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"Well, I'm damned!" muttered Frazer "then I'm not mad, after all!" It was the Queen of Hearts! Fully two weeks elapsed ere Nayland Smith's arduous labors at last met with a slight reward. For a moment, the curtain of mystery surrounding the Si-Fan was lifted, and we had a glimpse of that organization's elaborate mechanism.
I whispered, thinking of the climber "he has been murdered!" I staggered into my room and clutched at the bed-rail to support myself, for my legs threatened to collapse beneath me. How should I act? That we were victims of a cunning plot, that the deathful Si-Fan had at last wreaked its vengeance upon Nayland Smith I could not doubt.
Nayland Smith had written to me once during my brief absence, and his letter had inspired a yet keener desire to be back and at grips with the Yellow group; for he had hinted broadly that a tangible clue to the whereabouts of the Si-Fan head-quarters had at last been secured. Now I learnt that I had a traveling companion a woman.
The shadows of the room grew menacing; the very silence became horrible. I longed with a terrible longing for company, for the strength that is in numbers; I would have had the place full to overflowing for it seemed that we two, condemned by the mysterious organization called the Si-Fan, were at that moment surrounded by the entire arsenal of horrors at the command of Dr. Fu-Manchu.
For I knew her I recognized her, from a past, brief meeting; I knew her, beyond all possibility of doubt, to be one of the Si-Fan group! This strange creature, tossing back her jet-black, frizzy hair, which was entirely innocent of any binding or ornament, advanced along the room towards us, making unhesitatingly for our table, and carrying her lithe body with the grace of a Gházeeyeh.
Exactly a month ago, sentence of death was passed upon him by the Sublime Prince, and since I myself must return immediately to China, I look to Mr. Nayland Smith to carry out that sentence." I said nothing; I remained bereft of the power of speech. "The Si-Fan," he added, repeating the gesture with his hand, "disown Dr. Fu-Manchu and his servants; do with them what you will.
From evidence we have heard, it would appear that the encounter which resulted in the body being hurled in the river, actually took place upon the wharf-end beneath which he was found. And we know that a place formerly used by the Si-Fan group in other words, by Dr. Fu-Manchu adjoins the wharf.
Ryman whistled softly. "Has the real head of affairs arrived, then?" "We find we are up against what is known as the Si-Fan." At that it came to the inevitable, unanswerable question. "What is the Si-Fan?" I laughed, but my laughter was not mirthful. Inspector Weymouth shook his head. "Perhaps Mr. Nayland Smith could tell you that," he replied; "for the Si-Fan got him to-day!"
"'He holds the Flower Silence in his hand! he cried 'the Si-Fan! the Si-Fan! and bolted from the hut." "When I went to examine the dead man, sure enough he held in one hand a little crumpled spray of flowers.
My attempt proved not altogether successful; strive how I would, my thoughts persistently reverted to the Si-Fan, the evil, secret society who held in their power one dearer to me than all the rest of the world; to Dr. Fu-Manchu, the genius who darkly controlled my destiny; and to Nayland Smith, the barrier between the White races and the devouring tide of the Yellow.
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