He had a telephone in a room at the rear which customers were allowed to use on payment of a fee, and a public call-box would not serve my purpose, since the operator usually announces to a subscriber the fact that a call emanates from such an office. The shop was closed, but I rang the bell at the side door and obtained permission to use the telephone upon pleading urgency. I had assiduously cultivated a natural gift for mimicry, having found it of inestimable service in the practice of my profession. It served me now. I had worked in the past with Inspector Dunbar and his subordinate Sergeant Sowerby, and I determined to trust to my memory of the latter's mode of speech.
I rang up Dr. Stuart and asked for the Inspector, saying that Sergeant Sowerby spoke from Scotland Yard?
"Hullo!" cried the Inspector--"is that you, Sowerby?"
"Yes," I replied in Sowerby's voice. "I thought I should find you there. About the body of Max. . ."
"Eh!" said Dunbar--"what's that? Max?"
I knew immediately that Paris had not yet wired, therefore I told him that Paris had done so, and that the disk numbered 49685 was that of Gaston Max. He was inexpressibly shocked, deploring the rashness of Max in working alone.
"Come to Scotland Yard," I said, anxious to get him away from the house.
He said he would be with me in a few minutes, and I was racking my brains for some means of learning what business had taken him to Dr. Stuart when he gave me the desired information spontaneously.
"Sowerby, listen," said he: "It's 'The Scorpion' case right enough! That bit of gold found on the dead man is not a cactus stem; it's a scorpion's tail!"
So! they had found what I had failed to find! It must have been attached, I concluded, to some inner part of "Le Balafré's" clothing. There had been no mention of Zâra el-Khalâ; therefore, as I rode back to my post I permitted myself to assume that she would come again, since presumably she had thus far failed. I was right.
Morbleu! quick as I was the car was there before me! But I had not overlooked this possibility and I had dismounted at a good distance from the house and had left the "Indian" in someone's front garden. As I had turned out of the main road I had seen Dr. Stuart and Inspector Dunbar approaching a rank upon which two or three cabs usually stood.
I watched la Belle Zâra enter the house, a beautiful woman most elegantly attired, and then, even before Chunda Lal had backed the car into the lane I was off . . . to the spot at which I had abandoned my motor bicycle. In little more than half an hour I had traversed London, and was standing in the shadow of that high, blank wall to which I have referred as facing a row of wooden houses in a certain street adjoining Limehouse Causeway.
You perceive my plan? I was practically sure of the street; all I had to learn was which house sheltered "The Scorpion"!
I had already suspected that this night was to be for me an unlucky night. Nom d'un p'tit bonhomme! it was so. Until an hour before dawn I crouched under that wall and saw no living thing except a very old Chinaman who came out of one of the houses and walked slowly away. The other houses appeared to be empty. No vehicle of any kind passed that way all night.
Turning over in my mind the details of this most perplexing case, it became evident to me that the advantages of working alone were now outweighed by the disadvantages. The affair had reached a stage at which ordinary police methods should be put into operation. I had collected some of the threads; the next thing was for Scotland Yard to weave these together while I sought for more.
I determined to remain dead. I would afford me greater freedom of action. The disappearance of "Le Balafré" which must by this time have been noted by his associates, might possibly lead to a suspicion that the dead man was not Gaston Max; but providing no member of "The Scorpion" group obtained access to the body I failed to see how this suspicion could be confirmed. I reviewed my position.
The sealed letter had achieved its purpose in part. Although I had failed to locate the house from which these people operated, I could draw a circle on the map within which I knew it to be; and I had learned that Zâra el-Khalâ and the Hindu were in London. What it all meant--to what end "The Scorpion" was working I did not know. But having learned so much I did not despair of learning more.
It was now imperative that I should get in touch with Dunbar and that I should find out e3xactly what had occurred at Dr. Stuart's house. Accordingly I determined to call upon the Inspector at Scotland Yard. I presented myself towards evening of the day following my vigil in Limehouse, sending up the card of a Bureau confrere, for I did not intend to let it be generally known that I was alive.
