"Thanks. Uncle Sam will be very grateful to you. Any idea what was in this box?"
"De lady said it was military, suh."
Mathison nodded. "The man next door, George, is not a Secret Service man. I'd like to tell you all about it, but the time is too short. By telling him that I'm going straight to the Waldorf you will be doing your Uncle Sam an extra service."
"I told him, Cap'n."
"Good! Send a redcap in when the train stops. Good-by and good luck."
[Pg 191]
Mathison closed the door and locked it. The little red book he slipped into an inner pocket, the manila envelope he dropped into one of the kit-bags. What he did with the blue-print will be revealed at the proper moment. Then he sat down, his brain beginning to boil with questions. By and by he came to what he believed to be the solution of this miracle. The Yellow Typhoon was afraid. She had betrayed her companions because she saw immunity1 in the betrayal. She would never receive it from John Mathison, Bob Hallowell's friend! She, too, should pay. All the cards in his hand again, and he would play them on the basis that the phrase "blood and iron" was not pertinent2 to the Teuton only.
For what had been the primal3 impetus4 of this remarkable5 journey of ten thousand miles, of hiding continually behind steel walls, of refusing to take profit from the vast power at his service? An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth! That he was a secret agent, carrying a tremendous undeveloped sea-offensive—which he still had by the hair—was to his mind, obsessed6 with a single idea, an affair of secondary importance.
[Pg 192]
Draw the hand strongly across the surface of the water. What happens? A wave, that follows irresistibly7, fatefully, inescapably. This was, then, primarily a man-hunt, played backward, probably as peculiar8 a man-hunt as was ever conceived. The pursuers were in reality the pursued. Being a good psychologist, Mathison had simply put himself back of his enemies' point of view. In their minds, who would be the logical messenger? John Mathison, transferred to European waters, the familiar friend of the inventor, the one man living who knew exactly what the invention in its entirety was. This established in their minds, there were ninety-nine chances in a hundred that they would follow him. And there was always the possibility that Paolo, the Spanish servant, had conveyed enough scraps9 of information to decide them.
Had he been only vaguely10 certain that they carried the blue-print, Mathison would have used his power and struck immediately after the sleep-fume attack the first night on shore. But, he had argued, supposing he struck and the print was not found? They would be liberated11; forewarned, they would vanish. He hadn't credited them[Pg 193] with the stupidity of carrying so dangerous a thing as that blue-print. In their place he would have mailed it from San Francisco, with absolute certainty that it would reach the hands intended. There was no censorship over national mail. And now that the print was in his possession, he never could prove that it had actually been in theirs.
For the real point was to secure evidence, of which to date he had not an iota12, not such as would pass muster13 in any court outside of Germany. To have the blond man and his companions arrested as matters now stood would be a waste of time. So his whole plan was to lure14 them to a point where the hand of the law could touch and hold. An overt15 act, culpable16 legally. And The Yellow Typhoon herself had restored the means.
There was still one puzzle—the woman's lack of curiosity. She had not opened the envelope. Had she declared to the blond man that she had not found it? It would not be stating it strong enough to say that she was the most baffling woman he had ever met; he had never read of one her match.
[Pg 194]
At length Mathison and redcap swung along with the crowd making for the gates. Just beyond the gates Mathison signaled to the redcap to pause. He felt a hand on his arm, but he did not turn his head.
"Mathison?" came in a whisper.
"Yes. The blond man with the ruddy cheeks. The woman behind him in the sables17. Follow and report to your chief." Mathison went on.
Quarter of an hour later he entered the Waldorf. This time he seemed indifferent to the kit-bags. The boy deposited them along with the cage in front of the desk. Mathison signed the register, opened one of the kit-bags, and took out the manila envelope, which, before leaving the Philippines, he had been warned solemnly to guard with his life.
"Please deposit this in your safe and give me a receipt." Mathison spoke18 calmly, but his heart pounded with suppressed excitement. Carelessly, in view of any who cared to see, he stuffed the receipt into the little pocket at the top of his trousers. Then he went up to his room. He set Malachi on a stand by the radiator19. He emptied the[Pg 195] kit-bags and distributed the contents into drawers and closets.
Afraid. The Yellow Typhoon was afraid! Or was it Hallowell!—a touch of remorse20?
He sat down and opened the little red book for some addresses Morgan had given him. And something fluttered to his knee. It was a blue-green feather, brilliant as an emerald. Malachi's; he was always finding Malachi's feathers. But the sight of this one recalled a promise he had made himself—to call up Mrs. Chester's apartment. If he had to sail before she returned, he would leave Malachi with the apartment people. So he stuffed the feather absently into his match-pocket. Later he sent many messages over the telephone.
