At his words, Chiun hung his head in shame.

"I am sorry to have failed you, Father," he said.

When H'si T'ang turned, his smiling face had grown stern. "How have you failed me?" the old man demanded. "The first time I entered this cave was when your father took you as pupil. For such is it written that the Master should purify his spirit when his successor takes a pupil of his own. When your father, who was my son, passed into the Void I completed your training. As Master and as your grandfather, I was known as Hwa and Yui. As your teacher, I took the name H'si T'ang. The circumstances surrounding my rebirth as teacher could not be blamed on you."

"No," Chiun admitted. "But that was not the only time."

H'si T'ang waved his words away. "Your child who died was a tragedy that you did not cause and that you could not have prevented-despite what you think. As for your second pupil, he was a child of Sinanju the village and student of Sinanju the discipline, but he was never one with the essence that is the Sun Source. The best he could do was mimic what we are. At this Nuihc excelled, but his heart was never ours."

At the mention of his nephew's name, Chiun's back stiffened. The name of his brother's son was unmentionable in the village. Only H'si T'ang would dare speak it.

"As you say," Chiun said quietly. "For now I must go. Take care, Little Father." Bowing deeply, he turned.

He had taken only a few shuffling steps when a voice rang out behind him.

"Hold," H'si T'ang commanded.

Chiun froze in his tracks. "Yes, Venerable One?" The older man motioned with a long, crooked finger.

"Come here."

Chiun did as he was told. When he stopped before his teacher, H'si T'ang reached out with one hand. He took Chiun's chin in a knot of bony fingers.