Presently I was shown up to that bare and shining room which I remembered having visited in the past. I stood just within the doorway, smiling. Inspector Dunbar rose, as the constable went out, and stood looking across at me.
I had counted on striking him dumb with astonishment. He was Scottishly unmoved.
"Well," he said, coming forward with outstretched hand, "I'm glad to see you. I knew you would have to come to us sooner or later!"
I felt that my eyes sparkled. There was no resentment within my heart. I rejoiced.
"Look," he continued, taking a slip of paper from his note-book. "This is a copy of a note I left with Dr. Stuart some time ago. Read it."
I did so, and this is what I read:
"A: the name of the man who cut out the lid of the cardboard box and sealed it in an envelope--Gaston Max!
"B: the name of the missing cabman--Gaston Max!
"C: The name of the man who rang me up at Dr. Stuart's and told me that Gaston Max was dead--Gaston Max!"
I returned the slip to Inspector Dunbar. I bowed.
"It is a pleasure and a privilege to work with you, Inspector," I said.
This statement is nearly concluded. The whole of the evening I spent in the room of the Assistant Commissioner discussing the matters herein set forth and comparing notes with Inspector Dunbar. One important thing I learned: that I had abandoned my nightly watches too early. For one morning just before dawn someone who was not Zâra had paid a visit to the house of Dr. Stuart! I determined to call upon the doctor.
As it chanced I was delayed and did not actually arrive until so late an hour that I had almost decided not to present myself . . . when a big yellow car flashed past the taxicab in which I was driving!
Nom d'un nom! I could not mistake it! This was within a few hundred yards of the house of Dr. Stuart, you understand, and I instantly dismissed my cabman and proceeded to advance cautiously on foot. I could not longer hear the engine of the car which had passed ahead of me, but then I knew that it could run almost noiselessly. As I crept along in that friendly shadow cast by a high hedge which had served me so well before, I saw the yellow car. It was standing on the opposite side of the road.
I reached the tradesmen's entrance.
From my left, in the direction of the back lawn of the house, came a sudden singular crackling noise and I discerned a flash of blue flame resembling faint "summer lightning." A series of muffled explosions followed . . . and in the darkness I tripped over something which lay along the ground at my feet--a length of cable it seemed to be.
Stumbling, I uttered a slight exclamation . . . and instantly received a blow on the head that knocked me flat on the ground! Everything was swimming around me, but I realized that someone--Chunda Lal probably--had been hiding in the very passage which I had entered! I heard again that uncanny wailing, close beside me.
Vaguely I discerned an incredible figure--like that of a tall cowled monk, towering over me. I struggled to retain consciousness--there was a rush of feet . . . the throb of a motor. It stimulated me--that sound! I must get to the telephone and cause the yellow car to be intercepted.
I staggered to my feet and groped my way along the hedge to where I had observed a tree by means of which one might climb over. I was dizzy as a drunken man; but I half climbed and half fell on to the lawn. The windows were open. I rushed into the study of Dr. Stuart.
Pah! it was ful
l of fumes. I looked around me. Mon Dieu! I staggered. For I knew that in this fume-laden room a thing more horrible and more strange than any within my experience had taken place that night.
PART III
AT THE HOUSE OF AH-FANG-FU
CHAPTER I. THE BRAIN THIEVES
THE Assistant Commissioner lighted a cigarette.
"It would appear, then," he said, "that whilst some minor difficulties have been smoothed away, we remain face to face with the major problem: who is "The Scorpion" and to what end are his activities directed?"
Gaston Max shrugged his shoulders and smiled at Dr. Stuart.
"Let us see," he suggested, "what we really know about this 'Scorpion.' Let us make a brief survey of our position in the matter. Let us take first what we have learned of him--if it is a 'him' with whom we have to deal--from the strange experiences of Dr. Stuart. Without attaching too much importance to that episode five years ago on the Wu-Men Bridge in China, we should remember, I think, that for any man to be known and, it would appear, to be feared, as 'The Scorpion,' is remarkable. Very well. Perhaps the one we seek is the man of the Wu-Men Bridge, perhaps he is not. We will talk about this one again presently.
