she wiped the sweat away, she thought about how upon a word from the Old Do-Gooder, the bald Shan commander had released them. Clearly he had saved them, but was he still secretly plotting against them? Did he know that Yu Jin and Yu Fang had escaped to prepare the antidote? When he let them have the painting of the five jade disks, did he already know the answer to the riddle? Had he been collaborating with the Shan to hammer out interlocking stratagems to ensnare and harm the Green Snake Brotherhood?

"Dada," said Miss Qi, returning to that old question after much thought, "what is the solution to the riddle of the five jade disks? You still haven't told us."

"That's right." Mr. Qi laughed, stroking his beard. "Inever see him again."

"Well, if it's not Gai Bo, then who is it?"

"I can't say, and that's all there is to it," said Gai Bao, his sadness turning to anger. "Are you coming or not? I'm busy and don't have time to discuss it with you."

"She's not going with you," said Ah Two, answering for Miss Qi. "No more tricks; we don't trust you."

Without so much as a word, Gai Bao got in his Froghopper and closed the hood. The thing started with a horrendous racket. As the hind legs sprang, the rockets fired and it leaped into the sky, accompanied by the cheers and applause of those present. Watching the Froghopper depart, Miss Qi felt a tinge of regret.

"I should have convinced Gai Bao to take me