The 22nd Secret (43 page)

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Authors: Randal Lanser

BOOK: The 22nd Secret
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H
e
n
r
y
’s
e
y
e
s f
o
c
used
on
Ch
e
n

s
, s
e
nding a
c
hi
l
l
u
p his b
ac
k.

Th
a
t’s
e
x
ac
t
l
y
w
h
a
t we did.
L
ook, punk. You
w
a
nt us to
m
a
ke
y
ou the m
o
st
i
mport
a
nt scientist
in
y
our
c
ount
r
y
?
You w
a
nt
t
o le
a
rn som
e
th
i
n
g
t
h
e
y
do
n
’t
e
v
e
n kn
o
w
a
b
o
ut at
B
e
r
k
e
l
e
y
, let
a
lone
t
eac
h?
You
wa
nt
t
o t
r
y
a
nd
m
ee
t
t
h
a
t
g
irl?
T
a
ke
h
e
r ba
c
k to
C
hina
w
i
t
h
y
ou.
F
u
c
k h
e
r
b
r
a
ins o
u
t. You w
a
nt
t
o be
a h
e
ro of
y
our
p
e
ople?
Or
y
o
u
w
a
nt
m
e
to b
l
ow
y
o
u
r
a
ss a
w
a
y
r
i
g
ht now?”

H
e
n
r
y
sm
i
led with his
s
te
e
l
-
e
y
e
d st
a
r
e
.
Ch
e
n squi
r
med in his se
a
t.


Don

t
l
ook und
e
r the
t
a
bl
e
, bud. I
g
ot
m
y
nin
e-
m
i
l
l
i
m
e
ter
poin
t
e
d r
i
g
ht at
y
our
b
a
l
l
s. You d
ec
ide:
h
e
ro
w
i
t
h th
a
t
g
irl as
y
our
p
l
a
y
th
i
n
g
,
o
r d
e
a
d
?
Either
y
ou s
a
y
y
e
s, or
I
don

t
l
e
t
y
ou w
a
lk a
w
a
y
kn
o
wing
e
v
e
n
th
i
s much.
W
h
e
n
y
ou
w
a
lked in h
e
re
y
ou
w
e
re
a
l
r
ea
d
y
d
e
a
d or the most
brilliant Chinese
of the
ce
ntu
r
y
. And do
n

t
t
hink
y
ou
c
a
n just
s
a
y
o
k
a
y
then
wa
lk out
of h
e
re
a
nd
fo
r
g
e
t us.
T
a
ke
a
look at th
i
s.”

H
e
n
r
y
pick
e
d
up
a
nother
photo wi
t
h his le
f
t hand
a
nd h
a
nd
e
d it
to
C
h
e
n
. He
k
e
pt h
i
s ri
g
ht und
e
r the
tabl
e
.
I
t
w
a
s a
photo of the
Ch
e
n f
a
m
i
l
y
home t
a
k
e
n f
r
om
a
sat
e
l
l
i
t
e
.

I
g
ot f
r
iends in China
w
ould
love
to
m
e
e
t
y
our moth
e
r.
H
e
l
l
,
y
our
fa
ther
too. T
e
ll
him
a
bo
u
t
m
e
, Tino.”

Ch
e
n looked
a
t Tino.
He
w
a
s r
e
l
i
e
v
e
d to
b
rea
k
a
w
a
y
f
r
om
H
e
n
r
y
’s s
a
dis
t
ic
sta
re
. Tino sm
i
led b
r
o
a
d
l
y
,
h
e
e
nj
o
y
e
d H
e
n
r
y

s antic
s
. Th
e
re w
a
s no one
l
i
ke
hi
m
.
I
f
t
he
kid w
e
re
n
ot
j
ust wh
a
t
t
h
e
y
n
ee
d
e
d
, h
e
’d
h
a
ve
to
l
d
H
e
n
r
y
to b
l
ow
h
is balls of
f
.


You
e
v
e
r s
e
e
a
J
a
mes Bond
m
ovi
e
?

Tino
a
sked, mo
t
ion
i
ng
to H
e
n
r
y
.

T
h
is
g
u
y
mak
e
s
B
ond look
l
ike M
a
r
y
P
o
p
pi
n
s. H
e
’s the
r
e
a
l
t
hin
g
.
I
kn
o
w
y
our
pe
opl
e
.
You
g
ot
no one l
i
ke H
e
n
r
y
.
I
f
y
ou don

t
a
g
r
e
e
to wo
r
k with u
s
, h
e
’s
g
oing
to b
l
ow
y
ou
a
w
a
y
,
r
i
ght now. T
r
ust
m
e, he will
a
nd
a
nother
th
i
n
g
.
I

m no computer
e
x
p
e
rt but
I
th
i
nk the
U
.
S
.
g
ov
e
r
n
ment pul
l
e
d
the big one
on
y
ou
g
u
y
s.
I
th
i
nk th
e
y
let
y
ou st
e
a
l ev
e
r
y
t
h
ing
just
so th
e
y
c
ould
g
e
t
th
i
s virus out
a
ll
ov
e
r
e
v
e
r
y
th
i
n
g
y
ou
g
ot. Your
p
e
ople
e
v
e
r
w
ond
e
r
w
h
y
it
w
a
s so e
a
s
y
. You thi
n
k
y
ou

re
so s
m
a
r
t
, ste
a
l
i
ng
a
ll
our
s
ec
r
e
ts.
Looks
to
m
e
l
i
ke
y
ou s
c
re
w
e
d
y
ours
e
lves
.

Ch
e
n

s
e
y
e
s d
a
rt
e
d
f
rom Tino to H
e
n
r
y
,
a
nd b
a
c
k
to Tino. His mouth qu
i
v
e
r
e
d.


You

r
e
a
sma
r
t b
o
y
.
T
e
ll
H
e
n
r
y
wh
a
t
y
ou
w
a
nt
t
o d
o
, but
I
wouldn

t
w
a
it
too
l
on
g
. H
e
n
r
y
m
i
g
ht be
g
e
t
t
ing
t
i
r
e
d of
h
old
i
n
g
that
g
un.
I

d h
a
te to s
e
e
y
ou
h
a
ve
a
n
acc
ident in
y
our p
a
nts.”

Ch
e
n looked
a
t
t
he
pictu
r
e
of his hom
e
. The
b
e
wilde
re
d look on h
i
s f
a
c
e
to
l
d H
e
n
r
y th
i
n
g
s w
e
r
e
g
oi
n
g
to wo
r
k out. H
e
n
r
y
pul
l
e
d his ri
g
ht hand out
f
rom und
e
r
the t
a
ble
a
nd s
e
t h
i
s si
l
e
n
cer
-
e
quipped nin
e-
m
i
l
l
i
m
e
ter
pis
t
ol down, wi
t
h the b
a
r
r
e
l
poin
t
ing
a
t
C
h
e
n, whose
e
y
e
s
g
r
e
w b
i
g
a
s s
i
lver
dol
l
a
rs
wh
e
n he
s
a
w the
g
un.

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