“They tell their own story. They give the reason why you will have to demolish the large statue.”
Dave was pointing out the message. Lestman read it slowly; shook his head.
“‘Key small find,’” he objected. “Who has the small key to begin with—”
Dave was producing his ring of keys. The curator gestured disparagingly. “Those keys are not small. As for the rest of the message, some of it is plain; the rest obscure. ‘Unlocks gold treasure, large statue beneath’ — that part is passable. But who ever heard of a ‘casket one single’?”
“Pidgin English,” assured Colin. “It means one single casket. That’s what holds the treasure. Clear enough when you read it carefully.”
“Pidgin English?” queried the curator. “Bah! Even an untutored Chinese would not speak in such ridiculous fashion!”
Colin shrugged his shoulders. He turned to Dave, who was pondering as he studied the tapestry.
“Come along, old man,” suggested Colin. “We can take this matter up again in the morning. In the meantime, Doctor Lestman, do a little thinking of your own. As I recall it, Ku Luan reserved certain rights to this room. I remember my grandfather mentioning the fact. Dave Kelroy comes from Ku Luan. He can assert his rights if he so chooses.”
“That can be considered later,” announced Lestman. “If Mr. Kelroy is willing to contract for the removal and replacement of the bronze statue, and can pay for the work, I shall cooperate. But the matter must first be discussed with the directors of the museum.”
Turning from Colin, Lestman spoke to Dave.
“You heard my statement,” he affirmed. “I do not blame you for this trouble. Come here tomorrow, alone, and I shall receive you. But you will have to bring better evidence than that obscure message on this silk tapestry.”
Dave was about to speak, when Colin again interjected an argument.
“Remember, Doctor Lestman,” he warned. “We shall hold you responsible in the meantime. If anything should happen to the treasure, you will be liable—”
“You are threatening me!” roared the curator. “That is enough! Out of here! I order you from the premises!”
Colin glared stubbornly. Romson thrust forward and gripped him by the shoulder. Colin twisted away from the inspector. Mark leaped forward to join the scuffle. With an open hand, Colin gripped his cousin’s chin and shoved Mark backward. Romson pinned Colin’s arms as Mark went sprawling.
“Next time,” jeered Colin, looking toward the floor, “it will be a punch that lands on that big moon face of yours, Mark. You’ve mixed in too many businesses that don’t concern you.”
“Arrest him, inspector!” blurted Mark, coming to his feet. “Take Colin out of here, before he makes more trouble. I shall go with you, to prefer charges against him. Bring the others as witnesses to the fact that he assaulted me.”
ROMSON started Colin moving toward the door, where Singledon had appeared, attracted by the noise of the fray. Colin was laughing as he went along.
“How the newspapers will like this!” he chortled. “Moon-faced Mark, on the front page. Too bad I didn’t hand you a fist massage while I had the chance, Mark.”
“There will be other charges against you, Colin!” stormed Mark. “Mr. Dryer has had a private investigator following you. His name in Durling. He has seen you around the Club Monterey, giving money to a gambler named Mellick.”
Inspector Romson stopped short. He stared at Mark; then at Dryer. The two exchanged looks; then Mark spoke:
“Thirty-five hundred dollars,” he declared. “That’s the amount Durling saw you hand over. It was early in the evening, the same night that Kelroy ran into trouble.”
“What about this?” queried Romson, turning to Dryer. “Was Durling working for you?”
Dryer nodded.
“He was giving me confidential information,” explained the lawyer. “I had chosen not to make it public. I was within my rights, inspector.”
“Maybe you were.” Romson looked at Colin, who seemed shaky. “Well, fellow, since you know Hype Mellick, maybe you know Zack Ruggey, too.”
“I met him once,” replied Colin, slowly. “It was in a poker game. He and Hype trimmed me.”
“And that’s what you slipped Hype the dough for?”
“Yes.”
Romson snorted.
“Maybe you’d better call Mare Island and talk to the marines,” he said to Colin. “This business is beginning to look mighty phony. That teakwood box was what crooks were after; they got hold of it, and it shows up in your apartment. You have the prayer papers that translate it. What’s more, you seem to know a lot about this museum.
“How about it, Kelroy?” Romson swung to Dave, who was standing by the far wall. “Come clean. How long have you been traveling around with Colin Eldreth?”
“I met him a few days ago,” began Dave. “But—”
“I thought so,” interrupted Romson. “We’re getting the real dope, now. Come along — all of you, down to headquarters! You, too, doctor. Forget those prayer papers.”
LESTMAN was still stooping near the wall, almost oblivious to the argument. As he heard his name mentioned, he popped up from the floor. A gleam showed on his face as he pointed excitedly with his left hand.
“I have it!” exclaimed the curator. “I have it! The message on the tapestry! It changes everything! We can search for the treasure, here tonight!”
Eager faces peered toward Doctor Lestman as he indicated the tapestry with one hand, the prayer papers with the other. In that moment of tenseness, feuds and accusations were forgotten. Colin and Mark stared with the others; even Dryer looked interested, as he stood at the foot of the steps.
Behind the lawyer; Singledon was crouching, just within the door that he had pushed ajar behind him.
The attendant’s face showed a wicked gleam. He, too, had interest in whatever might develop within this Chinese Room.
CHAPTER XXI. CROOKS STAND REVEALED
“LOOK!”
Eagerly, Doctor Lestman was unfolding a sheet of paper that he had taken from his pocket. Resting the paper against the wall, he began to write words upon it, in large, plain letters. He was copying the meanings of the prayer papers.
“There is the message, in English words!”
The paper read:
KEY SMALL FIND
UNLOCKS GOLD TREASURE
LARGE STATUE BENEATH
CASKET ONE SINGLE
“I don’t see anything new about it,” objected Inspector Romson. “Why all the confusion, Doctor Lestman?”
“Ku Luan was a Chinaman!” exclaimed the curator. “A Chinese of the old regime, versed in his native literature—”
“We know all that. We’ve investigated Ku Luan’s past history.”
Lestman turned appealingly to Dave.
“You understand, don’t you?” he queried. “You come from China. You talked with Ku Luan.”
“He told me that the teakwood box was meant for his nephew, Tyan Li,” said Dave, slowly. “But Ku Luan chose that the treasure should be mine, instead.”
“But the message was already prepared?”
“Certainly. It could not have been otherwise. That tapestry is not a new one—”
Dave paused. His eyes lighted as he stared at the paper that the curator was holding close beside the tapestry. One by one, Dave read the words to himself. Then, he exclaimed:
“I see it! How could I have been so thick! These symbols do for Chinese as well as English translations.
They were prepared for Tyan Li, a Chinaman — not for an American—”
“But if they’re the same in meaning,” interrupted Romson, “what’s that got to do with it?”
“Everything,” returned Dave. “The meanings are the same, but their arrangement must be considered differently. Chinese characters are not written in cross lines, from left to right, like English.”[2]
2
Note: Today, some may contest this statement, for the Chinese have changed their method of writing and reading to some extent in certain sections of the country. The most modern Chinese writing is done from left to right, just as our own writing. This, however is not yet general. And I add this explanation in order to prevent possible misunderstanding or controversy on this point. — Maxwell Grant.