"It was a special case. It won't happen again."
"So you say. Your word was not good enough before. I cannot trust it now."
"Where is this leading? I'd like to take a shortcut."
"Impatient white," Chiun snapped. "We will probably be driving about all night and you do not even wish to converse. Very well. This is where this is leading: you asked me why I did not shed tears for the giving up of my elephant and I will tell you. He is a nice elephant, but truly I have no interest in him. He was merely a tool."
"To do what?"
"To educate."
"I get it," Remo said."As a Master of Sinanju I'm supposed to learn all there is to learn about elephants because your ancestors had to. Is that right?"
"No, it is not right. You disobeyed me and I had to teach you. Rambo was my choice to teach you a lesson."
"Whaaat!" Remo said, open mouthed.
"I made you wash him, feed him, and walk him so that you would learn the consequences of your actions."
"Wait a minute. You told me he was being abused. Then you tricked me into getting him aboard the sub. When did it occur to you to use him like that?"
"Before then. When I first came upon him."
"I thought he was your transportation through the freaking jungle.
"He was," Chiun said brightly. "He is a dual-purpose elephant."
"You mean to tell me," Remo shouted, "that the only reason you dragged that bag of wrinkled meat back to America was to stick it to me?"
"Hush, Remo," Chiun warned. "Rambo will hear you. He is sensitive."
From the rear of the trunk came a low, forlorn trumpeting. "See?" said Chiun.
"Yeah, I see. I see a lot. You're really something, you know that?"
"Yes," Chiun said happily. "I am something special."
"I don't believe this," Remo said under his breath. "All this because you wanted to teach me a lesson."
"Not just a lesson. Something more. Responsibility. Someday you will take over the village of Sinanju. Someday I will not be here to guide you through the thorny paths of life. I will not be at your side, but my teachings will stay with you. Especially this one. The next time you consider embarrassing me in front of my emperor, you will think of Rambo. And you will hesitate. Perhaps even reconsider. It is too much to hope you will refrain from your headstrong ways, but after a few additional experiences such as this, you may learn. It is enough to give me hope. "
"It is enough to give me a headache. I can't believe you've put me through all this just to make a point."
"An important point," Chiun corrected.
Remo said nothing. He came to a cross street. The sign said "Tower Avenue." Back at the last gas station they'd told him the Stonebrook Zoo was off Tower Avenue. But they hadn't said right or left. Remo decided to go left.
After three-quarters of a mile they came to a stone-rimmed gate that said "Stonebrook Zoo" in wrought-iron letters. A steel sign added that it was "Closed for the Season."
"Damn," Remo said, slapping the steering wheel in frustration. It shattered into three sections, leaving only the post.
"Now we are stuck," Chiun complained.
"No, we're not," Remo said grimly. "They may be closed, but not to us." He stepped out of the cab. Chiun followed.
"What do you plan, O determined one?" Chiun asked as Remo rattled the padlocked chain on the gate.
"I made a mistake last time," Remo said, testing various links in the chain. When he found one that seemed right, he pulled it apart with both hands. The link snapped. The chain rattled to the ground and Remo shoved open the gate.
"You make a mistake every time," Chiun said.
"Last time," Remo went on, ignoring him, "we offered to donate Rambo. Mistake. Nobody wants him. This time the donation will be anonymous."
Remo opened the back of the truck and pulled down the ramp. He did it with one hand. Normally it took two men. Rambo backed out of the truck and stood docilely. Chiun patted him on the cheek and said to Remo, "Lead, and Rambo and I will follow."
"Come on," Remo said. Chiun tugged on one of the elephant's saillike ears and Rambo padded alongside him. They walked through the open zoo gates.
"All we have to do is find the elephant house and we're home free," Remo whispered.
"I understand," Chiun said. "When we find it, we will open it and place Rambo within. Then we will take our leave. No one will be any the wiser."
"It should work."
"Yes," said Chiun. "It is a good plan."
"All we have to do is find the elephant house."
"Hold it right there," a hard voice warned. Suddenly they were transfixed in the glow of a flashlight. A uniformed man advanced on them, flashlight in one hand and a revolver in the other. He was a silhouette in the darkness, but beyond the flashlight's glare Remo made out the outline of his peaked cap and gunbelt.
"Oh-oh," Remo whispered. "A guard."
"Don't move a muscle," the guard said, coming to a stop. He was very careful not to get closer.
"You're both under arrest," he said, looking them over.
"Arrest! For what?" Remo demanded.
"Elephant poaching."
"Elephant . . ." Remo sputtered. "Now, wait a minute. We're not-"
Chiun kicked Remo in the ankle.
"Oh, please, Mr. Policeman," the Master of Sinanju said in a pitiful voice. "Please do not shoot us."
"I won't if you don't make any funny moves."
"Not us," Remo said, wishing he could reach down and massage his aching ankle.
"We are very sorry for this intrusion," Chiun went on, his voice quavering. "If you will show mercy, we will attempt to atone for our terrible crime."
"That'll be up to a judge."
"But there is no judge to be seen," Chiun pointed out, "and we are alone in the dark, just the three of us. And this elephant." Chiun tugged on Rambo's ear. His trunk shot up and he let out a cry of anguish.
The guard recoiled, his flashlight searching out the beast. "Hey, it's going crazy!"
"No, Chiun said. "It is merely annoyed. But do not worry, I know elephants very well. I can control him."
"Just keep him calm, okay?"
"Oh, I can do more than keep him calm. I can return him to his rightful place."
"No way, Little Father," Remo snapped. "We're not taking him all the way back to Fol- Ouch!"
"Back where?" the guard asked,.
"Foley's Circus," Chiun put in, eyeing Remo."We are with Foley's Circus. Our own elephant died and we needed a new one quickly. But now that we have been caught stealing yours, we have no choice but to abandon our foolish enterprise."
"That's smart. Stealing an elephant is no small matter."
"We see that now. But if you will agree to let us go, we will be happy to restore this beast to his fellows-who are no doubt already lonesome for him."
"I can't make any promises, but if you put him back, I'll ask that they go easy on you."
"But we didn't-Yeow!" Remo howled, grabbing his ankle.
"What this clown is trying to say is that we meant no harm," Chiun said. "We will be only too happy to restore this beast and throw ourselves upon your infinite mercy."
The guard swallowed uncomfortably. Rambo towered over him.
"Okay, it's a deal. Just put him back."
"Of course," said Chiun, bowing. "You lead."
"Clown?" whispered Remo as Chiun led Rambo between the darkened cages.
"We are with the circus, remember?" Chiun shot back.
"If I'm supposed to be a clown, what are you?"
"The ringmaster, of course."
"Why do you always have to be top dog?"
"Because you are bottom dog," Chiun said. "If I had left it up to you, we would still be stuck with this smelly beast."
"What's that you're saying back there?" the guard asked suspiciously.
"I was saying to my top clown that we are fortunate to have encountered such a wise man as yourself," Chiun said loudly.