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.They left the man and his house alone for one simple reason.Fear.Theoccupant of the house had a reputation in this part of Africa.Yes, he wasquiet and genteel.And, when properly provoked, he was more deadly than anyworkaday mob that might assault his little bit of paradise.Fear kept them away and kept the little farmhouse safe.As he spread manure and mulch around his rosebushes, Benson Dilkes didn't looklike a figure to provoke fear.He was flicking an aphid off a leaf and tskingin annoyance when he heard the telephone ring in the house.Brushing the dirt from his hands, he climbed to his feet.Page 50 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlDilkes was a handsome man, with a tan, rugged face and laugh lines thatcrimped the corners of his eyes.Although his dark hair was peppered gray andthe calendar of his life had recently slipped past his sixtieth year, he stillretained the vigor of youth.He mounted the porch, grabbing a sweating glass from a metal table beforegoing inside.The phone was old and clunky.A good solid number from the days when a phonecould be used to club a man to death or strangle him with the cord.With thenew phones these days, the best a person could do was call a target a thousandtimes and hope he got head cancer.Thankful once more for uncomplicated retirement, Dilkes scooped up the phone."Hello." He took a sip of his drink."I think I might have a problem, Benson."The voice surprised Dilkes.The man on the other end of the line rarely spokeand never, ever called."Is that you, Olivier?" Dilkes asked slowly.Theanswer caused him to put his drink down.Carefully."Yes." Even that one word was difficult to get out."Benson, I just left anevent.There were two targets of interest that were not acquired as I hadhoped.""You failed?" Dilkes asked.At this point he doubted he could mask hissurprise even if he tried.He sat on the edge of a chair, concern etched inhis deep tan lines."These men are special, Benson.Different than what I am used to.I was hopingyou could offer some insight.Perhaps you know something about them."Could it be? Was that actual fear in that accented voice? The younger man hadalways had ice for blood."I'll help if I can, Olivier," Dilkes said."What information do you have onthem?""Very little, I am afraid.One is an elderly Asian.Perhaps Korean orJapanese.I was too far to see clearly.The other was just an ordinaryCaucasian."Benson Dilkes felt the floor go out from underneath his feet.For an awfulmoment, the room swirled."My God, it's them," Dilkes croaked.The voice on the phone grew excited."You know them? Who are they?"Dilkes picked up his drink, draining it in one gulp."I know of them.Run,Olivier," he insisted."Get far away from those two.My God-you're lucky to bealive.Run as far as you can and don't look back.""Why? What are they?"Dilkes closed his eyes wearily, sinking back in his chair."You neverlistened; Olivier," he said, shaking his head."You were an exceptionalstudent, but you were always only interested in your gadgets and toys.Youloved those Rube Goldberg contraptions of yours, but you never bothered tolearn the history of what we are.""I am listening now.Tell me who they are."Dilkes sighed, opening his eyes."Sinanju, Olivier.Those men were Sinanju."A pause on the line."I thought they were mythical.""They are absolutely real," Dilkes insisted."The old one was the reason Ileft America twenty-five years ago.He is the Master.I've since learned thathe's taken a pupil.An American, if the stories I've heard are accurate.""The younger one acted like an American." There was a growling contempt in thevoice."It was them.It's amazing you met them and got out alive," Dilkes said."Olivier, do you have any idea how rare a thing that is? In all of recordedhistory, there are only a handful of men who've done what you have."It was the wrong thing to say.The fear that had been there at the start ofthe conversation was slowly overcome by arrogance."I almost had them, Benson."Dilkes sat up rigid in his chair."No," he insisted."No, you didn't.Anddon't even think about going back after them.You live in isolation, Olivier.You've never appreciated that there are forces out there that you and I willPage 51 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlnever understand.You've achieved a well-deserved reputation, but it's onlythe reputation of an individual.Sinanju is the reputation of our entirecareer.""Thank you, Benson.I will try to come down for a visit in the spring.""You're a dead man if you try to engage them," Dilkes said in final warning.The phone buzzed loud in his ear.With a hot exhale of air, he dropped thereceiver back in its cradle.So few men in his line of work lived to enjoyretirement.He had just spoken to another that would not.Getting up from his comfortable living-room chair, Benson Dilkes went back outto his yard and his prize roses.Chapter 14He sent back the ice because it wasn't cold enough.His lunch was too hot.Then it was too cold.Then it wasn't lunch at all anymore because he'd thrownit on the waiter's tidy uniform.The bulbs in the overhead lights were too bright.Someone was sent forreplacements
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