THE KILLERS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21925, 8 October 1934, Page 17

THE KILLERS

By LEONARD R. CRIBBLE

CHAPTER IX.—(Continued)

The expression of Maude's mouth Tran grim. V " The King and the Princess would j retire to the /Country, and then they | would suddenly disappear one weekend, as they disappeared from Kerstey. What the Nightborn has done once it can. do again—and probably much laore thoroughly." " You mean murder?" The other's shoulders rose slijzhtly, and he spread his hands to the blaze. " You yourself mentioned secret terrorism, Fergy. Once the Nightborn aie in none of the old monarchist party will be safe. . A sudden exodus of emigres would look bad. No, theie won't be any running away. But there will be quite a few who will have to face some very low and mournful mus,ic." Pitt felt for his tobacco-pouch. " We might try a press campaign," Be suggested. "Too, late, old son. Grigorni would have been our trump card, but that trick hns been played ace high. " I don't reach that killing of GnEorni, Lester. How do you dope it out? " I can't be sure. It may have been part of the plan to break the King. " Risky." / " True. But equally unaccountable—unless there was a good scapegoat/' " Such as Mr. Blassington hero? " Yes. Besides, it would mean that this country would have step very carefullv in coming forward with that treaty. * There are plenty of ther nations in Europe with eyes on the Balkans who, are ready to growl at the first hint of propaganda. In short, it comes to thin: we should not have to raise our eyebiows too high when w® found ourrieh t-s negotiating with a iepublican government. Arid heaven knows our own Government is keen to negotiate with anyone regarding fresh trade, with our unemployment figures still mounting. You've aho to take into account that there is a general election in the near future, arid unemployrnent will be a prime item in the programme of all parties." " Say, [.ester, the deeper one delves into this affair the more complex and far-jeaehing become its effects. " That is a natural condition in the industrial make-up of Europe to-day. With the present complex system of political /strata anything in the nature of an eruption in any part of the Continent must of necessity provide a reaction elsewhere. Well, an eruption in Monravia—and in England you have perforce a reaction in favour of the republicans." The American was about to voice a fresh opinion when Ronald suddenly made his presence known. "Look here, Lester, I've been listening to you two for the better part of an hour, and I've only the haziest notion of what it's all about. But do I understand you to mean that the old man, Zita's uncle, and Zita herself, are the King of Monravia and his daughter?" Maude faced the young man. " That's my opinion, Ronnie. Sounds far-fetched, i don't doubt. But then you don't/know of the strange things that have been taking place in Kerstev Istelv."

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> A STORY OF THRILLS, ROMANCE AND ADVENTURE

Ronald got to his feet and lit a cigarette. " I doii't." He frowned at the nre. <- True, sihe seemed a girl who had been used to having her own way. And then there was that about my motller and father being at her christening . The voung man paused. In place or the fire he saw a pale face, with two large bright eyes and a cluster ot tair curls. \ ~ c The two other men saw the frown, and also the clenching of his fasts, which dug at his thighs They exchanged glances, and the American nodded shortly. Neither interrupted " But the old man —her uncle, as she said —he did not look like a a He did not seem to take much interest in anything. Of course, he was wounded —•" , , ~ j. " Drugged, most likely, cut in A J aude. " Well, he certainly might have been from the way he looked. But the gir —Zita—she was different. She was not like him. Not even in looks. .she seemed to be so much taking a part in everything, almost as though she was the one who had to decide between them." He swung round quickly. •' By the way, Lester, what is tbe ■ Princess' name?" ... ,■, A slow smile curved Maude u compressed lips. ~ " 1 hate to disillusion you, Ronnie, old chap, but it's Marie." " But she has more than one'!iame. Maude indicated the American. " Better ask Fergy. He's a newspaper man, and will have 'em ail pat. The American grinned. " Sure. The Princess Royal of Monravia is the Princess Marie Bcitnce Sophia Christina of Dondherg and Z °" Then she's not the girl I found at, the Moonrakers," returned Ronald Ua The' V American rose from his chair and placed a hand on Ronald * shoulder , ' . " Sav, son, don t get so hot up cause a princess, hands you out an in ™ That girl's name is> Zita, and the old man was her uncle. declarer Ronald decisively. The American shrugged goodhumouredly. . , " Have it your own way. Don t inimi me. Only it's making Lester s theory i into a lot of hooey. . I " Look here, Ronald," said Maude, I "have you any special reason tor bej lieving that the girl's name is Zita and I that the old man was, as she said, her 1 uncle. Don't forget she emphasised ! the fact that you weren't to ask ques- ! ticins, that she had a secret to keep, one ! she couldn't share, and you admit thai | this 'Madame' person and her gang i treated them pretty though determined to terrify them." | Ronald considered for a moment. | " I've only her word, but somehow I ! know that she was speaking the truth. 1 just felt it," he added doggedly. "All the same 3 think you are mistaken, Ronnie," continued Maude. " The very fact that she wanted you to take that letter to Grigorni supports mv idea Grigorni was a strong supporter of the royal party; that was why he was chosen as ambassador in 1925, after the new elections." " Besides," put in Pitt, "if those two aren't the missing King and his daughter, then who are they? The Nightborn aren't the kind of crowd to swoop at small fry, and when they pick they pick right." . I^onaid was silent for a minute or two.

