"Mr. T'ang," Sternway replied.

"I believe you've met Mr. Ax-brewder?"

He must've noticed us together on Saturday, before Bernie was killed.

"Indeed." T'ang turned to me and offered his hand.

"Mr. Ax-brewder." While we shook, he smiled.

"Have you come to learn more of Wing Chun? New students are welcome at any time, although I suggest one of our beginning classes. Training such as this" he indicated the group behind him "is difficult without an introduction to the movements and their meaning."

This seemed like a particularly good time to practice my manners, so I said, "Not right away, thanks. Maybe later. Mr. Stern-way is just showing me around Martial America."

T'ang Wen's face revealed nothing.

"That's right," Sternway put in.

"Mr. Axbrewder has been hired to improve security for the building.

I'd like to present him to Sifu Hong."

Something in T'ang's eyes withdrew, dulling their silver edge, but his tone remained bland.

"Sifu Hong is upstairs," he answered.

"If you will excuse me, I will see if he may be disturbed."

"Certainly," Anson replied with his usual lack of warmth.

"Thank you."

T'ang bowed again, stepped past us into the hallway, and moved smoothly up the stairs out of sight.

Sternway had already explained some of the undercurrents here. Probably no one at Traditional Wing Chun would welcome what I was doing for Watchdog and Martial America and for Nakahatchi.

While we waited, HRH glanced around briefly, making sure he wouldn't be overheard. Then he remarked, "The Chinese are too flamboyant." He seemed to think that he was answering a question I hadn't known how to ask.

"Half of what you see in kung fu is just for show. Wing Chun isn't a bad style, but even here" he indicated the dojo "there's too much posturing."

He also considered Tae Kwon Do a toy martial art. Apparently he was just full of respect for his fellow martial artists.

"They've had a lot of time to work on it," I objected mildly.

Centuries, in fact, if what I'd been told was accurate.

"They must think it's good for something."

I wanted to see how far he'd go.

"It's intended to distract and intimidate," Sternway replied.

"To defeat an opponent mentally as well as physically. Rather like a gorilla beating its chest." He gave me a cold smile.

"But chest-beating only works against another gorilla." Then he added pedantically just in case I'd missed the point "The most common criticism of Wing Chun is that it isn't effective against other, more direct styles."

Apparently he was willing to go pretty far.

T'ang Wen spent more time upstairs than I expected. If all he had to do was tell Hong we were here, he'd have gotten a response faster from the Oracle at Delphi. Nevertheless Sternway didn't show any impatience, so I kept mine to myself.

Finally T'ang came down the stairs. Alone. A frown he didn't try to disguise gripped his features and he was definitely a man who took frowning seriously.

Nevertheless I had to admire his relaxation. The silver in his irises gave his stare a flaying edge, but his shoulders and arms staved loose, oerfectlv at ease.

"Mr. Sternway," he announced softly, "my master is disturbed that you would insult us in this way."

My eyebrows jumped involuntarily. Insult ? But Sternway's poise didn't flicker. Like commenting on the weather, he replied, "This saddens me, Mr. T'ang. Sifu Hong holds my deepest respect, and I meant no offense. How may I make amends?"

"Insult?" I asked aloud.

"What insult?"

They both ignored me. Still softly, T'ang told Sternway, "Take this man from here." He flicked a hand toward me.

"While he remains, the offense grows."

I opened my mouth to object I wanted to know how I'd suddenly become the enemy but Sternway spoke first.

"I would prefer," he stated, "to account for my actions to Sifu Hong in person."

"My master does not wish to hear any justification." T'ang's frown turned the lines of his face to bone.

"For myself, I ask you to comply before the insult becomes unpardonable."

"Oh, come off it," I put in.

"I haven't even begun to insult you. Don't treat me like I'm not here.

If I've done something to offend your 'master," tell me what it is.

I'll account for " So quickly that I didn't even see him move, T'ang flung a blow at my face. His fist stopped a quarter of an inch from my nose and hung there, motionless, as if the air had frozen solid around it. I could've counted the hairs on the backs of his fingers Before I could blink, the fist disappeared, slapped down by Sternway's palm.

He and T'ang faced each other as if neither of them had twitched a muscle.

"We'll comply," Sternway said quietly.

"I'll return later to speak of this with Sifu Hong."

Forcing myself to breathe, I took a step back, out of range.

"Like hell we will." If T'ang swung at me again, I wanted to see it coming.

"I'm here to do a job. I've been hired by the owner of the building, which he has the right to do. I'm being paid good money to help protect those chops, and I'm not going to back down because of some 'insult' I don't understand."