"We come to the arrival on the scene of Zâra el-Khalâ, also called Mlle. Dorian. She comes because of what I have told to the scarred man from Paris, she comes to obtain that dangerous information which is to be sent to Scotland Yard, she comes, in a word, from 'The Scorpion.' We have two links binding the poor one 'Le Balafré' to 'The Scorpion': (1) his intimacy with Miguel and those others with whom 'Scorpion' communicated by telephone; (2) his possession of the golden ornament which lies there upon the table and which I took from his pocket. What can we gather from the statement made to Dr. Stuart by Mlle. Dorian? Let us study this point for a moment.
"In the first place we can only accept her words with a certain scepticism. Her story may be nothing but a fabrication. However, it is interesting because she claims to be the unwilling servant of a dreaded master. She lays stress upon the fact that she is an Oriental and does not enjoy the same freedom as a European woman. This is possible, up to a point. On the other hand she seems to enjoy not only freedom but every luxury. Therefore it may equally well be a lie. Some slight colour is lent to her story by the extraordinary mode of life which she followed in Paris. In the midst of Bohemianism she remained secluded as an odalisque in some harêm garden of Stambul, whether by her own will or by will of another we do not know. One little point her existence seems to strengthen: that we are dealing with Easterns; for Zâra el-Khalâ is partly of Eastern blood and her follower Chunda Lal is a Hindu. Eh bien.
"Consider the cowled man whose shadow Dr. Stuart has seen on two occasions: once behind the curtain of his window and once cast by the moonlight across the lawn of his house. The man himself he has never seen. Now this hooded man cannot have been 'Le Balafré,' for 'Le Balafré' was already dead at the time of his first appearance. He may be 'The Scorpion'!"
Max paused impressively, looking around at those in the Commissioner's room.
"For a moment I return to the man of the Wu-Men Bridge. The man of the Wu-Men Bridge was veiled and this one is hooded! The man of the Wu-Men Bridge was known as 'The Scorpion,' and this one also is associated with a scorpion. We will return yet again to this point in a moment.
"Is there something else which we may learn from the experiences of Dr. Stuart? Yes! We learn that 'The Scorpion' suddenly decides that Dr. Stuart is dangerous, either because of his special knowledge (which would be interesting) or because the 'Scorpion' believes that he has become acquainted with the contents of the sealed envelope--which is not so interesting although equally dangerous for Dr. Stuart. 'The Scorpion' acts. He pays a second visit, again accompanied by Chunda Lal, who seems to be a kind of watch-dog who not only guards the person of Zâra el-Khalâ but who also howls when danger threatens the cowled man!
"And what is the weapon which the cowled man (who may be 'The Scorpion') uses to remove Dr. Stuart? It is a frightful weapon, my friends; it is a novel and a deadly weapon. It is a weapon of which science knows nothing--a blue ray of the colour produced by a Mercury Vapour Lamp, according to Dr. Stuart who has seen it, and producing an odour like that of a blast furnace according to myself, who smelled it! Or this odour might have been caused by the fusing of the telephone; for the blue ray destroys such fragile things as telephones as easily as it destroys wood and paper! There is even a large round hole burned through the clay at the back of the study grate and through the brick wall behind it! Very well. 'The Scorpion' is a scientist and he is also the greatest menace to the world which the world has ever been called upon to deal with. You agree with me?"
Inspector Dunbar heaved a great sigh. Stuart silently accepted a cigarette from the Assistant Commissioner's box and the Assistant Commissioner spoke, slowly.
"I entirely agree with you, M. Max. Respecting this ray, as well as some one or two other minutiæ, I have made a short note which we will discuss when you have completed your admirably lucid survey of the case."
Gaston Max bowed, and resumed.
