"Doc Savage Adventure 1933-10 The Sargasso Ogre" - читать интересную книгу автора (Doc Savage Collection)

I certainly wish that you would visit me and inspect my apparatus. If you would be kind enough to do so, the bearer of this note will guide you to my laboratory.

LELAND SMITH.



Long Tom showed pronounced interest. It was true that he had never heard of Leland Smith. But he had himself perfected a device for killing insects. The thing would be a boon to farmers, and Long Tom expected to make a fortune out of it. If some other inventor was likely to cut in on the profits, Long Tom wanted to know about it.

"I'll go with you," he told Pasha Bey.


HURRIEDLY, Long Tom turned for his hat. A half-packed suitcase stood on a chair. It bore a fresh label, addressed to a stateroom on the steamer Cameronic. This was ample evidence that Long Tom expected to sail on the Camerionic, which was scheduled to depart shortly after midnight.

Long Tom placed the note on the table. At the foot of it, he wrote:


Doc -- I've gone to look into this.


"So my friends will know what became of me," he told Pasha Bey. "Let's go."

Pasha Bey would much rather that the note not be left behind. It was a clew for the Alexandria police, who were unpleasantly efficient. But he dared not object, and arouse suspicion.

They went down to the lobby. Spying one of his men, Pasha Bey thought he saw a way of removing the note from the scene.

"Ten thousand pardons, master," he apologized profusely to Long Tom. "I see an old friend. I would like very much to talk to him for a moment."

"Sure! Go ahead."

Pasha Bey sidled over to his hireling, a man called Homar.

"Listen closely, oh stupid one!" he muttered. "This fool of a white man left a note on the table in his room. The ways of the police are beyond understanding, and it might be unfortunate for us if they found the note. Go get it."

"Yes, oh wise one," agreed Homar.

"When you have the missive, come to the spot in the catacombs where we are to kill this white man. He is small and pale, and should be easy killing. But it is just as well to have plenty of help on hand. He who said too many cooks spoil a broth told a lie."

"Yes, oh great one," replied Homar.

Pasha Bey now returned to Long Tom and salaamed politely.

"My friend was very glad to see me," he lied. "And by the life of your father, I am grateful to you for letting me talk with him."

"That's all right," said Long Tom impatiently. "Let's hurry along. Our gang is sailing on the Camerionic, a little after midnight."

They stepped to the street. A neat, moderately expensive closed automobile stood at the curb.

"Our conveyance, my master," murmured Pasha Bey, neglecting to add that the car was stolen, and that the driver was one of the most accomplished murderers in Alexandria, probably second only to Pasha Bey himself.