17. Dateline Gun Xiang / Woo Makes a Break


Cub reporter Jimmy Woo signing in. My escape from the besieged Gun-Xiang monastery has been successful, much due to the efforts of the courageous monks and especially my cousins, also monks within the order, the Chin twins.

To recount my situation, I was given shelter within the monastery after being recognized by the twins. I was then taken before the head monk wherein it was revealed that the Monks did indeed poses the Promethean Vacuum Tube invented by missing American scientist Dr. Raullo Ortega. The Head Monk explained that his order was in league with several other humanitarian groups, all engaged in a perilous struggle against a mysterious evil organization which was seeking total conquest of South Asia. While few details were known of this villainous group, it was known that Notorious Chun-King and his army were puppets of this infinitely devious criminal network. Apparently, a key player in this unfolding drama and a bastion in forces of good is the famed scientist/adventurer, Doc Thompson. Readers will all be familiar with the exploits of this heroic but seldom seen man, known for his fantastic exploits in the service of mankind. It was Thompson who was responsible for spiriting the Promethean Vacuum Tube away from Chun but due to further perils was forced to entrust the device to the good monks of Gun-Xiang. Unfortunately, spies had been at work and Chun was informed of the location.

It has now been determined that the Promethean Vacuum Tube must be returned to Doc before the monastery falls as it is only a matter of time before the sinister forces behind the warlord dispatch a more powerful force to conquer Gun-Xiang.    

In the end, the head monk asked for my assistance. I have been charged with the grave duty of carrying the mysterious Promethean Vacuum tube away from Notorious Warlord Chun-King and delivering it into the hands of Doc Thompson. To this end we were assigned a prized possession of the monastery, a German built motorcycle with a sidecar. The monks then saw to it that a large amount of rice wine found its way out to Chun’s army and seizing an opportune moment, all of us, Chin twins and I, clad in the robes of the monks, made a break for a hole in the lines.   

Our exit was made trough a small aquifer tunnel known only to the monks. Out we burst at full throttle down a shallow river bed, orange robes billowing behind us. Machinegun bullets spattered and a few shell rounds landed too close for my comfort, but we tore away from the monastery before the drunken troops could muster sufficient force to stop us.

I must end my dispatch here in hope that Mr. Doogan will read of my promising investigations. I will now conclude by asking Mr. Doogan’s Mother to set free her cat and switch off her lights as is traditional in this column.