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In the adjoining room behind locked doors, Themar worked feverishly upon a cipher inscribed upon a soiled linen cuff. "Johnny!" said Diane in crisp, distinct tones, "Mr. Poynter has slept long enough. You'd better call him." Now it is a regrettable fact that ordinarily this attack would have provoked a reply of mild impudence from Mr.
"Excellency knows," reminded Themar glibly, "that the car was stolen from the Sherrill garage." "I have merely supposed so," corrected the Baron coldly. And rising he inspected the curious scars upon his valet's throat with interest. "Odd!" he purred, "that an aeroplane may simulate the marks of tearing fingers."
Then traversing Alkotzonath, &c., to Sura, once the site of a celebrated Jewish college, and Shafjathib, whose synagogue is built with stones from Jerusalem, and crossing the desert of Yemen he passed Themar, Tilimar, and Chaibar which contained a great number of Jewish inhabitants, to Waseth; and thence to Bassorah on the Tigris, nearly at the end of the Persian Gulf.
"I may be honored by your reasons, Poynter?" he inquired quietly. "The duties of a spy," flashed Philip, "are peculiarly offensive to me. So is Themar." "Themar!" "Excellency," said Philip curtly, "to-night as I entered, the lamplight fell full upon the face and throat of your valet." "Yes?" "Themar's throat, Excellency, bears peculiar scars." "My dear Poynter!
In the web which had engulfed one by one, himself, Themar, Granberry, Miss Westfall and Poynter, a murderous stranger was floundering. Who and what he was, it behooved His Excellency to discover. "It would seem," reflected the Baron with grim humor as he thought of his car and his secretary, "that I am paying heavily for my part in a task not greatly to my liking."
"So," said he coldly, "you thought to stab me the night of the storm and stabbed Poynter. Fool! Why," he added curtly, "did you later spy upon my cousin's camp when Tregar had expressly forbidden it?" It was an unexpected question. Themar flushed uncomfortably. Carl had a way of reading between the lines that was exceedingly disconcerting.
What has Themar been doing? . . . What have you done? . . . Why is Granberry still alive? Hereafter, Tregar, Themar will report to me. I personally will see that the thing is cleared up and silenced forever. I may trust at least to your silence?" "My word as a gentleman is sufficient?" "It is." "Consider me pledged to silence as I have been for a quarter of a century." "Where is Themar?"
"Beautiful!" said Carl softly. "How cleverly you tricked me!" Themar shrugged. "It was very simple." Carl smiled. "Where is the paper now?" he inquired. Themar's face darkened. "When later I looked in the pocket of my coat," he admitted, "the paper had disappeared utterly. Nor have I found it since. It is a very great mystery " "Ah!" said Carl.
Then the sirocco of fear and hate centering about her, would blow itself out forever and his own life would be safe, for the secret would be worthless. These men Tregar, Ronador, Themar scrupled for vastly different reasons to take the life of a woman. Money! Money! He must have money!
Granberry's costume was planned maliciously as an impersonal affront to me. He knew of my plans through a telegram of mine to Themar and made his own accordingly. It was not your past to which he referred. Surely it is not difficult to catch his meaning?" "Blunders and blunders and quixotic scruples," raved Ronador, "and now this crowning indignity to-night!