The jugular hadn't been severed, so Remo caught the man on his way down to the rug. He dragged the jerking body to the other room, his head like a collapsed balloon on his red-stained shoulder.
Remo laid him on the floor. He noticed the other soldier fighting to open the balcony door, and slipped up behind him.
The guard whirled.
"Your friend fainted," Remo explained, jerking a thumb back.
Startled, the guard hurried around Remo. "What happen?" he asked as Remo followed him.
"I don't know. He was playing pong and just keeled over for no reason."
"What is-"
Pong!
Remo eased the second PLA corpse to the rug and beat a hasty retreat for the door. On his way out, he noticed the first soldier was missing an eye. A gray string of eye-controlling muscle hung out of his empty socket, along with a squish of oozing gray brain matter.
"Oh-oh, can't leave anything lying around," Remo said cheerfully. "Might cause problems later."
He went in search of the eye. It wasn't in the room, by the door, or out in the corridor.
Remo snapped his fingers. "Ergo, it's in my room," he said aloud. He was in a happy mood. Not only had he gotten laid, but he was getting other frustrations out of his system.
It turned out the lost eye had rolled under his dresser. Remo had to get down on one knee to get at it. It jumped out of his reach the first time he touched it. It was slippery slick.
Finally Remo got it between thumb and forefinger. He was straightening up when he heard the ding of the elevator.
Remo rushed out of his room and made for the next room.
Too late, he saw Fang Yu coming up the corridor.
He slipped one hand behind his back and put on a disingenuous smile. As she approached, he made a pretense of leaning against the doorframe.
"Well, well, look who's dropped by," he said, toeing the door closed on the bodies of the dead soldiers. "Here to test the mattress, are you?"
"Is something wrong, Remo?" Fang Yu asked, her face worried.
"Why do you ask, Cinderella?"
"Lobby filled with PLA men," she said anxiously, slipping into clipped Pidgin English. "They very angry. I had to sneak upstairs and take elevator to this floor. Why you leave?"
"You weren't there when I woke up."
"Ah," she said taking him by the elbow. "Soldiers come. We must speak quickly." They closed the door to Remo's room behind them.
Since Remo was in his shorts, he couldn't palm the late PLA soldier's eyeball into his pants pocket, so he folded his arms. The eye felt like a hard grape against his concealing forearm.
"I woke up and you were gone," he told Fang Yu in a brittle tone. "I didn't know what was up, so I came back here. What happened?"
"I went out," Fang Yu said simply.
"Glad it was good for you too," Remo said thinly.
"I did it to please you," she said quickly, her voice filling with hurt and resentment.
"Funny way to show it."
"No, listen," Fang Yu said urgently. "I woke up, very excited. You were asleep. I knew you wished to find this Korean, Old Duck Tang. I know many people in high places, so I went to see one of them. From this man I learn that there was an incident at the Long Wall of Ten Thousand Li, you know, our Great Wall. Many soldiers die."
Remo's stiff expression softened. "I'm listening."
Fang Yu sat on the edge of the bed. Remo looked down at her, trying to gauge her truthfulness by her expression. He found it impossible.
"A bus was stolen at the Great Wall," she said. "Soldiers were crushed under its wheels. Then it was discovered that a caboose had come loose from a tourist train going to Badaling. It was found in a ravine, filled with more PLA men. All dead."
"What happened to it?"
"The coupling had been shattered. Such a thing is not known to happen. There is talk of sabotage and hooligans."
"Might not be him," Remo said half to himself.
"When the train arrive, a woman was found to be unconscious. She was train propaganda broadcaster, like American JD, you know? "
"DJ. JD is 'juvenile delinquent.' Close, but not exactly the same thing."
"She spoke of a Chinese man the guards took into custody and an older man in a kimono who lured the guards from the train. These were the same ones who were found dead."
"That's Chiun!" Remo said. "Definitely Chiun."
Fang Yu's eyes turned to wary slits.
"Thought you did not know his name," she accused.
"Chiun is his code name," Remo said quickly. "You know, like Ivory Fang is yours."
"Ah. So you are pleased?" Fang Yu said slowly.
"Yeah, this is great."
"Have soldiers come to this floor yet?"
"Yeah, they didn't find anything."
Fang Yu's sigh of relief was like a breeze through poplars. "Good. Then we have time to make love again."
Remo joined her on the bed without hesitation.
Fang Yu was moaning like a midnight sigh when he suddenly realized his left fist still clutched the elusive eyeball. He slipped it under the pillow and finished what he was doing.
"You like me again?" Fang Yu wondered.
"I only have eyes for you," Remo said sincerely.
Chapter 17
Remo had wanted to leave as soon as they were done, but Fang Yu had insisted it was too dangerous to do so.
"In morning, we will simply walk out, like any other tourist and guide," she had promised.
And so they waited for dawn to break, catching sleep in fitful breaks, like entwined cats.
"Ever think of going to America?" Remo asked as Fang Yu nestled in his arms.
"All the time," she said dreamily. "First thing I will do is dye my hair like Madonna."
Remo groaned.
"You not think Madonna pretty?"
"Like a plucked chicken," Remo spat. "I can get you out of the country," he suggested softly.
Fang Yu looked up, suddenly interested.
"You mean to come back with you?" she asked.
Remo smiled. "I can be habit-forming."
"My soul belongs to China," Fang Yu said distantly.
"China's a mess. How can you stand it?"
"We have had many emperors in China's past," she told him quietly. "Some were kind and some cruel. Now the Communists are our emperors and their cruelty is without measure. But all emperors die in their time. Even Communists, which are like dogs who sink their fangs into their own tails. I wish to be here when China awakens."
"Oh," Remo said. He was surprised at how disappointed he felt. He had known Fang Yu less than a day.
"But I could come to visit you," she added quickly. "Stay long time. Maybe you will return to China after the Communists are crushed."
"We gotta get through the night first," Remo pointed out.
"Why PLA want you, Remo?"
"What makes you think they want me?"
"I hear one giving your description to front-desk man."
"And what'd he tell them?"
"You will be insulted."
"Try me. "
"Front-desk man, he say all Westerners look alike to him. Big noses and round eyes stick out. All rest of face lost."
Remo grunted a laugh.
"I think front-desk man spoofing PLA," Fang Yu said. "No one cooperates with PLA if they can help it."
Remo looked down at her, cradled in his arms. "Spoofing?"
"Is that not the correct word? A tourist from Missouri say it once for me. I like that word. Spoofing. Sound sexy."
"Spoofing works for me."
"Excellent," Fang Yu said, snuggling closer. "If PLA return, we will spoof them together."
They were not disturbed by the PLA, however. The whir and ching-a-ling of bicycles of Changan Avenue roused them from sleep. After dressing, they walked leisurely through the lobby and out into the Beijing morning.
"Guess they widened the search for that guy, whoever he was," Remo said airily.