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Before I could recover myself, before even Craig had a chance to pull the hair-trigger of his automatic, Sato had seized the Ainu arrow poison from the table, had bitten the little cylinder in half, and had crammed the other half into the mouth of Otaka. Kennedy simply reached for the telephone and called an ambulance. But it was purely perfunctory. Dr.
Sato asked politely. Craig thanked him and said that we would. "Otaka!" Sato called. A peculiar, almost white-skinned attendant answered, and a moment later produced four cups and poured out the rice brandy, taking his own quietly, apart from us. I watched him drink, curiously.
Then, when the senora was no doubt under the influence of sake in the pretty little Oriental bower at the curio shop, a quick jab, and Otaka had removed one who shared the secret with them." He had turned and faced the pair. "Sato," he added, "you played on the patriotism of the senora until you wormed from her the treasure secret.
Evidently rumors of it had spread from Mexican Indians to Japanese visitors. And then, Otaka, all jealousy over one whom she, no doubt, justly considered a rival, completed your work by sending her forth to die, unknown, on the street. Walter, ring up First Deputy O'Connor. The stone is hidden somewhere in the curio shop. We can find it without Sato's help.
His eyes were perhaps the most noticeable feature. They were dark gray, almost like those of a European. As Otaka withdrew with the empty cups, we rose to continue our inspection of the wonders of the shop. There were ivories of all descriptions. Here was a two-handled sword, with a very large ivory handle, a weirdly carved scabbard, and wonderful steel blade.
"Bernardo, Senora Herreria, of whom your friend wrote to you from Mexico, has been murdered in the same way that Professor Northrop was. Otaka was sent by her husband to murder Northrop, in order that they might obtain the so-called 'Pillar of Death' and the key to the treasure.
"I see you are a collector yourself," he ventured, picking them up. "Yes," answered Craig, offhand; "I picked them up yesterday at Sato's. You know the place?" "Oh, yes, I know Sato," answered the curator, seemingly without the slightest hesitation. "He has been in Mexico is quite a student." "And the other man, Otaka?" "Other man Otaka? You mean his wife?"
By the expression of Craig's face, Sato knew that he had made a sale. Craig had been rummaging among some warlike instruments which Sato, with the instincts of a true salesman, was now displaying, and had picked up a bow. It was short, very strong, and made of pine wood. He held it horizontally and twanged the string. I looked up in time to catch a pleased expression on the face of Otaka.
Still, they are on about the lowest scale of humanity." "I thought Otaka was very mild," I commented. "They are a most inoffensive and peaceable people usually," he answered, "good-natured and amenable to authority. But they become dangerous when driven to despair by cruel treatment. The Japanese government is very considerate of them but not all Japanese are."
I saw Kennedy check a motion of surprise and came to the rescue with the natural question: "His wife with a beard and mustache?" It was Bernardo's turn to be surprised. He looked at me a moment, then saw that I meant it, and suddenly his face lighted up. "Oh," he exclaimed, "that must have been on account of the immigration laws or something of the sort. Otaka is his wife.
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