The Mystery of the Fiery Eye - Артур Роберт - Страница 23

• Предыдущая
• 23/24
• Следующая

“I — I’ll pick it up,” he said, his voice breaking.

He bent over, fumbled around in the dirt, and picked up the stone.

“Here it is,” he said. “If you want it — take it!”

And he tossed the stone high over Hugo’s head. It made a tiny crimson arc in the air and disappeared in the darkness beyond.

HUGO gave an ugly oath and spun round.

“Find it!” he shouted. “Turn your lights that way.”

The lights all turned in the direction Jupiter had thrown the stone. Jupe gave orders of his own.

“Run for the truck!” he said. “Fast! They won’t shoot.”

He scrambled out of the hole. Like four rabbits, the boys bounded across the dark lawn to where Hans waited. Faithfully watching the road entering the canyon, Hans had not even seen the incident.

The Black Moustache gang was still busy looking for The Fiery Eye in the tall grass as the four boys reached the truck and scrambled into the back.

“Hans! Fast!” Jupiter shouted. “Get us out of here.”

Hans asked no questions. The motor roared, the truck ground into gear, and a moment later they were thundering down the narrow road and away from Dial Canyon.

They didn’t try to speak. They were busy holding on as the truck bounced round the curves. Traffic was light and they made the trip back to The Jones Salvage Yard in record time. When Hans pulled through the open gate into the darkened yard, they climbed out glumly. They had left behind the shovels, the metal detector, and of course The Fiery Eye.

The boys clustered in a little group in front of the office.

“Well,” Pete sighed, “that’s that.”

“They outsmarted us in the end,” Bob said.

“Apparently so,” Jupiter said.

“Apparently?” Gus’s tone was questioning. “What do you mean, apparently, Jupiter?”

“I hoped they would be watching for the Rolls,” Jupiter said. “They fooled us there. They were waiting at the house instead. Instinct told me to take added precautions. As a result — Bob, shine the flashlight this way.”

Bob turned the flashlight beam on Jupiter. Jupe had his hand out, palm up, and in his palm glittered a brilliant red stone.

“Meet the real Fiery Eye,” Jupiter said. “The one I threw away was the imitation stone Three-Dots left with us. I took it along, as I said, on a hunch. When I bent over to pick up the box and stone, I made a simple substitution.”

“Jupe, you’re a genius!” Bob said.

“I should say so!” Gus agreed. “You fooled them properly.”

“I’ll buy a double helping of that!” Pete exclaimed.

And then a voice, cold and quiet and deadly, spoke over their shoulders.

“And I — ” it said — “will take The Fiery Eye now, young sir. Please hand it to me.”

Before they could quite grasp what they had heard, the big yard light attached to the front of the office blazed on. The tall, thin man who had been standing unseen round the corner of the office stepped forward, holding out his hand.

It was Three-Dots. His sword cane swung in his other band as if ready for use.

The boys stared at him, too surprised for speech.

“Don’t try to run!” he said, raising the cane. He still held out his hand.

“Well,” he said, “I am waiting. I have been waiting all evening. Your stratagem in sending away that highly visible Rolls-Royce with dummies inside was most amusing, but it did not work. I felt sure you would outwit those bunglers with their false moustaches and their babble about a bust of Augustus. I realized in time that the busts must be a false clue and I told them so. I deduced you were on the real trail. Now you have it. Give it to me.”

Bob knew they were stuck now. Done for. The only thing to do was give up The Fiery Eye.

But Jupiter still hesitated, the red stone balanced on his palm. He swallowed, then spoke.

“Mr. Rhandur,” he said, “are you from the Temple of Justice in Pleshiwar?”

“I am, young man,” Three-Dots said. “I am the contact with the world outside. For fifty years I and others before me have sought this stone so that our figure of Justice might once more judge good and evil. It was falsely sold by a renegade officer of the temple, who feared its power would reveal him. He suffered the consequences that befall all who steal the stone. Now give it to me before you, too, suffer the consequences.”

He Lifted the sword cane suggestively. Still Jupiter remained motionless.

“It has purified itself,” he said. “It can be found, given, or bought, but it cannot be seized or stolen. That’s what the legend says. I found it, so I’m safe. Now I’m giving it — to Gus.

“Here, Gus.” He handed the ruby to the English boy, who took it, a little dumbfounded. “I’ve given it to you, so you’re safe. But if you seize it from him, Mr. Rhandur, then it will be you who has to take the consequences.”

For a long moment the tall man hesitated. His gaze was as piercing as an eagle’s. Then slowly he withdrew his outstretched hand. He thrust it into the pocket of his coat.

“All along I felt sure I could frighten you into giving it to me,” he said. “I was mistaken. You are right — I dare not seize it. However — ”

He withdrew his hand, and in his fingers was a long green slip of paper. He extended it to Gus.

“I can buy it,” he said. “You will notice that this cheque is certified. I was prepared to pay for The Eye if I could not gain it safely otherwise. You might sell it for more elsewhere, but again, you might never be able to sell it. Its history will haunt it and collectors will shy away from it I advise you to take what I offer.”

Slowly Gus took the cheque. He looked at it and his jaw dropped.

“Wow!” he said in good American fashion. “All right, sir, you can have it. It’s a deal.”

He held out the ruby. The tall man took it and it vanished into his pocket. He bowed.

“Fear nothing from those bunglers in the silly moustaches,” he said. “They are mere opportunists who heard of Mr. August’s hidden treasure and wished to find it to sell it to me. I regret my foolish efforts to frighten you into giving it up for nothing.”

He paused for a moment.

“If you wonder what brought me here,” he said, “it was the story in the newspaper about Mr. August’s death. I have watched for years for some such item, and at last, belatedly, I found it. Now farewell.”

He seemed to glide away like a huge cat. A car motor started up, then he was gone.

The four boys stared at each other.

“I feel like pinching myself to see if I’m real,” Bob said at last.

“I’m too numb for pinching to do any good,” Gus said. “This cheque — it’s fabulous. What an inheritance Uncle Horatio left me! And you found it for me, Jupiter.”

In a moment all three boys were laughing and shouting and pounding Jupiter on the back. But Jupiter just stood there, looking glum, not joining in the celebration.

“What is it, Jupe?” Bob asked at last. “You ought to feel like a million. What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong?” Jupiter sighed. “Look at me. Dirt all over me. On my hands, my face, my clothes. And you know how Aunt Mathilda feels about dirt. The minute I go inside the house, she’s going to make me take a bath.”

• Предыдущая
• 23/24
• Следующая