The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-10-21
Chapter Nine
Romantic Journey

I YNN had started back in fright
land bumped against Temu who
steadied her and ordered the man
up. He rose to his knees and
beamed at her. It was then she
realized that the expression on his
face as he looked at her had al
ways been one of alteration.
Temu's lips twitched. "This is
Bula, the best camel man that
ever drove a motor-car. He tells
me he saw you when you first
arrived at the temple-park the
other afternoon. And he vows that
the minute he set eyes on you he
knew you were the Tara incar-
nate. He guarded the Chinese inn
where you stayed until Sherlock
came to your rescue"
well" murmured Lynn and
took a deep breath of relief. re-
membering the burly form she
had seen in the courtyard of the
inn.
You'll learn to love him.
Temu predicted. "Bula is ire
sistible."
Lynn gave the fellow a timid
smile. His face lit up like the
pitted landscape of the moon and
he drew out his knitting and held
it up for her to admire-a little
white jacket with tiny sleeves.
Pretty" she declared and felt
the soft wool. ''Who is he making
it for?"
She fancied Temu looked en-
barraSSed for a moment and then
he answered as if defying his own
personal doubts. Sherlock pre-
diets his own death and rebirth
within a short time. Bula is max
ing him-what do you call it-a
layette for his next incarnation. j."
"Oh!" Lynn laughed. "How de-
licious! What remarkable peopler
She met Temu's eyes. what in
teresting things I'll have to write
home when l escape"
Wont you! he agreed, re-
garding her with a little smile.
Does this - does Bula know
&IAAh. Die dShGO.
Know himr exclaimed Temu.
Recently they had a row over a
camel and promised to kill each
other on sight Bula tells me he
got around his oath by keeping
his eyes on you and refusing to
look at your brother who was
fortunate to have you along that
day" He motioned for her to en-
ter the car, and following, placed
the kitten basket at her feet.
Bula started the car at once
and slid down the h'utunq, head
ing a caravan of heavy trucks fol-
lowing closely be h d. The y
wound their way out of the city
and up to high, level plain
stretching west and north as far
as the eye could reach.
Lynn sat pressed in her corner
of the seat, looking out at the
stormy landscape, the kite n
curled up on her lap on top of the
fur rung. A steady stream OF
traffic met and passed them
Tru cks, wheelbarroWs, Pekin
carts. mule filters, coolie litters
and a small camel caravan, the
two-humped beasts almost as
heavily furred as musk-ox.
The traffic going their way car
ried, in addition, immigrant fam
lilies hungry for the rich, rolling
lands of Mongolia. These people
with their lined. yellow faces ris-
ing bove BIO die huge with
ragged, cotton garments donned
one on top of the other to keep
them warm, carried all their
worldly possessions in carts or on
their backs, or herded along be-
fore them-pork, mutton, anG
children, all on the hoof. Neither
she nor her companion spoke I'M
til they had covered several miles
A Goddess
I'VE are thankful" Temu re-
W marked. that Shani Lun is
beyond the desert and safe from
immigration like this"
Are your people so superior?"
Lynn asked insolently.
He smiled a little. perhaps not
only different. We import Chinese
workers but aim to take our pick
as you do in America of Euro
peanS. Mongolians will not dc
manual labor; it doesn't seem to
be their destiny. The only way q
Monaghan will labor is to die and
be reborn a Chinese coolie." He
glanced out of the window. "And
what greater punishment could q
Mongol have?"
Lynn's eyes follo wing his
glance. saw two coolies bent un-
der the load of a heavy log coffin
carrying on top a live white
rooster and on the inside, she as
sumed. a Chinese body being
taken back to its ancestral bury
ing ground.
She shuddered. 81 wouldn't care
to be reborn a Chinese coolie
either"
Sherlock says you were once
Chinese princess, an emanation
of the Goddess Tara"
Lynn raised a skeptical eye
brow. DO you believe that sort
of thing?"
ITS useful idea" he smiled,
I'VE saved your life with it the
other night"
A d wning comprehension
lighted her face. $50 that's what
you told the monks at the templeI
That I am a reincarnation of the
goddess"