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Show - ' " I Yu Yu'an Yuan ' an Hee SeeLau See Sec SecLau1i Lau Lau1i Lau1iBy " ' I1 - : = = ROHMER ROHMERW'lUSon Ro a xI . W'lUSon WlUSon ' ' " , , , , , . . By y SAX six Copyright eo by b7 s Saa = Robm Rohmer " III CHAPTER VI7 VI7 VI VIThe -7- 7 - - 7The 7The - The nI night ht train from Cairo to Asuanpulled Asuan Asuanpulled Asuarpulled pulled Into the station nt at Keneh Keneb Onlytwo Only Onlytwo Onlytwo two first class passengers alighted alightedthere alightedthere alightedthere there , a man and a woman a sm'lll smlll small smilliTCO ' , YCI rers " } Blender slender womanThe woman womanThe womanThe The " woman oman shh shivered shi\ered shi ered \ ered as they entered entereda a . saloon car which awaited them Incharge In Incharge Incharge charge of a Nubian Nublan chauffeur and anderoom andmm andgroom " , , ! eroom mm . . Toil "You You " shiver , , . little one , , . " said Yu'an Yuan Yu'anBee Yu'anflee Yu'anHee YuanHee ' ' Bee flee SeeThe SeeThe See SeeThe The woman leaned against him "I I "Iam "Iam "Itin Itin " am ( so cold , . Yu'an Yuan ' ' . , , " she explaIned"In explained"In explained explained"la "la la "In In " two days you " will "ill ill be In your yourown yourown yourown own apartments-amongst apartments amongst apartments - - amongst your scents scentsand scentsand scentsand and Jewels , , and those other to toys ) s you youJove youlove youlove Jove love , , with sen senlce service Ice and wirmth w'lrmth wlrmth warmth ' , , andthose and andthose andthose those treasures amid \ which hlch I 1 delIght delIghtto delightto to see you playing pla Ing " He stroked her slender knee hnee with a aJllump aplump aplump Jllump plump , . tapering hand , . and his words wordscame wordscame eame came as n a high croonThe croon croonThe croonThe The car passed swiftly , , . and almost.nently almostdlently almost almostUently / . Uently .nently nently /dlently dlently , . along a street In which were wereUghted werelighted werelighted Ughted lighted cafes , . , above them a taw ta tawdrygaiety " dry dryatety drygaiety gaiety , atety glimpsed through open wIndowsWhere windowsWhere windows windowsWhere Where a large mosque grotesquely grotesquelybrohe grotesquelybroke grotesquelybroke brohe broke the continuity of ot these houses housesthey , . they swung Into a narrow narro\\ narro narrosIde \ side turnIng turn turntng turning tng ing . . The driver skirted shirted one high wallof wall wallof wallof of the mosque , , . came Into tnto tlie the very veryshadow veryBhadow hadow shadow of ot the miniret mlnret minzret ' ! , and turned left leftagaIn leftagain leftagain agaIn Through Througb an unpived unped unpzted unp\ unp ' ! \ ed lane run runnlng running runping nlng ping parallel and nnd behind the rowdyfltrcet rowdy rowdyatrcet rowdystreet atrcet street they proceeded , , slowly noTwenty now no\\ no \ . Twenty yards along , they pulled up The Nubian groom deftly unrolled unrolledlength a alength alength length of carpet across the muddy path pathto patto pathto to a gate which whIchvas was \vas vas \ suddenly suddenl , } opened inan 1an In Inan an otherwise blank wall wail \ \ all An old Arab Aralblack . , blach black robed andhIte and \ white \\hIte hIte furbaned turbaned stood stoodthere stoodthere stoothere there , . holding hoIdmg a lantern high abo\ abo abov aboe abobls abovhis \ e ebis bls bis head . . Its yellow light fell upon a awrmhled awrinkled iwrinkled wrmhled wrinkled face which had earned for fer Itowner tts Its ttsowner Itsowner owner the title of [ ' Father 'ather ather rather of ot CunningYu'an CunningYu'an Cunning CunningYu'an Yu'an Yuan ' ' Hee See and the wornaipassed woman womanpassed womanpassed passed across a roughly pa\ pa pay paved paed \ ed court- court court7ard courtyard courtyard - 7ard yard . . Light shone out from rooms on thground the theground round ground < floor , , . and there " was "as as an onter outer onterlltaircase outerstaircase oute