"These are the things, then, which we learn from the terrible experiences of Dr. Stuart. Placing these experiences side by side with my own, in Paris and in London--which we have already discussed in detail--we find that we have to deal with an organisation--the object of which is unknown--comprising among its members both Europeans ('Le Balafré' was a Frenchman, I believe), cross-breeds such as Miguel and Zâra el-Khalâ" (Stuart winced), "one Algerian and a Hindu. It is then an organisation having ramifications throughout Europe, the East and, Mon Dieu! where not? To continue. This little image"--he took up from the Commissioner's table the golden scorpion, and the broken fragment of tail--"is now definitely recognized by Dr. Stuart--who is familiar with the work of Oriental goldsmiths--to be of Chinese craftsmanship!"
"It may possibly be Tibetan," interrupted Stuart; "but it comes to the same thing."
"Very well," continued Max. "It is Chinese. We hope, very shortly, to identify a house situated somewhere within this red ink circle"--he placed his finger on a map of London which lay open on the table--"and which I know to be used as a meeting place by members of this mysterious group. That circle, my friends, surrounds what is known as 'Chinatown'! For the third time I return to the man of the Wu-Men Bridge; for the man of the Wu-Men Bridge was, apparently, a Chinaman! Do I make myself clear?"
"Remarkably so," declared the Assistant Commissioner, taking a fresh cigarette. "Pray continue, M. Max."
"I will do so. One of my most important investigations, in which I had the honour and the pleasure to be associated with Inspector Dunbar, led to the discovery of a dangerous group controlled by a certain 'Mr. King'----"
"Ah!" cried Dunbar, his tawny eyes sparkling with excitement, "I was waiting for that!"
"I knew you would be waiting for it, Inspector. Your powers of deductive reasoning more and more are earning my respect. You recall that singular case? The elaborate network extending from London to Buenos Ayres, from Peking to Petrograd? Ah! a wonderful system. It was an opium syndicate, you understand."--turning again to the Assistant Commissioner.
"I recall the case," replied the Commissioner, "although I did not hold my present appointment at the time. I believe there were unsatisfactory features?"
"There were," agreed Max. "We never solved the mystery of the identity of 'Mr. King,' and although we succeeded in destroying the enterprise I have since thought that we acted with undue precipitation."
"Yes," said Dunbar rapidly; "but there was that poor girl to be rescued, you will remember? We couldn't waste time."
"I agree entirely, Inspector. Our hands were forced. Yet, I repeat, I have since thought that we acted with undue precipitation. I will tell you why. Do you recall the loss--not explained to this day--of the plans of the Haley torpedo?"
"Perfectly," replied the Commissioner; and Dunbar also nodded affirmatively.
"Very well. A similar national loss was sustaine
d about the same time by my own Government. I am not at liberty to divulge its exact nature, as in the latter case the loss never became known to the public. But the only member of the French Chamber who had seen this document to which I refer was a certain 'M. Blank,' shall we say? I believe also that I am correct in stating that the late Sir Brian Malpas was a member of the British Cabinet at the time that the Haley plans were lost?"
"That is correct," said the Assistant Commissioner, "but surely the honour of the late Sir Brian was above suspicion?"
"Quite," agreed Max; "so also was that of 'M. Blank.' But my point is this: Both 'M. Blank' and the late Sir Brian were clients of the opium syndicate!"
Dunbar nodded again eagerly.
"Hard work I had to hush it up," he said. "It would have finished his political career."
The Assistant Commissioner looked politely puzzled.
"It was generally supposed that Sir Brian Malpas was addicted to drugs," he remarked; "and I am not surprised to learn that he patronised this syndicate to which you refer. But----" he paused, smiling satanically. "Ah!" he added--"I see! I see!"
"You perceive the drift of my argument?" cried Max. "You grasp what I mean when I say that we were too hasty? This syndicate existed for a more terrible purpose than the promulgating of a Chinese vice; it had in its clutches men entrusted with national secrets, men of genius but slaves of a horrible drug. Under the influence of that drug, my friends, how many of those secrets may they not have divulged?"
The Golden Scorpion Page 11