" Just who are these Nightborn—or j what is it, Lester." . , I "The most I can-say of it is that it s i a secret political society," explained j Maudio. " What particular aims it ; fosters apart from the determination to j get the government of the country into its own hands, I can't say. To the average Monravian it is nothing more than a name. Who controls it 1 don t know. That it in turn controls the republican party is pretty sure. In fact, the republican party so-called is merely one of its many levers. However, it isi certain that it has an extensive , espionage system working throughout I most of Europe-—hence 'Madame' and j her satellites. Where its funds come < from, again I cannot tell you. Nor can Pitt here, although he barely saved | liis neck in his endeavours to find j out. Personally for the answer to that ; question I look farther east, and 1 base my opinion only on the fact that every , indication shows that the Nightborn is prepared to surge forward throughout Europe on a tidal wave of Communism. This affair in Monravia is the first rearing of that- tidal waie. Let the Nightborn be successful in this effort, and within three months there won't be a king left in the Balkans. And the chief point to remember is this, Ronnie, that the methods of the Nightborn are superficially constitutional. Ihe blood that is shed is spilt in secret. Skilful and widespread propaganda of an intensive kind, the manufacturing of a political hiatus by the careful distribution of rumours concerning an economic crisis, slow hut steady feeding ot popular fears and play upon racial instincts and feelings, all these combined with an efficient machine for dealing with those likely to prove most dangerous to its progress, and you have the Nightborn secret, feared on account of its very secrecy, powerful, organised ! bv genius, patient where patience is j required, swift to strike when the J occasion demands action, its deathly 1 roots spreading ever farther and farther I throughout the very soil of East Euro- ! pean civilisation. Already you have come up against it yourself, Ronnie, j and you know something of its effec!ti veil ens. Your phone-call to the embassy was known to Kolletski, who I had probably been informed about you jby ' Madame.' Within a few hours a perfect trap is sprung, from which, by all the laws of chance, you ought not to have emerged, except branded as a murderer." Ronald's face was white. " But, Lester -- there's Hannibal and those others." His eyes grew hard " I'm going back to the Moon- ! rakers. Hannibal's got to be rescued ' from those devils somehow. And Zita—" " The Princess," said Maude quietly. " No, Zita —" "Say, look here, you two," broke in I the American, a trifle impatiently, I " we'll fix this right now Get a photo of the Princess, Lester Mine arc all . at the hotel." " Yes, in the other room. Just a minute." Maude left the room, and returned almost immediately with three photographs in his hand. He passed one to Ronald. . " The Princess Marie. Ronald looked at the smiling face ot a girl about twenty-one or two. 1 lie frown passed from his face, and he smiled expansively as be handed the photograph back to his friend. " Nothing like her, Lester. I ki'iew it " Maude said nothing, but handed i Ronald another of the photographs. " The King." Ronald shook his head. " No. There's a likeness, I'll admit, but it's not the same person, Lester," Maude handed him the last of the photographs. "A group taken at the palace three or four years ago. Do you recognise the girl among them?"

" No, Lester, I'm sorry to have to disappoint you, but you're wrong. She's not there, and she's certainly nothing like the Princess Marie—at least, not when she smiles." Pitt raised his bushy eyebrows at Maude. Well, what you make o' this, Lester? Kinda puts that swell theory of vours out with a rejection islip." ''Yes, it seems I'm wrong —although the puzzling thing is that it seems wrong that I am wrong. Describe this girl again, Ronnie. Sec what you make of it, Fergy." Carefully Ronald described the girl again, the colour of her hair and eyes, her features, height, her voice and her hands. | " Say, son," drawled Pitt, when he had finished, " you sure took a long : peep at that girl. Could she blush?" But neither the American nor Maude i recognised the girl from Ronald's des- ' cription, and her identity had to remain a mystery. | Maude brought a decanter and a biscuit barrel from a side-table, and the three settled down to discuss plans for their next move. Pitt was out to follow the affair through on the chance of it breaking, and providing him with a great scoop; Maude, a diplomat whose i customary poso was a traveller in artiI ficial silk, had returned post-haste to ! discover possible developments in Eng- ' land in relation to the pending treaty and to see Grigorni; while Ronald himself was out to get his own back, rescue Hannibal, and save the old mam and Zita. In the middle of their discussion as to the best way to gain an entry to the Moonrakers Inn the telephone-bell rang. Maude rose to take the call. He | rejoined the others after barely a jyiinj ute's absence, smiling as though at some reflection. " Hammond," he announced to KonI aid. "He rang up to say that the i dectective has gone down into the street to meet another Yard man who's come I to relieve him, and that he was taking th£ opportunity of letting me know that he had found jammed between the cushions of the settee in the sittingroom a small silk handkerchief. In one corner is a coronet in mauve, and under ' it a Z." " For 'Zita!' " exclaimed Ronald triumphantly. But Maude's glance had travelled to the American, who made a clucking sound with his tongue. "Gee, a duchess!" muttered Pitt. CHAPTER X Ronald stared at the changing fcaI turcs of his own face. Seated on ap I upturned travelling-trunk in Maude's j bedroom, a towel tucked under his chin, and an assortment of facial pig- ' incnts. brushes, bottles and boxes I spread on the dressing-table in front i of him, he moved his head nearer to the mirror, bent his face sideways, and applied a last dab at his right Eyebrow with the small camel-hair fitch in his ' hand. He looked years older, his comI plexion had lost its healthy tinge and had taken oil a sallow hue, the yellowness of which was accentuated by a ! thin, dragline black moustache pasted I to his upper lip His eyebrows were j bushy, dark like his hair, and faintly litreaked with grey. The expression of I his mouth had been skilfully changed, I and the sensitiveness had been taken 1 from the shape of his nostrils by the , application of a plastic preparation. The humour was gone from his eyes; crows'feet now puckered their comers, while under their reddish rims dull rings showed. " What a filthy mess!" muttered Ronald, ignoring the artistic accomplishment of the metamorphosis. When Maude entered the apartment a quarter of an hour later Ronald was I once more pacing the room like a trapped animal, bis eyes brooding and his mouth sullen. The diplomat noted the signs, and straightway adopted a light-heartedness he was far from feeling. (To be continued daily)