Don Winslow of the Navy

by Frank V. Martinek

  XXIII

  THE CHINESE CABINET

  At the end of fifty steps in a darkness so thick that it could almost befelt, Lotus pressed Don's hand, signaling a halt. As she did so, theresounded the soft whir of hidden machinery.

  "We arrive at the gateway of a secret world, my dear Count!" boomedCho-San's bass voice from somewhere behind them.

  The man's voice echoed strangely as if thrown back by the arches of theunseen tunnel. For all his effort at self-control, Don Winslow felt ashiver of apprehension creep up his spine at the eerie sound of it.

  "I've never had a fancy for this underground stuff, Cho-San," heanswered, forcing a laugh. "It's not in an airman's line, you know. Giveme the freedom of the sky, every time, and you can have your undergroundratholes!"

  "Hush, Andre!" cried Lotus softly, clinging to his arm. "Scorpia mustoperate not only in the air, not only on sea and land, but _underneath_them as well. You know that as well as anybody. See, now! The panel isopening, and we step through into Cho-San's shop, where you have beenmany times."

  As they emerged into the dimly lighted curio shop, the soft whir ofmachinery ended with a click.

  Glancing over his shoulder, Don saw the big Chinese standing behind himagainst a blank wall. There was no sign of the opening through which thethree of them had just passed.

  "Neat, very neat indeed, Cho-San!" murmured the pseudo count. "But, tellme, which way do we go from here to the comrades' quarters? Myrecollection is still a bit vague, although this room does seemfamiliar...."

  "The cabinet!" broke in the Scorpion leader shortly. "That way is thequickest. And I am tired of hearing about your infernal memory, Borg!Open the cabinet, Lotus!"

  Obediently the girl crossed to a huge cabinet of ebony wood, and twistedone of its curiously carved dragons' heads. With scarcely a sound thedoor swung wide, leaving an opening the size of a full grown man. Howfar back the space extended Don could not see from where he stood.

  "Step in, Lotus, and show your Andre the way!" sneered Cho-San. "Youact, Count Borg, as if it were a trap. Don't worry, I am following youboth inside!"

  The Chinese suited his action to the word, closing the cabinet doorafter him. Again Don caught the smooth, scarcely audible hum of oiledmachinery somewhere near by.

  "More darkness!" he sighed after a number of seconds had ticked by insilence. "Really, Cho-San, a nice bright electric bulb here would cheerthings up! By the way, I thought we were going somewhere in a hurry.This jolly old cabinet...."

  "Silence, fool!" gritted the Oriental. "You are no longer in the cabinetyou entered a moment ago. That ancient work of art is now standing asyou saw it, far above us. Only its floor is missing, for that is nowbeneath our feet!"

  "And here we are almost at the entrance to the comrades' quarters!"cried Lotus, as the elevator floor quivered briefly. "Now I shall pressanother invisible button, and you shall see that I am right, Andre.There will be plenty of light where we are going."

  Once more a panel slid aside to show a narrow, dimly lighted corridor.This one seemed to be dug out of bedrock, with rough corners projecting.Slipping into it, the girl disappeared around a jagged corner.

  "She'll get hurt dodging around those rocks!" Don exclaimed. "Where'sshe gone, anyway? Why didn't you stop her, Cho-San?"

  "Because she is in no danger--as yet!" purred the big Chinese. "Thelittle Lotus has been brought up in these subterranean passages androoms. She knows her way where you, my dear count, would lose yours ahundred times over. Just now she has gone to turn up more lights so thatyou can see to follow."

  As he spoke, the rough passage was flooded with sudden brilliance, fargreater than necessary, Don thought. As he stepped away from theelevator toward Lotus' waiting figure, Cho-San himself volunteered theexplanation.

  "There are machine guns covering every turn on this passage, Borg," hechortled evilly. "You cannot see them, so you must take my word. Underthese brilliant lights they could mow down any police forces which mightbe unlucky enough to come this far into Scorpia's underworld, or anyonetrying to escape from it. A very comforting thought, don't you agree?"

  Don's only answer was a shrug of his smoothly tailored shoulders. Thenext moment he was at Lotus' side picking his way over the tunnel'suneven floor.

  Around the second turn the girl halted, and reaching up, inserted herfingers behind an angle of the damp stone. As if by magic a door-sizedsection of the rock wall moved back, disclosing a furnished apartment.

  Don stepped through the opening, closely followed by Cho-San. At thesoft click of a falling latch, he did not even bother to turn. The wallthrough which they had just passed would show no sign of a doorway, hewas certain.