outetalrcase talrcase lltaircase staircase leading up to a balcony IliumBated mumi Illumi mumiJUtted Illumimated ) JUtted mated by t two " 0 fine lattice n " windows windowsOne Indows lndows IndowsOne lndowsOne One would have judged , and judgedcorrectly judged judgedeorrectly Judgecorrectly eorrectly correctly , that this was an old Arab Arabmansion Arabmanslon Aramansion mansion manslon Around It the sordid Ufeof Ute Ufe Uteof Ufof of Keneh had crept , , fungus like IIhe , . a'most amost al almost almost ' most concealing conceaUng , , but not nor defacing , , the thehome thehome thhome home princiYa'an of some former merchant princi prInce . Ya'an Yaan Yo'an Yoan Yu'an Yuan ' Hee Bee See and his companionentered companIon companIonentered companioentered entered a lighted room On thethreshold the thethreshold ththreshold threshold they were met by AswanPasha Aswaml AswamlPasha AswamlPasha Pasha . He bowed low over the extended ex- ex extended e3tended - tended hand of Orange Blossom , , deep deep- . - deeily deeply Iy ly saluting ' Yu'an Yuan 'tu'an tuan ' Hee Bee flee See"We See"We See See"We " "We We " have done our best , my lord lord lordhe , , , " be he happhere happybere happyhere said "I I " trust you will wIII be happy bere here for one night . . " He De Lie clapped his hands and an old oldArab olArab oldArab Arab " woman "oman oman appeared"My appeared"My appeared appeared"My "My My " lady , , ' , ' ' he bo\\ bo bowed boed \ ed to Yu'an Yuan ' Bee flee BeeSee's fleeSee's HeSee's HeSees See's Sees ' companion , , "your your " apartment I IOrange Is isHM.q.My.Y . . . M . . . . . . + FywMwFM - . HM.q.My.Y HMqMy.Y HMqMyY - . . . . . . . . + , y.h.MY yh.MY yhMY . . - . . . , i ii1 : i1 i1y y 0 'fti 'f f ' ti- ti tii - i s \ 4 4I I _ R ROrange - Orange Blossom Btossom Followed the Aged AgedAttendant AgedAttendant AgeAttendant Attendant From the Apartment . . " . . . . . . . . . . . , . . . prepared ; ; Magrcba Uagreba Magreba will attend you " , 1 Orange youOrange Blossom folIo\\ folIo followed folIoed \ ed the aged ttendant at- at atndant ateendant - eendant ndant from the apirtment np1rtment apartment apirtment"All . . "All All " are here ? ' ' Yu'an Yuan ' asked ashed , , . upou upon uponrery a avery " .ery ery very , . high note . , which betohened betokened betoheneda.nxJ.ety betokenedpnslety betokemnnxlety betokemnnxlety"All a.nxJ.ety anxJ.ety anxJety pnslety . a.nxJ.ety"All pnslety"All "All All " . . I have the list showing where wheretAch whereeach whoeach - tAch each man Is tonight . . " Yn'an Ynan Yu'an Yuan ' Hee Flee See wa waved war , e ed . a plump hand hat"I hatI . - . "I I " do not wish to see It Next Next7 ? " The "The " detective from Scotland Yaiwho Yard " . , who la Is on the Wallaroo , . has been Ident identi identifled idenfled ! Oed fled . . . He Is in touch with the theAmerIcan tAmerican theAmerican AmerIcan e\cellenhas e cellenhas ccellencybas ceUeneyhas girl whom your c\cellency c cellency e \ ' ceUeney -J J - bas has taken under your protection l I " YU'an YUan ' i nee Bee flee See aee See i began ver vers , } softly to hiss biss . " "It It " 'It It ' IB Is almost certain then , . that thatthis thatthis thzthis this man had read tlie the notes In my mbook book mybook before , . 1 1"I ? "I I " fear feolr < ; so 0 Excellency Ecellency Eecellcncy , : " Yu'an Yuan Yu'nn Yunn ' Hee ilee [ lee See , his eyes c e , } os es apparentlyquite apparentquite apparently apparentlyQuIte ! QuIte cloS closed clnst'd clnstd l ' , , nodded noed ( ] ( ] slowly'r.ven slowly'oven slowly slowly'Even 'Even Even 'r.ven r.ven rven 'oven oven ' . BJ 91 S ) , , ' ' salil salll said the . Eoyptlin Cypthn Egyptian . ; , . "alone alone "aloe aloe "alonehe "aloehe "alorhe alorhe " he could do notliinf nothing- nothing nothingJ nothing"He - ? ' J ' "He He " has h tnrl hid Jrl < tluic tIme tune to Inform others othersBUt otherBut BUt he cinnot C1nnot cannot know I.now Inow hnaty . all Yet "et et let " tills this m mIt man manIt manIt It was wac ; whf who whn > follow fnUnvvs foil 0\\ 0 0ul \ ul 1 me to Singapore cln , Singaporefflsi l1I > ore a aflnl aFear Fear ; flnl Rf HUC Arc ! ( " 'nrl nrl Hnrl and ' h'l hl Ins has ' < ; e esiaped . , > ( uped aped me n I : since . , . . Ibe 'lhe lhe The ' Hangman Is onboard on onbO'lrd onboird bO'lrd bOlrd board ' ? ' ' he whispered whispered"He whispered"lIe whispered"lie "He He "lIe lIe " Is " A pause , , . then then- then then"Instruct . - - "Instruct Instruct " Doctor DoctorOastler DoctorOestler DoctorOestler Oastler Oestler , " , " said Yu'nn Yunn Yu'an Yuan ' Hee Bee See SeeAsnamI SeeAs SeeAswami As\\ As AsnamI Asami Aswami \ ami Pasha nodded comprehendIngly comprehend comprehendIngly comprehendIngly Ingly ; whereupon Yu'an Yuan Yu'ao Yuao ' ' Hee lIee Itee See Se-e Se e - beganto began beganto beganto to laugh , his Ius lots red lips seeming to s\\ s sell swellbut swell \ ell , , , but his teeth never showing sholng sho\\ sho \ lng ; ; the theobI1que theoblique th thoblique < oblique obI1que slits of his eyes turned In th thEgyptian's the theEgyptian's . Egyptian's Egyptians ' dIrectIonror directiontor direction directionFor For ror tor five the fh e , . ten seconds , , AsvvamI Asami Asttamt As\\ As \ ami sus sus- sustained sustained sustained - - tained the gae ga7e gale ? of those eyes cycs which he hecould hecould hecould could not see Then , , . his own bold boldglance boldglance boldglance glance faltered-he faltered he faltered - he dropped his darh dark darklashes darklashes darhlashes lashes and turned a aaldeThe aside aalde asideThe < ; Ide IdeThe The laughter of ot Yu'an Yuan ' ' Hee flee Seereached See Seereached Seereached reached a note so high as to be almost al almost almost most audible . . . . . . t . . . . . . Da"son Dason Dawson Daw " son Halg Balg Haig sit S'lt Slt sot ' In the room ot of otJack ofJack ofJack Jack Rattray Hattray Ilattray , the chief officer , orrather or orrather orrather rather , he sat snt at Intervals , pacing up upand upand upand and down like lII.e lIIe . a wild anlw'11"It's anlmzl"It's animil anlw'11 anlw11 anlmzl animil"It's ' "It's Its " ' a most unhol unholy . ) business , " saidRattrny said saidRattray saidRattray Rattray Rattrny , , In his slow ' fishlon 'lshlon lshlon fashion 'I'vebeen Ivebeen ' I've Ive I'vebeen I'vebeen ' ' ' been looking looldng on , , and I've Ive ' ' seen thingsFirst things thingsFirst thingsFirst First thing tlung : you're youre ' spotted ' . . : . " ' ' I I know hnow-'lnd hnow 'lnd lnd know-and know and ' ' - ind ' I cin't cint c1n't c1nt can't cant ' ' read Oestler's Oestlers Oestler'smessnges Oestler'smessages Oestlcr'smessages Oestlcrsmessages ' ' messnges messages ' ' They re In n a perfectly undecipherable un undecIpherable undecipherable decIpherable code " "Second Second " thing , . , " Rattny Rattr'lY RattrlY Rattrzy ' went on : "Two Two " members of this sllmv slimy slIm v gang are arewatching arewatching arewatching watching Elleen r.lIeen rlIeen Eileen . ; meaning Doctor 0and 0and 0 0and and Mr Chow What for ? She's Shes ' not notIn notIn notin In their the1r way wa ; ) , Is she ? ' ' Dawson turned . , Just Inside the thecabin thecabin thecabin cabin door , . and stared at the speaker . Then Then : "You're Youre " ' right . , Jack , , " he said "I'veseen "I've Ive "I'veseen " 'Tvseen Tvseen ' ' ' ( seen them myself I don't dont ' ' like lIhe It , and andI amI andI I don't dont ' understand It It"But ItBut " "But But " what's whats ' ' It all about ? " Rattray Rattrayashed Rattrayasked Rattra ; asked ashed helplessly "What What " are all thesebirds thes thesbirds these thesebirds < birds doing on board ? They're Theyre ' a pretty prettyunsavory prettyunsavory prett ; unsavory crew , in my reckoning reel.onlng reelonlng . , , any anyway anyway anyway way Oestlcr's Oestlcrs Oestwr's Oestwrs Oestler's Oestlers ' ' plausible enough butthere but butthere buthere there s a nasty brute hidden under that thatamIable thatamiable thaamiable amIable smile As for the 'snakicharmer snakicharmer 'snake snake 'snakecharmer 'snakecharmer ' 2 charmer , . ' she'd shed ' ' drown her own twins twinsThen twinsThen twinsThen , Then there are the two Chinks ChInhs on Fdeck D Ddeck Ddeck deck The learned one , . with the theglassesthe theglassesthe thiglasses 3 glasses-the glasses the - the little bloke blohe , I mean . , Len LenChodoesn't LenChowdoesn't LeiChow 3 Cho\\-doesn't Cho doesn't doesnt Chow-doesn't Chow \ - - doesn't doesnt ' seem In the Numbe Number NumberOne NumberOne ; One list to me But his long pal wIth wIththe withthe witlthe 1 the strangled face ought to be puoverboard put putoverboard putoverboard overboard , . , If ' I'm Im ' any Judge Thenthere's Then Thenthere's Thelthere's Theltheres there's theres ' the big German , , , Bartog-he Bartog he Hartog-he Hartog Hartogheseems Bartogheseems Hartog - hiseems seems harmle harmless s enough and not In the thesame thesame th thsame < t same galley at aIL all I don't dont ' ' know what whatto what whatto whato to mike m11.e m11e make . of It . " "And And " I , , " 'aid aid ' said Id Dawson Halg Balg Haig , . , contlnu continu contlnuIng continulug continuIng Ing lug his restless pacing . , , ' don't dont 'don't ' ' know knowwhat knowwhat knovwhat what to make of my report to the thechlet thechief thichief chlet chief ' I'm Im ' acting on Information , , Rat Rattray Rattray Rattray tray , . that this scheme whatever It Iscomes Is Iscomes iscomes , comes to ro a head before \ we e reachAden reach reachAden readAden . Aden And as I 1 don't dont ' know what thischeme the thescheme thescheme scheme may be , . I can't cant ' ' reisonably re'lsonably relsonably reosonnbly ' expert ex expect expect pect pert Scotland Yard to go on grantin granting grantingme ; , ' me leave of absence ab"ence abence " and plying p1yIng paying my myexpenses myexpenses m ; expenses Indefinitely You see , , I'msupposed I'm Im I'msupposed ' I'nsupposed Insupposed ' ' supposed to be In charge of ot the Limehouse Lime Limehouse Limehouse house murder case I ' " ' 'I I ' I know hnow . , , " sild s'lld slld sold ' Rattray , , . and pro ' . duced'his ducedhis duced produccd'hls produccdhls produced produced'his hIs slow " ' ' . smile "It's Its "It.s It.s never beenclear been beenclear beeiclear clear to me what the pas passenger enger list ot of otthe ofthe othe , the Wallaroo had to do with 1C It . " "It It " Isn't Isnt ' ' clear to me , "Halg Halg "Haig Haig " con confes confessed confessed , fes fessed < ; ed "But But " I know there Is a COGnectlon con conDectIon consection , DectIon section And I know I have my hand handon hamon d don on the solution of the mystery If only onlycan onlycan I Ican can grasp it " longeithen He paced pal.ed paled . up and down awhile a\\hlIe a hlIe aw \ hlle longer , , then : "Do Do uDo " you . remember , . , Jack Jncl { , . , " he jerked jerkedsuddenly Jerkesuddenly jerkedsuddenly suddenly , , . "the the 'the " ' loss of a big German Germa n Germafreighter GermanfreIghter freIghter nboutwo abouttwo some\\ some somewhere somehere somevvltere \ here off otf Suakim Sua1.lm Sua1lm . about t two years ago ngo ago"Jack ? "Jack Jack " Jack Rattray Hattray shook his head"I headI head head"I head"I "I I " wasn't wasnt ' on this run two years ago ag < ) agWhy agoWhy ' ' Why ? "Well Well "Wen Wen " , , . there's theres ' no point In telIlng tellin tellinyou telllnyou g " telIlngyou you \ why hy , . , If you don't dont ' ' remember the thecase th thcase thcase case . , , " " Halg Haig replied . " ' "But But 'But do you r rcall re- re recall recall < - - call the wreck of the American Amerlcdn steam steamyacht stealyacht stew stewyacht m a yacht . , Miss Minnesota 7 ? " "Clearly Clearly "Clearl Clearl " } ) 1 1 We were only forty mile mileoff miles milesorr mileoff > s orr off at the time ' An aunt of ot Elleen rlleen P.lIeen's P.lIeens PlIeens . ' ' s -Lady Lady - ElleenLady P.lIeen'sLady rlleenLady Lady Dakenham Dakenham-\\ Dakenham Dakenhamas Dakenham-was |