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[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] get into the cab to behead the engineer?" "Perhaps he flung his blade into the man's face." "In that case the blade will be in the wreckage of the cab." "Not if the samurai recovered it." Page 56 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html "How? The engine traveled over fifty miles before crashing." "A mere detail." "You might look into the engine. If a katana turns up, I may reconsider my evaluation." "It will be done, O Smith." The line went dead. "I TOLD You he wouldn't fall for it," said Remo after Chiun hung up. The receiver shattered like so much black glass from the force of Chiun's angry gesture. "That man is impossible." "You didn't tell him the whole story." "It is family business and none of his concern." "Now what?" asked Remo. "You overheard all. We will examine the engine." "Even though you know we won't find any katana. The ronin was carrying it last night. A whole night after this mess." "We have our instructions," Chiun said thinly. "You just want to hang around where the ghost samurai don't roam." They rejoined Melvis Cupper, who was working a pay phone in a local saloon. He clutched a sweating can of Coors in one hammy fist. After a minute he hung up. "Just got my marchin' orders. I'm Mystic bound." "We want a look at the engine," said Remo. "Well, it's in the direction I'm headed, so I guess I can take a little detour." THE ENGINE LAY on its side in the shattered remains of the Texarkana freight yard. It was a long gray monster, its formerly blazing red nose now scorched black by the exploding utility vehicle. "Man, it about busts my heart to see one lyin' on her side like that," Melvis said unhappily. "It's only an engine," said Remo. "Shows what you know. That's an MK5000C. Sweetest thing this side of steam. Another generation or two, and diesel will finally match the tracktive effort of the old Challenger steamers. Never thought I'd live to say it, either." Remo was looking at the forward windscreens. They had shattered into crazy spiderweb patterns, but the glass had held. Only a small piece was missing. "No sign of an entry puncture," he said. "Entry?" "Never mind." There was a gangplank platform hovering over the side access door. They climbed the steps and lowered themselves down. The interior cab walls were crusted reddish black with dried blood. A few flies buzzed about. Remo and Chiun looked around. The cabin hadn't sustained much damage. In the rear of the cab was a long rip in the bulkhead that separated the cabin from the power plant. "What's this?" Remo wondered aloud. "A hole," said Melvis. "Made by what?" Melvis shrugged. "Flyin' something or other." "You find the something?" "They ain't got to the engine yet." Remo said to Chiun, "What do you think, Little Father?" Chiun looked the rip over carefully. "Katana." "You sure?" asked Remo. Chiun nodded. "The blade passed through this hole." "Okay. How'd it enter the cab?" "Sorcery." Remo looked dubious. "You fellas care to share your opinions with a jugeared good of boy?" Page 57 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html "Let's see that engine," Remo said. "Probably birds-nested all to hell." They opened the engine covers, exposing the monster diesel engine. It was still new, a factory-fresh coat of primary yellow paint making it gleam. "Man, is that a mess," Melvis said. It was. Wires and metal components lay everywhere. In places the yellow was scorched and blackened. It looked like a bird's nest after it had been picked at by squirrels. Melvis shook his head. "Never seen one birdsnested so bad." Remo asked Chiun, "Think it's inside the engine block?" Chiun shook his head. "It passed through, impaling itself on the tie. You saw it." Remo shook his head, "Couldn't. If it struck the tie, the trailing cars would have mangled it. And someone would have noticed it among the car parts. Therefore, it's in the engine block if it's anywhere." Chiun frowned like a death mask drying. "There is an explanation," he said. "Sure, always is. Look in the engine block." "First we will look under the engine," said Chiun. They looked. There was no exit hole in the bottom of the engine. Nor in the back. "It is a conundrum," said Chiun, absently stroking his wispy beard. "That's a rabbity kinda word for what we got here," Melvis Cupper allowed. "Well, I guess there's only one way to find out," said Remo. "Yes," said Chiun, raising his arms so his wide kimono sleeves slid back to his elbows, exposing pipestem arms resembling plucked chicken wings. Remo turned to Melvis Cupper. "Think you could find a flashlight?" "I guess I can rustle one up. You wait here now." Melvis Cupper was gone only five minutes, long enough to forage a flashlight from the freight yards. He was loping back when he heard the wild straining and shriek of metal. He broke into a run. "Dad-gum it all to hell!" Remo and Chiun were climbing out of the cab when he got there. Remo was holding a short black sword of some kind. "What's that?" Melvis demanded. "Katana. " "I can see that. I got eyes. Where'd you get it?" "From the engine block." "How?" "Reached into the rip in the back of the cab," said Remo as they fell to examining the blade. Melvis clambered into the cab and examined the rent. It was bigger now. Very big. It looked as though someone had used clevis hooks to open it wide. He poked his head out again. "What kinda tool you boys use?" "Handy ones," said Remo, not taking his eyes from the blade. Melvis rejoined them, looking mad. "You DOT boys ain't got no right to poke your noses into my investigation." "You'd never have discovered this without us." "Fine, then. That there frog-sticker is NTSB accident evidence." Remo moved it out of Melvis's reach. "Sorry. Finders keepers." [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |