thedestroyer.slavesafari-第7章
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nd caught the chestbone with his right thumb。 A single timed move that enabled him to step over the falling breathless body to the man facing Chiun； who now realized what Remo was doing。 Remo tried to put the second man between him and Chiun so that Chiun would not witness the stroke。
The man guarding the old Oriental saw his parchment bearded face； saw him suddenly dart into a crouching position and look around the man's waist。 The man looked down behind him； but saw nothing。 Suddenly everything was black。
〃Your stroke was rushed on the second man。 I could not see the first because of the falling body；〃 Chiun said。
〃You couldn't see the second either； Little Father。〃
〃I saw it。〃
〃You cannot see through flesh。〃
〃I saw the stroke of your hand in the heel of that foot；〃 said； Chiun； pointing to the man on the floor。 〃It was rushed。〃
One of the men twitched。
〃Well； the stroke worked；〃 Remo said glumly。
〃A child playing by the beach builds castles that work also； but they are not enough to live in and certainly not enough for the storm。 You must build a house for the storm； not for the sunny afternoon。 Your stroke was for a sunny afternoon。〃
〃These guys were a sunny afternoon。〃
〃I cannot reason with you；〃 said Chiun and lapsed into a stream of Korean with such recognizable terms…to Remo…as the inability of even the Master of Sinanju to make a banquet from rice husks or diamonds from mud。
The man with the briefcase returned to the cottage with an order： 〃Don't you two guys hurt him too much。
We need him；〃 he said and then he saw his two guys。
〃Oh；〃 he said。
〃They faw down； go boom；〃 Remo said。 〃Now I'd like to ask you a question or two in all fairness and honesty。〃
To assure fairness and honesty； Remo placed a hand very quickly on the back of the man's neck； and as he pinched a nerve just so； the man too felt fairness and honestly were the only way to answer questions。
He worked for the Lippincott Foundation。 His direct boss was Laurence Butler Lippincott。 Another Lippincott； James Forsythe； had disappeared hi the Busati bush。 The government was working on it； but Laurence Butler Lippincott thought he could do better。 Remo Mueller was wanted because he obviously was friends with General Obode。 The Lippincotts would use him to get to Obode； to get his help in finding James Forsythe Lippincott。 Laurence Lippincott himself had ordered that Remo be approached。
Remo released the pinch on the nerve。
〃Your friends will e to in a moment or so；〃 he said。 〃Where I can find Laurence Butler Lilliput？〃
〃Lippincott；〃 the man said。 〃No one finds Mr。 Lippincott。 You see him by appointment only； if you're lucky。〃
Remo decided to rephrase the question and there must have been something in the manner of his voice because he got an immediate response。 Laurence Butler Lippincott was at the headquarters of the International Bank of New York City； 88th floor； the Lippincott Suite。
He appeared promptly each morning at 11：30 A。M。 and worked through till 4：30 P。M。 Non…stop。 He was the （？）ible Lippincott。 Remo released the man's neck（？）。
No one gives Mr。 Lippincott orders；〃 said the briefcase man。 〃Maybe you stopped me； but there'll be more。 No one can stand up against vast…money。 No one。 Not governments。 Not you。 No one。 All you can do is serve and hope you'll be rewarded。〃
〃You will personally see your vast money in little soggy lumps；〃 Remo said。
〃Have you learned nothing？〃 shrieked Chiun。 〃Boasting？ A boast is more fatal than a rushed stroke。 A boast is a gift to an enemy。 Have you learned nothing？〃
〃We'll see；〃 said Remo。 〃Do you want to e along？〃
〃No；〃 said Chiun。 〃A boast is bad enough but a successful boast is worse because it encourages other boasts； and they surely will cost in price。 Nothing in this world is without payment。〃
Payment was a good word and Remo thought about it as the briefcase man drove him to New York City。 Every so often； the two bodyguards would wake up and Remo would put them back to sleep。 This went on until the Taconic Parkway when the two men finally got the general idea that they were no longer expected to overpower Remo。
