Ernie had a grip on its paws and with all his strength was barely managing to keep the big ivory spikes from ripping his face apart.
I grabbed one of the arms and pulled. No dice. The thing was incredibly strong.
Ernie's face was blue from lack of oxygen.
I crouched and grabbed a better hold, with two hands, on one of the sloth's arms. Bracing my feet against a rock outcropping, I managed to slowly force the arm away from Ernie. Once I was above the open arm, I leaned down on it, letting my weight do the work. It took forever.
When I finally shoved the big clawed limb to the ground, I stepped on it, pinning it firmly with all my weight. Bone and ligament crunched beneath my heel but the ugly beast didn't let out so much as a whimper.
The other furry arm was still wrapped around Ernie. I grabbed it. As it started to budge, Ernie croaked out a choking sound.
Lady Ahn dragged Ernie away.
But now I had a giant sloth spread-eagled between my feet and my outstretched arms. How in the hell was I going to get out of this?
The sloth kept trying to close his powerful arms. I held him back, but my strength was ebbing. His hadn't lessened at all.
Menacing beetle eyes watched me, huge curved claws twitching and clinking together, just waiting for the chance to slash my neck.
Lady Ahn knew what to do. As soon as Ernie was safe, she grabbed her sharp branch. When she jabbed the creature's neck, the arms spasmed. Stumbling at the unexpected movement, I almost lost my grip. Lady Ahn stabbed down with the stick again. The ferredike face beneath me twisted from side to side, trying to avoid the sharp point of the probing spear. A slice opened in the sloth's neck. Shoving down, arms straining, Lady Ahn jabbed the stick deep into the creature's throat.
Hot blood squirted upward, splattering my pant legs. Droplets splashed across Lady Ann's muddy linen leggings.
The sloth strained with its long muscles one more time, so violently that I almost fell. Finally, it shuddered and lay still.
I watched the sharp claws slap into the mud. Lady Ahn stepped back. She grimaced at her bloody spear, then tossed it into the foliage.
Still rubbing his neck, Ernie stumbled to his feet.
'What the fuck was that?' he wheezed.
'Just a teddy bear,' I said when I could, breathing heavily. 'It wanted to hug you.'
Lady Ahn took three quick breaths, scooped up the jade skull, and started down the trail. Ernie and I glanced at one another, amazed at her resilience. Then we turned and followed.
As I heard the first crash of breakers on the shore, I noticed Lady Ann's shoulders were heaving. I hurried forward. Her cheeks were wet with tears. When I tried to speak to her, she turned her face away.
At the tree line we finally halted. There, on the pebbled incline along the beach, stood Fisherman Yun next to the prow of his ancient skiff.
Nothing ever looked so wonderful.
The three of us rushed forward.
As we stumbled across the rocks, Fisherman Yun's weathered face broke into a broad smile. Just as suddenly as the smile had appeared, however, it faded. Yun gaped.
Out of the trees emerged a line of seven men with shaved heads and long robes. They strode quickly toward us. Lady Ahn moved behind me, covering the jade skull with her hands.
Ten feet away, the men stopped.
'Anyonghaseiyo,' one said. Good day.
Another opened his robe and raised an AK-47, pointing the business end of the automatic rifle directly into my face.
Ernie stopped. Air seeped slowly out of his mouth. He leaned toward me. 'I hope they're here for the clambake.'
18
The sloth, I figured, was an import.
It was a dangerous, slow-moving tropical animal that would never have survived in Korea during all the thousands of years the peninsula has been populated by aggressive hunters and rice farmers.
The species must've been brought to the island of Bian-do by Lady Ann's ancestor, Ahn the Righteous Fist, to help protect the treasure hidden deep in the bowels of the mountain. Who knows what other sorts of creatures lurked in the thick foliage of Bian Island? I didn't want to find out.
As we stood on the rock-strewn beach gaping at the mouth of the AK-47, Ernie decided to act nonchalant. He stared at the monks, like a punk on a street comer trying to intimidate the gang from another block.
One of the monks stepped forward. His head was shaved, and the brown leather of his skin stretched tightly across high cheekbones.
'Chosim heiya ji,' he said. You must be careful. 'Yogi ei dongmul manhayo.' There are many animals here.
I translated. Ernie nodded toward the automatic weapon still pointed at us. 'You ought to be careful with that thing, too.'
The leathery monk barked an order. The AK-47 was lowered.
Lady Ahn stepped forward, arms wrapped around the jade skull, head bowed. Gracefully, she lowered herself to a kneeling position on the beach.
'We have greatly bothered you,' she told the monk in formal Korean. 'For that I am full of regret.'
Ernie fidgeted, not liking all the groveling, even of a formal kind, but I shot him an evil look, warning him to shut up.
It was our only chance. Koreans have to work these things out in their own way. Ways that have been mapped out by thousands of years of culture.
While they talked, Ernie and I moved a few feet farther apart. If we had to charge, one of us might be able to reach the gunman.
The leather-faced monk narrowed his eyes at us. 'Umjiki-jima!' he said. Don't move. Ernie and I froze.
He spoke to Lady Ahn in rapid Korean. So rapid I had trouble following it all. But in general he was berating her for having stolen the skull, for not coming to him and explaining why she wanted it. He knew of her descent from the last emperor of the Sung dynasty; he knew, too, that the precious jade skull held the key to untold wealth.
Lady Ahn raised her voice and interrupted him. Ernie grinned. I held my breath. Pissing the monk off was a gamble. This guy held all the aces. Nobody even knew we were on this island.
'If I had come to you,' Lady Ahn said, 'would you have turned the jade skull over to me?'
The monk thought about it for a moment. 'No. I would not have.'
'Then I had no choice. I had to devise a plan. I had to seek help. Not from Koreans. It would be too tempting for a Korean to betray me and keep the wealth for himself. So I had to seek help from these foreigners, who have no family here. Who have no ties to ancient clans or to secret societies. Had I asked for the jade skull, you would've laughed at me.'
'No.' The monk shook his bald head. 'I would not have laughed. I understand your desire to see the Sung dynasty rise again. To see a fully Chinese emperor once again sit on the Dragon Throne. Not a Mongol. Not a Manchu. Not some intellectual with political ideas stolen from the West. But a true Chinese leader of royal blood. Don't you think we have wanted the same thing, too?'
Lady Ahn raised her head, staring up at the monk, her jaw clamped tightly. The monk continued.
'But where would we find such a leader? The answer is simple. No one can find such a leader. Such a leader
