The First Sergeant swiveled and stormed off down the hallway.
Staff Sergeant Riley rose from behind his desk and tugged on the belt of his khaki trousers. 'Well, I guess you both heard what the First Sergeant said. You know who's in charge, and you know who's going to enforce the order.'
Ernie flopped down in a chair. 'Bite me, Riley,' he said.
Ten minutes later the First Sergeant came back. Eighth Army had approved it. Private First Class Ignatius Q. Hatcher would be turned over to the Korean National Police tomorrow at close of business. Four P.M. sharp.
'That's as fast as they'd move,' the First Sergeant said.
'Assholes are stalling,' Ernie groused. 'Trying to save face.'
The First Sergeant didn't answer. I motioned to Ernie. He stood up and we walked to the door.
The First Sergeant hollered. 'Where in the hell do you think you two are going?'
I wheeled on him. 'Somebody has to inform the nun about the turnover of Hatcher.'
'We'll just broadcast it on radio and TV.'
'No,' I said. 'She has to be told by somebody she trusts.'
The First Sergeant thought about it. 'You know where to find her?'
'Yes. We know where to find her.'
'Good. Make sure she doesn't roast herself. Eighth Army's counting on you.'
'Fuck Eighth Army,' Ernie said.
Ernie took the long way to Tobong Mountain, out the Han River road toward Walker Hill. It made sense, because we fought our way out of the Seoul rush-hour traffic about a half hour sooner than we would have if we'd cut straight across town. Once we were in the countryside, Ernie made a beeline for Tobong-san. It was already dark by the time we reached the Temple of the Celestial Void.
An elderly nun emerged into the courtyard, hands clasped in front of her, and bowed.
'We have good news,' I told her. 'Concerning the nun, Choi So-lan. Eighth Army will comply with all her wishes. There is no need now for her to burn herself.'
The old nun's shoulders seemed to sag. 'You are too late.'
Ernie understood the Korean phrase. He stepped forward. I held him back.
'She's already burned herself?' I asked softly.
'No. She has been taken away. For purification.'
'Where?'
'I don't know. Secrecy is part of the rite. No one but the monks who will assist her are with her now.'
'But we must talk to her.'
'No one can. Especially not a foreigner.'
'Not a foreigner? Why not?'
The nun tilted back her head, her eyes widened, and for the first time she stared directly at me. A red glow- seemed to radiate from her pupils.
'Because you foreigners bring defilement. Everywhere you go. You defiled Choi So-lan. You defile everything.'
Ernie looked at me with a questioning look, wondering what she had said. I didn't translate.
'You will never stop her,' the old nun hissed.
She turned and disappeared into the shadows.
As we cut through the swirling neon of the city, gaggles of young men, and a few chicks, were hanging out at corners. They weren't your orderly demonstrators we'd seen earlier. More like street toughs. They waved photographs of the little nun over their heads and shouted anti-American slogans.
Ernie shouted back a couple of times, and I told him to cool it.
'If they don't like us Miguks,' Ernie said, 'they can go screw themselves.'
'It's only because of what Hatcher did to the nun. That's what made them angry.'
'It pissed me off more than it did them.'
When we parked the jeep in front of the CID building, a bulb still shone in the Admin Office. Sergeant Riley sat behind his desk, his head lolling atop the ink-scribbled blotter. When he heard our footsteps, he jerked upright and rubbed his eyes.
'Been waiting for you guys,' he said.
'More shit from the First Sergeant?' Ernie asked.
'No. Phone call. From your asshole buddy. Guy with a weird accent. Calls himself Rag Yapping. Or something like that.'
'Ragyapa,' I said.
Ernie and I both leaned forward. Riley smirked, delighted to be in the position of knowing something that we didn't.
'Spill, Riley,' I said. 'What'd Ragyapa tell you?'
'He said he's ready to meet and exchange the woman for the jade skull.'
'Lady Ahn's still alive?'
'Heard her in the background.'
'What'd she say?'
'She didn't say anything. She just screamed occasionally.'
I didn't need any more detail. 'When's the meeting?'
'Tomorrow afternoon. Four P.M. sharp.'
'Four P.M.? That's the same time the nun torches herself.'
'And the same time the Eighth Army honchos decided to release Hatcher,' Ernie added.
'Yeah,' Riley said. 'It's almost as if this guy knew.'
Ernie was impatient. 'So where's this meet supposed to take place?'
'You'll love this,' Riley said. 'I don't know how he expects you guys to survive.'
'Survive? What are you talking about?'
'The place you're supposed to meet. He made me write it down and spell it back to him so there wouldn't be any mistake.'
Ernie grabbed for Riley's khaki collar. 'Where, goddamn it?'
Riley brushed back Ernie's hand. 'Take it easy, Bascom. I was going to tell you.' He glanced down at his notes. 'Guanghua-mun. The Gate of the Transformation of Light. Right in the heart of tomorrow's demonstration.'
Riley smiled up at us.
'In the middle of a demonstration?' Ernie said. 'We'll be killed!'
Riley smiled more broadly. 'That's what I was trying to tell you:'
Ernie turned to me. 'It doesn't make any sense.'
I waited, thinking it over. Then I spoke. 'Sure it does, Ernie.'
'How?'
'We're American law enforcement. In downtown Seoul tomorrow, in the middle of an anti-American demonstration, there's no way we can deploy any backup.'
'That's for sure. They'd be stoned to death.'
'And even the Korean National Police will be totally overwhelmed.'
'When there's thousands of demonstrators out after their blood, of course they'll be overwhelmed.'
'So setting the exchange up in the middle of a demonstration is a brilliant move. Tomorrow afternoon, Guanghua-mun in downtown Seoul will be the most lawless piece of real estate in Korea.'
Ernie let a long breath out between dry lips. 'Strictly survival of the fittest,' he said.
Riley barked a laugh. 'For once, Bascom, you got it exactly right.'
34
