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His silk pajamalike clothing rustled loud in the strained silence as he turned to the screen behind him. For some obscure reason the perfume about him, flowers of tsin-tsin, seemed to grow in their nostrils. "Observe!" he said, and lifted it aside. An assistant threw a switch on a nearby panel. The unnatural quiet in the laboratory was resumed.
Into the depths of his concentration came the odor of tsin-tsin flowers, followed by the familiar, silkie voice of his arch-enemy. "I see you are deep in thought, my friend. I trust it indicates your complete recovery." Dr. Ku Sui stood smiling in the doorway, his same bodyguard of three armed men behind him. His sardonic words brought no reply. He went on: "I hope so.
"But," cried Barkins, "so sure as one gets an invitation he puts his foot down." "Yes," said Smith; "and it is such a foot." "But it's such a pity," grumbled Barkins; "for Tsin-Tsin is after all rather a jolly place. Mr Brooke says the ball at the consul's last night was glorious, no end of Chinese swells there, and the music and dancing was fine."
A perfume hung about the man, the indescribable odor of tsin-tsin flowers from the humid jungles of Venus. "You see I meet you halfway, my friend," the Eurasian said with delicate mock courtesy. "A surpassing pleasure I have anticipated for a long time. No, no! I see that already I shall have to ask you a small favor.
All doubts as to our next destination were set at rest the next morning, for it was generally known that we were making for Tsin-Tsin, at the mouth of the Great Fo river, where the prisoners were to be delivered over to the Chinese authorities.
I nodded carelessly, but I felt more serious than ever before in my life, at this horrible sequel to a fearful scene. "Very jolly for you," said Barkins, as we cast anchor off Tsin-Tsin a couple of mornings later. "You'll be going ashore and enjoying yourself, while I'm condemned to hobble on deck with a stick." "I say, don't grumble," I cried. "Look how beautiful the place seems in the sunshine."
"To save their lives and give them up to the authorities at Tsin-Tsin, I suppose." "Yes, sir." "For them to be put on their trial for piracy on the high seas." "Yes, sir, that's it; but it would be a greater kindness to let the wretches die out of their misery." "But some of them mayn't be guilty," I said. The boatswain laughed. "I don't think there's much doubt about that, sir," he said.
He watched the tall figure with its always present odor of tsin-tsin blossoms move forward in a few indecisive steps, then back again, considering. The smile and the easy words were a camouflage, surely but for what? "Nothing important at all." Dr. Ku Sui repeated pleasantly. "Come. I will show you. Friday if I may so address you over on that switchboard you will find a small lever-control.
Seven days later we came to an anchor again off Tsin-Tsin, by which time Mr Reardon's right eye and temple were horribly discoloured, but in other respects he was quite well, and was present at what he called our second gaol delivery, for he came on deck to see the prisoners, wounded and sound, handed over to the Chinese authorities; but there was no such display of pomp as on the first occasion, one row-boat only coming alongside, with a very business-like officer, who superintended the chaining of the pirates, and bundled them down.
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