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Nagano went quiet again “Well, if you’re right, this is very bad news,” he said finally “It ation is at an end”

“Why?” Joe asked

“Han is beyond my reach,” the superintendent said “He has dual citizenship and friends in the highest places Between that and his money, he enjoys a type of unofficial diploation would be pointless It would be closed down by those above uard duty at an abandoned station in the mountains”

“So he’s untouchable,” Kurt said

Nagano looked pained but resolute “I’m afraid so”

“What if Ushi-Oni rolled over on him?” Joe said “With two differentHan, your superiors would be afraid not to investigate”

“Perhaps,” Nagano said, “but that brings us back to square one: finding Ushi-Oni We still don’t knohere to look And, after this, he will vanish like the wind”

“Not if you activate your tracking network,” Joe said, “since he’s carrying one of the coins”

All eyes turned Joe’s way

“While Kurt was goofing around and playing cards, I was actually working”

Kurt raised an eyebrow “As I recall, you were fighting for your life in the ring of doo you”

“Ah, yes,” Joe said “But how do you think I ended up down there?”

“Sonized you”

“Someone did,” Joe said “Ushi-Oni As ot the ju ivenhim So while restled, I slipped the coins into his pocket Assu well, you should have no proble him now”

Kurt offered a bow of respect to his friend “I stand corrected and duly impressed”