by Dan Swanson
It took several more hours to get everything sorted out with the police. The goons from the local tong, who had been trashed in the basement, recovered and escaped in the confusion. Lei Chiu had been rushed to the hospital in a hastily summoned ambulance, but was not expected to recover. Stony Mason and his fellow gangsters were headed for jail, and Detective Stuart McMillan had high hopes of breaking them for enough information to round up the rest of the American half of the smuggling gang.
The priestess agreed to brief the Shanghai Police on her way back to the Temple of the Jade Emperor, and perhaps they could bust the smugglers on the Asian end. Liling Kam’s honor was restored, and Phoenix Barrow had his story for the San Francisco Chronicle. And another story was added to the growing legend of the San Francisco AVant Guard.
It seemed that the disappointed priestess would be forced to return to her temple without the jade gemstone, but Miss Music quietly arranged for a meeting between her, Liling, and the AVant Guard the next day.
Finally, Tammi Paige and Alex Silverstone were back home, winding down in the living room before they got a little sleep — very little, as the sun was already rising.
“You know,” Alex mused thoughtfully, “I think I’m going to take some training in karate or judo, or something like that. I almost busted my hand punching that one crook.”
“Aren’t those two guys dreamy?” Tammi asked dreamily. Alex knew she meant Phoenix Barrow and Detective McMillan.
“Crap, Tams, don’t you ever think of anything but guys?” Alex snapped.
“You know I do,” Tammi giggled back, and Alex had to smile as well.
“Hey, how did you recognize Phoenix Barrow, anyway?” Alex wanted to know. “It’s not like he’s famous, or a TV news anchor, or something like that.”
“Well, he was covering the Nationals back in ’60, and I guess he really liked me,” Tammi replied. “Somehow he managed to avoid all the chaperones the AAU provided, and ask me for a date. Isn’t that cute?”
“You didn’t go out with him, did you?” Alex asked, alarmed.
“C’mon, Alex, you know how busy I was back then!” replied Tammi.
Alex noticed that Tammi hadn’t actually answered, and had also avoided saying anything about the time since she’d moved to San Francisco. She sighed and let it go; she’d long ago accepted that Tammi would do what Tammi would do, and nothing Alex could do would change that.
***
The next day, the AVant Guard met with Liling Kam and the priestess of the Jade Emperor in the Far Eastern Treasures store.
“I have a gift for you,” Miss Music told the priestess. The Harmonic Honey handed the older woman a small, gift-wrapped package. Of course, it contained the jade gem.
“May the grace of the Jade Emperor bless you!” the priestess sang, almost overcome with emotion. “I thought this relic lost forever. How did you recover it?”
“Miss Kam gave the original Desert Cat statuette to a friend of mine,” Miss Music replied, uncomfortably. “My friend scared Lei Chiu away when he was trying to switch Cats last night, and apparently, in the confusion, Lei Chiu left with the wrong Cat. When I told her what happened, my friend smashed her statuette, and there was the jewel!”
“Please give your friend my heartfelt thanks and blessings, along with the thanks of all who worship at the Temple of the Jade Emperor. I’m sure the Emperor himself feels gratitude as well,” the priestess responded. “I regret that I have nothing to offer her as a replacement for the sacrificed Desert Cat.”
“I think I can help with that,” Liling spoke up. “Miss Music, is there anything in the store that your ‘friend’ might like as a replacement?” Her eyes sparkled with mischief; perhaps the mystical aura of the priestess of the Jade Emperor had somehow allowed her to pierce the magical veil that concealed the secret identities of the AVant Guard, and she’d figured out that short, long-haired, exuberant Miss Music was also her new acquaintance, the short, long-haired, exuberant Tammi Paige. (*)
[(*) Editor’s note: See Super Squad: Times Past, 1962: Super Sisters of the Caribbean.]
Miss Music looked around, and her eye was instantly drawn to an idol that was almost as large as she was. “I’ll bet she’d love that monkey!”
“Ah, the Idol of the Monkey King. Most appropriate. I’m sure it’s exactly what your friend would want.” She winked at Palette. “Please present it to your friend with my thanks as well, for helping remove the stain on my honor left by Lei Chiu.”
“Well, that solves the last mystery,” Miss Music confided to her partner.
“And that was…?” Palette prompted, almost afraid to ask.
“I couldn’t decide whether it was Phoenix or Stuart who was the Monkey King in our adventure!” the Tuneful Titan replied with a smile, while her partner groaned.
The End