Laurence Butler Lippincott did not have his offices in the huge tower his banks were famous for financing。 They were instead in a tall； aluminum； looming building just off Wall Street； a narrow side street made wider by a large open entranceway with modern sculpture； which the briefcase man told Remo cost the Lippincotts more than two million in lost office space。 Most people were amazed that Lippincott had spent 70；000 for the sculpt are； but never considered that it cost so much more just to give it space。 If Remo would think about reality； he too would appreciate what working for Lippincott meant。 Remo did not appreciate reality。
He pushed the two bodyguards and the briefcase man ahead of him and managed to press them all hi a revolving door with the breaking of only one bone； the briefcase man's left arm which didn't quite fit。 He screamed appropriately。
They had to take two elevators to the Lippincott floor。 The first went only up to the 60th floor where three guards and a manager questioned Remo and his party。
Remo was polite and he was honest。 He told the three guards and the manager that he was going to see Mr。 Lippincott and would be delighted if they would acpany him。 This； three of them did； with happy hearts。 They were happy because they were not the fourth man who lay on the carpeting of the sixtieth floor foyer with his ribs and nose broken。 The happy throng burst out into the 88th floor with exuberance； two guards going across the magnificent mahogany desk of Lippincott's private secretary； driving her back into a Picasso original。 The office was like an art gallery； except that few galleries could afford this collection of Picassos； Matisses； Renoirs and Chagalls。 Remo grabbed a blue picture with many dots off die wall and led his group to see Mr。 Lippincott himself。 A guard protested； so Remo left him behind…with his head in a bookcase。
The office of Laurence Butler Lippincott had no door。 None was needed； Remo realized。 The door was really back down at the 60th floor。
Lippincott looked up from a typewritten page he was reading。 He was a graying elderly man； with taut skin and the placid confidence of the very rich in his face。
〃Yes？〃 he said； apparently undisturbed by the …〃 motion。
〃My name is Remo and I say no。〃
〃Mr。 Lippincott；〃 the briefcase man tried to explain while clinging to a splintered arm； but he did not have a chance to finish because he was flying over his。 employer's head。 Lippincott scarcely noticed。
〃Really； Mr。 Mueller； must you？ The man is injured。〃
So Remo threw the sixtieth…floor manager at Lippincott。
〃If something is on your mind； say it；〃 said Lippincott。 〃No need to hurt innocent people。〃
Remo placed one of the bodyguards on Lippincott's desk； which surprisingly looked very ordinary； right down to the pictures of family。 Remo knocked the air out of the bodyguard。 Lippincott merely removed the typewritten sheet from beneath him。
Remo placed the second bodyguard； who had suddenly tried to break for the door； on top of the first。 He too suddenly lost his breath。
〃You're trying to tell me something；〃 Lippincott suggested。
〃Yes；〃 said Remo。
〃You're trying to tell me that all my employees and all my money won't do me any good with you。〃
〃Yes；〃 said Remo。
〃Are you also threatening me with physical violence if I should attempt to send others？〃
〃Yes；〃 said Remo。
〃Sounds reasonable；〃 said Lippincott。 〃Would you care for something to drink？〃
〃No thanks；〃 said Remo。
〃Cigar？〃
〃No thanks；〃 said Remo。
〃A fifteenth of Venezuela？〃
〃No thanks；〃 said Remo。
〃Is there anything I can give you？〃
〃Leave me alone。〃
〃You're sure we can't make some sort of deal？〃
〃Right。〃
〃That sounds impossible；〃 Lippincott said。 〃Everyone wants something。 What do you want？〃
〃None of your business。〃
〃Sounds reasonable although I don't understand it。 If you should ever want anything of me； please let me know because I want your help and somehow I think I'll figure out a way to get it。〃
Remo heard a scream from outside and he saw Lip
