March 1932 cont.: The Purple Dragon

Joan Garrick has been having nightmares in which a Chinese man in a tall hat beckons to her with long nails. Ham surmises this may have something to do with his efforts to help her remember what she does as the Maid, so he's headed over to check on her.

"Good, Ham. Take someone with you if you think it best," says Doc Caliban.

"I have intercepted a whispering spirit, which was sent by Lo Pan to his minions at the Wing Kong Import-Export Exchange on Fisherman's Wharf. The message was,

"Egg Shen is alive, and he has reached Caliban. Both must now die. Caliban will come out from his fortress for a disaster spiced with the exotic. Use the Purple Dragon."

"We know, therefore," continues Doc, "that some showy public emergency is being planned to bring us into an ambush. I will go to the Presidio, where I am consulting with the Navy Department, and keep my public appearances. If the enemy attacks, they will do so without the element of surprise, and on territory favorable to me."

"You others, meanwhile, are free to strike at Lo Pan. There is every hope we can interrupt him before the Purple Dragon, whatever that may be, is ready to use. We do not know what powers Lo Pan has at his disposal, as he is a very old Summoner and can command the Three Storms of Hunanese legend, among many other spirits."

"Therefore speed and surprise are of the essence. If we use everyone, he will have a wide variety of Powers to try and counter. We may be able to spare this city a terrible misfortune."

Doc then equips himself with a brown business suit of voluminous cut, lined with armor and laden with hidden gadgets. He takes the elevator to the lobby, making sure everyone sees him leave, and takes a cab, loudly ordering it to drive to the Presidio.

Once he is gone, Egg Shen rolls up a black carpet and slings it over his shoulder. Things inside it slosh like jars of pickles.

"Howlin' calamities!" Monk bursts forth. "We just saved you from this Lo Pan character, and now you want to come with us right into his lap?"

"Of coursah, Monk. It is-uh my destiny. Besides, without me, you'll never survive in the lair of the Boddhisatva of the Underworld, the ultimate evil spirit."

Monk points accusingly.

"You know something you're not telling me, Egg," he scolds.

"Lo Pan has been cursed by Ching D'ai, the God of the East. His flesh, and bones, are atomized. Lost on the wind. He becomes ... only a dream. An EVIL dream."

Monk blinks.

"What?"

"Lo Pan cannot harm us unless he regains mortal flesh, which is his dearest-uh wish," says Egg Shen. "But there is something even Lo Pan must acknowledge -- that all motion in the universe is the result of tension between positive and negative furies. And when they are out of balance, as they are in Lo Pan, then we will use lightning and fire to separate the entangling hedge, and at last bring order out of chaos."

"Well, great, sounds like we can't lose!" says Monk, trying to sound sincere. "What's in the bag?"

"Magic potion!" says Egg.

"A magic potion. Great," says Monk. "Whaddya do? Drink it?"

"Yes!"

"Thought so."

The Wing Kong Exchange is a long, two-story warehouse fronting on the docks. It has a front entrance, worker's entrance, loading docks for ships, a truck loading area, a railroad spur, and a big, wide, flat roof.