  For the first time since leaving the car in the garage, the Chinese nowseemed to drop his air of ugly suspicion. His moonlike face was almostsmiling as he turned to face Don.

  "I will leave you, my friend, for a short while," his deep voiceintoned. "The little Lotus will remain to entertain you, so that thetime will not pass too heavily. If there is anything more you may desirebefore I return, simply touch that bell by the table."

  With a parting nod his huge figure vanished behind a tall, carvedscreen. Don Winslow stood gazing at it thoughtfully for a long moment,then turned to his small companion.

  "Well, little Lotus," he began, "I hope your memory never starts playingtricks on you like mine. This room, for instance--"

  A strange expression in the girl's dark eyes stopped him short.Following her look and gesture he stepped quickly to the inlaid teakwoodtable.

  The thing looked innocent enough. It's decorated top bore nothing but avase and a small lacquered tray. One glance underneath, however,explained Lotus' silent warning.

  Fastened to the underside of the table top was a compact littledictaphone, no doubt being used at this moment by a Scorpioneavesdropper!

  Back at the spot where he had first stood, Don picked up theconversation.

  "This apartment _does_ seem vaguely familiar," he continued. "It's likesomething I dreamed about long ago. Perhaps if you showed me the otherrooms it might all come back to me. Shall we try it?"

  It was the cue for which the girl had been waiting. With an eager nodshe led the way toward a curtained archway.

  "Why, certainly, Andre!" she answered. "There's no harm in lookingaround. These are the comrades' quarters, or at least one section ofthem, and of course you have been here before. Beyond this hall is asmall dining room, and a sort of butler's pantry. The sleeping quartersare on another level entirely...."

  As the heavy curtains fell back into place, Don found himself in a tinyhallway, lighted by a dim overhead lamp. He was about to proceed whenthe girl's quick grasp on his arm halted him in his tracks.

  "We can talk now," she whispered, "but we must be brief. _I know who youare, Don Winslow!_"

  The shock of those words paralyzed Don's wits for the space of fiveheartbeats. Backing off, he reached for the small but deadly automaticpistol concealed under his left armpit. An instant later he dropped hishands.

  "I am at your mercy, it appears!" he said with a twisted smile.

  The girl shook her dark head. Gliding closer she lifted her eyes tostare straight into his.

  "It is Cho-San, not Lotus, whom you have cause to fear," she said. "Hebelieves you are working against Scorpia for your own interests, but hedoes not know the truth. I shall not tell him, Don Winslow, provided youhave done no harm to Count Andre Borg!"

  Don thought that over carefully. He read the meaning behind her words,and knew Lotus was in love with the dashing Andre. Besides she must beaware that Borg's advertised escape was a mere blind. Why, then, did shenot take revenge, for herself and her friends, by showing up the pseudocount without delay?

  Puzzled, he put a question of his own.

  "If I tell you that Count Borg is safe and well, except for a head woundlike mine, how can you trust my word? A man in danger of his life is aptto say anything which will save
it. How do you know I won't lie to you,Miss Lotus?"

  "You will not lie, for the simple reason that I am ready to believe yourword," the girl answered confidently. "That way, I put myself at _your_mercy. I trust myself to your honor, which you would rather die thanbetray. Is it not so, Don Winslow of the Navy?"

  With a silent laugh Don threw up his hands.

  "You win, Miss Lotus!" he admitted. "The truth is that Count Andre Borgis well and will come to no harm, in spite of any past crimes he mayhave committed. It is a long story, but ..."

  "Stop!" cried Lotus, fiercely gripping the young officer's jacket front."You say he is well, yet he will not be punished! Do you mean his _mind_has been injured? That wound on his head ... No! No! I would rather haveAndre dead than insane! Tell me! Tell me the whole truth, or I _will_call Cho-San!"

  Quickly Don gave her an outline of Count Borg's strange situation, fromthe moment when he came to his senses in the _Gatoon's_ sick bay.

  "You see, Miss Lotus," the young commander explained, "your friend is alot saner now than he was during the seven years he served Scorpia. Itis fortunate for him that he doesn't recall anything of that time. Tohim, April, nineteen thirty-three, seems only last week!"

  The girl's eyes had filled with tears that suddenly overflowed. Hersmall mouth quivered like a lost child's.

  "Then--then he isn't my Andre any more!" she sobbed softly. "He doesn'tremember that he ever knew me. Now I have nothing left to live for--noteven one true friend!"