.He circled the building, searching with his eyes.The faint glow of the Krahseevah became visible crossing an open stretch ofhighway.Hearing the sound171of a car motor start up, Chiun knew that the Russian was going to attemptescape by vehicle.Seeing Remo sprint for the car, Chiun decided that Remo had the situation inhand.But just in case, he would take the low road and be prepared to joinRemo in the chase.Chiun waited in the middle of the road, his sleeves linked, his face resolute,for the big car to turn the corner.It never did.Instead, its headlight glow swept above Chiun's head and pasthim.The Cadillac had taken the ridge road.Annoyed that Remo had allowed this to happen, Chiun flounced around and,sandals slapping the blacktop silently, streaked after it.He stayed on thelow road, knowing that the two roads ran parallel for several miles beforediverging.When the ridge road flattened, Chiun saw the Cadillac moving rapidly.Therewas no sign of Remo.Chiun frowned.What could have happened to him?Chiun crossed over a strip of desert to the other road and fell in behind theCadillac.He maintained a decorous pace, keeping the car's taillights alwaysin view, but never allowing his night-black kimono to be visible.Every fewhundred yards he paused to fell a telephone pole.Now the Cadillac was slowing as it came to the city limits.Dawn was turningthe east pinkish-orange.And as Chiun rounded a turn in the road, he saw the Cadillac pull into acombination motel/bar called the Orbit Room Motel.Chiun dropped to a trot, and his arms ceased their steady pumping.He glancedover his shoulder.But there was still no sign of Remo.It was puzzling.Page 75 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlAs Chiun drew up to the neon Orbit Room sign, he was no longer running.He wasflitting from mailbox to palm tree, a patch of shadow that no human eye couldperceive.172Chiun saw the Krahseevah leave the big car.He wore an overcoat so that onlyhis white boots showed.He carried the car battery and the collapsedbladder-like helmet under one arm.The tiles were not in his possession.Hewent around to the back of the bar.Chiun drifted up to the Cadillac.He peered into the interior.There was acardboard box in the back seat.The door was locked, but that did not deterthe Master of Sinanju.He tapped his fingernails against the rear window.Hetapped steadily, insistently, until the glass suddenly radiated cracks.Itcrystallized into nuggetlike pieces.Laying his palm against it, Chiun pushedin the window glass like a piece of soft cardboard.It plopped onto the seatwith a mushy sound.Chiun extricated the cardboard box and undid the flaps.The box contained overa dozen black tiles.Pleased, Chiun took the box to a mailbox and sent itsliding down the chute for safekeeping.He did not want them damaged in theconflict to come.Then he marched for the front door of the bar.He vowed to himself that thistime he would leave no walls for the Krahseevah to conceal himself in.Remo almost drove past the Orbit Room Motel without noticing the parkedCadillac.He finally spotted it when he executed a sharp U-turn and pulled into theparking lot."I hope this doesn't mean what I think it means," Robin Green said unhappily.She was looking at the motel's stucco face.Or rather, what was left of it.For the Orbit Room Motel looked like a piece of white cheese that had beennibbled on by rats.Scablike chunks were falling from great holes even as Remopulled into a spot.When he got out, his car door banged the one parked nextto his.Remo noticed that it was a Cadillac.He checked the rear licenseplate
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