He felt in his pockets for his fountain-pen and, not finding it, remembered that he hadn't taken it from the vest of his civilian21 suit. Naturally, he went through all the pockets, and among other things came upon a folded slip of glazed22 paper. He opened it.
Several minutes passed. Mathison was like stone. Norma Farrington. He saw now why the photograph had originally intrigued23 him. It resembled Morgan's description of the woman known as The [Pg 196]Yellow Typhoon!... Absurd! It was not within reason. Some twist, some legerdemain24 the photograph had given it. The shadows; these had something to do with it. Norma Farrington, The Yellow Typhoon? The absurdity25 was patent. The notorious woman of Honan Road could not possibly be a celebrity26 on Broadway. Too many miles between.
He sprang to the telephone. "Give me the theater-ticket agency.... Hello! Is Norma Farrington playing in town?... She is?... What theater?... Thanks!" Mathison got out the little red book with trembling fingers. He rang up a number. "This is Mathison, the green ribbon. What's the report on the woman in the sables?... All right. I'll hold the wire." Five minutes passed. "Hello!... Entered a house in Fiftieth Street? Fine!" Mathison consulted the time; it was seven-fifty.
He became a whirlwind. He flew down-stairs and plunged27 toward the revolving28 doors.
"Taxi!"
The vehicle was forthcoming instantly, due to his visored cap, gold bands, and star. He jumped into the taxi, naming a theater[Pg 197] up-town. He paid a speculator five dollars for the only seat left—Q, center. As he was late, he had to navigate29 through channels of reluctant feet. Norma Farrington! He had only one idea with four sides to it—something complete.
The footlights flashed. When the curtain rolled up there were three people on the stage—no one he had ever seen before. They moved about and talked. Occasionally a ripple30 of laughter ran over the house. But none of these things meant anything to Mathison. He was not conscious of a word that was spoken or the significance of a single movement.
There were four entrances to this stage living-room, and Mathison grew dizzy trying to watch all four at once. At eight-forty, through the French window—you saw a charming garden beyond—came a woman in gray. Her expression was demure31—mischievously demure. The audience broke into applause. Tense, Mathison strained his ears.
Outside the blond man waited with the patience of his breed. His glance never left the entrance to the theater.
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1
immunity
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| n.优惠；免除；豁免，豁免权 | |
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2
pertinent
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| adj.恰当的；贴切的；中肯的；有关的；相干的 | |
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3
primal
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| adj.原始的；最重要的 | |
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4
impetus
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| n.推动，促进，刺激；推动力 | |
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5
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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6
obsessed
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| adj.心神不宁的,鬼迷心窍的,沉迷的 | |
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7
irresistibly
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| adv.无法抵抗地，不能自持地；极为诱惑人地 | |
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8
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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9
scraps
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| 油渣 | |
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10
vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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11
liberated
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| a.无拘束的，放纵的 | |
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12
iota
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| n.些微，一点儿 | |
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13
muster
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| v.集合，收集，鼓起，激起；n.集合，检阅，集合人员，点名册 | |
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14
lure
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| n.吸引人的东西，诱惑物；vt.引诱，吸引 | |
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15
overt
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| adj.公开的，明显的，公然的 | |
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16
culpable
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| adj.有罪的，该受谴责的 | |
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17
sables
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| n.紫貂( sable的名词复数 )；紫貂皮；阴暗的；暗夜 | |
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18
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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19
radiator
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| n.暖气片，散热器 | |
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20
remorse
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| n.痛恨，悔恨，自责 | |
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21
civilian
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| adj.平民的，民用的，民众的 | |
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22
glazed
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| adj.光滑的，像玻璃的；上过釉的；呆滞无神的v.装玻璃( glaze的过去式)；上釉于，上光；（目光）变得呆滞无神 | |
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23
intrigued
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| adj.好奇的，被迷住了的v.搞阴谋诡计(intrigue的过去式)；激起…的兴趣或好奇心；“intrigue”的过去式和过去分词 | |
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24
legerdemain
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| n.戏法，诈术 | |
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25
absurdity
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| n.荒谬，愚蠢；谬论 | |
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26
celebrity
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| n.名人，名流；著名，名声，名望 | |
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27
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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28
revolving
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| adj.旋转的，轮转式的；循环的v.（使）旋转( revolve的现在分词 )；细想 | |
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29
navigate
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| v.航行，飞行；导航，领航 | |
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30
ripple
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| n.涟波，涟漪，波纹，粗钢梳；vt.使...起涟漪，使起波纹； vi.呈波浪状，起伏前进 | |
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31
demure
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| adj.严肃的；端庄的 | |
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