MARKED DOWN FOR KILLING

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 209, 12 June 1940, Page 7

MARKED DOWN FOR KILLING

By SYDNEY HORLER.

" CHAPTER X. MAN WITHi THE DEAD FACE. Carlimero’s hand reached out. He took the mask from the mummy’s fhce —-and then Professor Lablonde gave a wild shriek. For the mummy’s face hqd moved; moreover, its lips spoke. “Well, Carlimero, you see I managed it!” said the man who was supposed to have died thousands of years before. . With Lablonde ' speechless. with amazement, the mummy sat up, and began to unwind the bandages which had been sarcophagus. * “You must introduce me, Carli-mero,”-he said, smiling malignantly, after the Caronian, with a few 'deft strokes of a pocket-knife, had freed the other. ■ For all his former resolution, Carlimero found himself nervous. But this thing had to be done, and he did it. “Allow me to introduce to you, Professor, my friend Rahusen,” he said. The Egyptologist stared at him. It was a malignant stare, and Carlimero, in spite of himself, drew back a little. “Why have you played this trick off on me?” the Professor demanded. “With myi weak heart, it might have been the death of me —do you realise that?” , It was the “dead” man who replied. “This deception was necessary, Professor ; I had to get back to London, and. with all the ports and air stations watched, this was my one real chance. You must forgive Carlimero, because he has acted in your own best interests —difficult as that may seem to you at the moment. You wish to become • a Phayoah ruling over Egypt once again; you wish to drag the name of Britain in the dust. Well, I, Rahusen, can promise that you shall do both! What use is a dead man to yon compared with me? Carlimero knows my record; he knows of the successes I have scored over the British; he knows that I am the greatest organiser alive ! Haven’t I worked for years in London for Ronstadt? “Ask any of their agents what they know of Rahusen.” The old man appeared convinced in spite oi his former animosity. “But my money—l paid my Paris agent ten thousand pounds.” “It will be refunded to you, Professor,” replied Rahilsen; “besides, the supposed mummy of P'tah the Overseer of Rameses 111. was a fake—the American collector will he swindled!” A thin, cacklihg laugh greeted the statement. The thought of his rival being diddled in 'this way evidently appealed to the humour of Lablonde. “That is capital!” he cried, rubbing his hands together; “capital!” After this demonstration, complete mollification became easy,, Rahusen, who now disclosed himself as wearing a silk shirt, shorts and stockings, agreed. * “Yes, it was a capital scheme,” he said. “Those fools of Customs officers qever suspected anything, I suppose?” “Not a thing,” was the answer. “But how did you breathe?” “If you look at the case you will find holes,” replied Rahusen. “And the natural pallor bf my face would have helped if they had become too inquisitive.”

Then came a slight change of temperature. Lablonde turned to the third man. .

“All the same, Signor Carlimero, you should have told me,” stated Lablonde. “To have deceived a friend like this—it is unpardonable.” The Caronian hastened to repair the breach.

“I did not like to tell you because our plan might have misfired/' he explained; “but now that Rahusen is here, everything will be all right.” He did not .go on to explain that it was because of his jealousy and hatred of the Ronstadtian agents with whom he was supposed to work that he had sent .an S 0 S out to his father’s former Chief whom he knew was living in Paris. After being worsted in his latest encounter with Tiger Standish,. Rahusen had lain low in the. French capital awaiting an opportunity to return to London. This determination had been frustrated by the vigilant watch that had been kept on sea and .air ports throughout the United Kingdom; and, as Rahusen now acknowledged, but for the ingenious ruse which Carlimero had himself thought out he was gracious enough to acknowledge his debt to the younger man—he might still be on French soili “I’VE FINISHED WITH STANDISH” Lablonde again became mollified. “So long as you place yourself entirely at my disposal, and do all I want you to do, Mr Rahusen, I shall forget the trick,” ho stated .“You spoke just now of Rbnstadt —are you still being employed by that country?” It did not need the sign from Carlimero to remind Rahusen that he umst give a discreet reply to this direct question.

“I have come to London to place myself exclusively at your service, Professor,” he said—and for once he made his voice sound humble and conciliatory. The house telephone by the side of Lablonde rang. The Professor listened and then turned to Carlimero

“Herr Greisner has called,” he announced, “I shall have to see him.” “In that case, professor, I am afraid I must be excused,” put in.Rahusen. “It would complicate matters very seriously, l am afraid, if Herr Greisner knew that I was in London. Let me tell you something in confidence; although the Ronstadt agents are making you believe that they are working exclusively towards crowning you King of Egypt, yet I know from conversations I have had in Paris that they are merely using you as a pawn.” “What?” exploded the Egyptologist.

