“There are others, however, who may seek to gain the Fate Joss. Should they do so, I can not dispute their possession. As with you, honored friend, I would be forced to say that they were instruments of the Joss.
“No one can steal the Fate Joss. It may be carried from one place to another. Money may be paid for its possession; but the belief will still remain that the Joss has power to go where it may choose.
“Should strife begin because of the Fate Joss; should men do actual evil, murdering those who stand in their path, then I, as arbiter, can denounce them for their crimes. Until such time, however, I can decide only that he who holds the Fate Joss is entitled to its possession.
“Yat Soon has spoken.”
THE Chinaman’s final sentence was like a formal signature. The Shadow’s eyes were keen as they surveyed the arbiter’s bland face. Yat Soon’s words were fully understandable to the spectral visitor.
Should The Shadow choose to take up the quest of the Fate Joss, he would have Yat Soon’s full approval. That was the first point that he had come here to gain. The Shadow knew that all Chinatown was agog; that talk of the Fate Joss had swept to outlying districts of New York, wherever isolated Chinese dwelt.
His purpose, therefore, was twofold. Not only did he wish to return the Fate Joss to China, as a favor to General Cho Tsing, The Shadow desired also to remove from New York an object that might cause the very crimes of which Yat Soon had spoken.
Well did The Shadow know that affairs in Chinatown might often produce reactions elsewhere. He was willing to accept the task of anticipating chaos that might soon be due. The Shadow knew that Yat Soon, with all his blandness, would welcome such measures.
In fact, Yat Soon began to speak again, now that his decision had been rendered. His duty as arbiter finished, he was anxious to provide The Shadow with whatever information he could. Carefully, Yat Soon studied the letter that The Shadow had shown him; then made his new comment.
“It has been told to me,” he said, “that the Fate Joss was brought to America by a man named Chichester Laudring. This man was seen in San Francisco; then in Chicago. Since that time, none have brought word concerning where he may be.
“Not long ago, another American came here to Chinatown. His name, so I have learned, is Raymond Roucard. Thrice did he make inquiry of different merchants, asking them to name those of their people who might wish to possess the Fate Joss.
“I do not know what replies Roucard received. It was told to me that the man has lived at a place called the Phoenix Hotel; but as he has not been seen since then, I have made no further inquiry. It was not my task to search for the fate Joss. Should it be, I would look for Chichester Laudring or Raymond Roucard. Perhaps for both.”
Yat Soon became silent. He folded the letter and solemnly returned it to The Shadow. The visitor arose and spoke parting words in Chinese; to which Yat Soon, in courtesy, made response in English. A panel opened; The Shadow made his departure from the arbiter’s hidden abode.
TWELVE minutes later, the chauffeur of a big limousine heard a voice speak from the interior of the car. Acknowledging the order, the chauffeur started the motor and drove away from the parking spot that he had chosen near the outskirts of Chinatown.
The chauffeur’s name was Stanley; the car was owned by a wealthy globetrotter named Lamont Cranston. The quiet tones that Stanley had heard were those of his master, ordering him to drive to the Phoenix Hotel. Stanley was puzzled, wondering why Lamont Cranston had chosen to visit such an old and out-of-the-way hostelry.
Perhaps Stanley’s perplexity would have been lessened had he known the true identity of his passenger. It was not Lamont Cranston who was in the car; but another, who frequently donned the globetrotter’s identity when the real Cranston was absent from New York.
The passenger was The Shadow. Returned from his visit to Yat Soon, he was following the arbiter’s suggestion. Choosing between Chichester Laudring and Raymond Roucard, The Shadow had decided to seek the latter, whose address was known.
The Shadow’s quest was on. Stimulated by the stir in Chinatown; crystallized by the letter from China; approved by Yat Soon, the enterprise would not cease until the goal had been reached. The Shadow was determined to regain the missing Fate Joss for the temple of Je Ho.
CHAPTER II
SEEKERS OF THE JOSS
YAT SOON had spoken wisely when he had told The Shadow that there were others who sought the Fate Joss. As arbiter of Chinatown, Yat Soon was well acquainted with the devious motives that actuated those within the boundaries of the Oriental district. In fact, Yat Soon’s status was unique; his own appointed duties brought him into frequent contact with representatives of many minor Chinese factions.
His position, however, was that of judge rather than investigator. Those with grievances came to Yat Soon, bringing facts and statements concerning their wrongs. The arbiter’s decisions were invariably wise ones — often dependent upon his own knowledge of Chinatown affairs. As a one-man supreme court, Yat Soon found it good policy to acquaint himself with conditions that might later develop into arguments that would be brought before him.
Yat Soon had heard the rumors concerning the Fate Joss. He knew that if trouble followed, he would be forced to render a verdict that would satisfy those who believed in the idol’s mystic power. With the wisdom of a Solomon, Yat Soon had already planned to meet such contingency. He had decided that the Fate Joss could never be classed as stolen property, because of its own reputed ability to control its destiny.
Yat Soon, himself, did not believe in the power of the Fate Joss. Tradition stated that it had previously vanished from the temple of Je Ho, in China, always to return. Yat Soon doubted such legends; nevertheless, he never disputed the beliefs of others. His fame as arbiter was grounded upon his policy of recognizing the viewpoints and privileges of all classes.
Moreover, Yat Soon never interfered in Chinese affairs. He waited until cases were brought to him; then issued mandates that were recognized as law.
“When Yat Soon speaks, all must do his bidding—”
That statement had become proverbial in Chinatown; but the strength of it lay in the fact that Yat Soon never spoke without just cause.
Hence Yat Soon himself could not have named “those others” who might be seeking the Fate Jass. He had indicated only that some might be good; and that some might be bad. Should the two conflict, Yat Soon could deliver final judgment. Meanwhile, he had done no more than learn the names of Americans who might be concerned in the matter of the Fate Joss.
For Yat Soon’s policy of non-interference with those who lived in Chinatown did not apply to persons foreign to the district. He frequently kept watch on Americans who mingled in Chinese affairs, knowing that they might later be beyond his jurisdiction.
Chichester Laudring and Raymond Roucard. To Yat Soon, Laudring was no more than a name. Roucard, however, had been seen in Chinatown. Should he appear here again, making inquiries regarding the Fate Joss, Yat Soon would surely delve deeper into the man’s affairs.
Raymond Roucard, however, had ceased to make such inquiries; Yat Soon had accepted that as proof that the American had paid no recent visit to Chinatown. In that assumption, Yat Soon was wrong.
AT the very time of The Shadow’s departure, Raymond Roucard was in Chinatown — but not where he could be openly seen. He was present in a lavish room, a place that formed a scene of Oriental splendor — where gorgeous dragon tapestries vied with thick Chinese rugs in the luxury of the surroundings.