“Please be calm!” replied Rahusen in a tone that convinced Lablonde he would be wise to obey the behest; “I haven’t time now to tell you more, but directly this man Greisner has gone, I will give you proof of what I have just said. Meanwhile, behave to him exactly as you would have done in normal circumstances —otherwise,, stupid fool as he is, he may become suspicious. Now, remember, Professor, I am your friend —your friend to the death!” The speaker’s manner was so convincing, in spite of the melodramatic language he had purposely used,' that

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Lablonde' lost no further time in arguing. “Very well,” he said, “I trust you. You stay here and wait until the man has gone meanwhile; I will go urn and receive Herr Greisner.” “I had better come with you perhaps,” remarked Carlimero. ' “Certainly, my friend aren’t you and Herr Greisner on the closest possible terms?” Carlimero did not reply to this, but, behind the Professor’s back, he exchanged a swift look with Rahusen. “You will not say anything about me being here?” remarked the latter. “Of course not,” replied Lablonde. He spoke as though lie had already attained to Pharaoh-rank.

When file Chief of the Ronstadtian Espionage System was shown into the big upstairs room a few minutes later, he smiled grimly at Carlimero, after saluting his host. “I’m glad to find you here,” lie .said, “because it enables me to tell you that I have settled with Sta.ndish,” The Latin was unable to conceal his dislike of the other.

“I’m afraid I don’t quite understand you,” he replied sarcastically. Greisner noted the inflection, in the man’s voice and replied heatedly.. “It is a pity you Ca/ronions do not care for plain language,” he retorted. “I have said that I haye finished with Standish ; he was blown to pieces in the Haymarket this afternoon. Whilst he was at the Embassy talking to you to-day, I arranged for a bom,o to be placed beneath the seat of liis car.” Carlimero’s shrug of . the shoulder was offensive.

“I am afraid you are being too optimistic, Herr Greisner,” he replied“for, according to my own information Standish was seen entering his house in Chapel Street, Mayfair, about twoforty five this afternoon. A bomb may hqve blown his car to pieces in the Haymarket, as you say, but he was not in it. Your own agents should have told you that—especially as you informed me at the Embassy to-day that you -had the man under constant watch. And may I ask why you did not give me your confidence in tins matter?” The other bridled. “Why should I do so?” WHEN THIEVES QUARREL.

“Because, as you know, this man Standish is my special affair. Whilst ho is an enemy of both our countries, the question of his—shall we say, dissolution? —was to he left entirely to me. Isn’t that so, Professor?” turning to Lablonde. The latter, who had been observing 'with increasing anxiety the growing quarrel between the two. other men, put up his hand in a gesture of deprecation .

“I do not want to be brought into this,” he replied. “All I asked was that when Standish was captured, he should be brought here —fbr me to deal with him. I’m sorry, Herr Greisner, that you did not remember that fact.” The Ronstadtian temporised. The time had not come for him to have am open breach with this crazy fool. “I’m sorry, Professor,” he said in a surpdsin'gly humble tone; “but I am afraid the matter has been taken rather out of my hands; word has come through from Menke that Standish is to be got rid of at any price.” Carlimero stamped, his foot. 0

“I don’t care, Herr Greisner, what orders have come through from Menke ; I tell you that Standish must be dealt with only by me.” “You have had time,” acridly commented Greisner. “And,” thrusting his scarred face forward, “am I to take my orders from you ?” Carlimero shrugged again. “Perhaps if you did, my friend, you would have more success.”

“It shall be reported!” roared the other. “Professor, I wish you good evening!” And he stamped out of the room.

Lablonde, whose body was shaking, turned to the Caronian.

“I cannot have any quarrels in this house; remember that we are all working for the same end.” In spite of his blistering rage if Greisner had stayed in that room he would have attacked him—Carlimero restrained himself. Lablonde was still too useful to him to he nut out.

“I’m sorry, Professor,” he replied, “but these Ronstadtians are barbarians —They have no manners. You saw how Greisner himself behaved just now?” Lablonde nodded.

“Yes, they are barbarians,” he confirmed, “but no quarrels if you please.” “Very well,' Professor.”

(To be continued.)