“Mr. Laudring?” inquired the visitor, in a smooth tone.
“Yes,” replied Laudring. “Are you Mr. Boford?”
“Boford? No. My name is Roucard. Raymond Roucard. I came to see you on business.”
Laudring looked puzzled; but he conducted the arrival into the parlor and offered a cigar, which Roucard accepted.
“You have come regarding this house?” queried Laudring.
“This house?” echoed Roucard. Then, with a laugh: “Certainly not! It was only by accident that I learned you were here. I came to talk about the Fate Joss.”
Laudring stared. Roucard laughed.
“Come, Mr. Laudring!” insisted the dapper visitor. “I am not the only one who has heard of the Fate Joss that you have tried to sell everywhere. I learned of your white elephant. I came here to take the idol off your hands.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that I am willing to accept the risk of owning the Fate Joss. A grave risk, too, Mr. Laudring. If you were acquainted with conditions in Chinatown, you would understand.”
“Conditions in Chinatown?”
Roucard nodded as he settled back to puff his cigar. He flashed a glance at Satsu who was standing in the doorway, then concentrated on Laudring.
“It may mean death to own the Fate Joss,” pronounced Roucard, solemnly. “Terrible death at the hands of aroused Chinese. They know that the temple of Je Ho has been desecrated. They are aroused to fever pitch.”
“My name?” questioned Laudring, nervously. “Do they know it?”
“Yes. If they knew you owned the Fate Joss, they would murder you. You will be doing yourself a favor if you turn the idol over to me. It must be removed from here at once.”
There was a cold decisiveness in Roucard’s tone. Laudring trembled. This information, coming so close upon the mysterious return of the Fate Joss, was something that created real cause for fear.
“Where is the Fate Joss?” inquired Roucard. “In the cellar of this house?”
Laudring nodded in spite of himself. Roucard shook his head seriously.
“Most dangerous,” he declared. “My word, man! Your life is in immediate jeopardy! You must get that idol out of here! There is no time to lose. Suppose spies should come here to search—”
“But how can I remove it?” broke in Laudring, his voice a quaver. “The Joss weighs half a ton!”
“I can help you,” assured Roucard. “Come. Let me see the Fate Joss.”
Laudring arose and led the way to the cellar door. His hand trembled as he unlocked the barrier. He went downstairs with Roucard and Satsu behind him. They found the Fate Joss glaring from its central position in the cellar.
ROUCARD surveyed the idol curiously. Looking beyond it, he spied something that attracted his attention — a large door at the extreme rear of the cellar. Moving there, Roucard tried to open the door; then gave it a sidewise push. The door slid back. Beyond it lay an underground passage.
“Most amazing!” exclaimed Roucard, turning to Laudring and Satsu, who had joined him. “This must lead to the house on the rear street.”
“I wonder who lives there?” questioned Laudring.
“No one,” responded Roucard, with a knowing smile. “That whole block is untenanted. The buildings are due to be torn down within a month. I recognized the block when I was driving past.”
“Then this passage will serve us as an outlet?”
“An excellent one! I can bring the truckmen through from the rear street. In fact, they are parked there already, because I did not want them to be seen outside your house.”
Laudring gaped in astonishment. He could not understand how this stranger had found him so quickly; furthermore, he was amazed to learn that Roucard had already provided for the removal of the Fate Joss.
Laudring had experienced a double shock tonight. First, the discovery of the Fate Joss, the jinx from which he had freed himself; second, Roucard’s warning that the threat of vengeful Chinese might strike at any time. Doubly troubled, Laudring was ready to accept any suggestion.
Satsu understood his master’s temperament. The Korean decided to intervene. In so doing, he chose the worst course that he could possibly have taken.
“Remember, sir,” said Satsu, “we are leaving here. It is best to keep the Fate Joss until tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?” echoed Laudring. “Have you gone crazy, Satsu? Who asked for your opinion? Leave us! Go upstairs until I call you.”
Satsu did not immediately obey. Laudring clenched his fists and glared in fury. Knowing that further argument would be useless, Satsu departed from the cellar.
Roucard shrugged his shoulders and strolled toward one of the coal bins; peering into it, he called to Laudring.
“We’re in luck, old man!” exclaimed Roucard. “Look at this pile of canvas and these old boxes. We can cover up the Fate Joss and have the truckmen crate it. They’ll never know what it is!”
“The War Dogs, too,” added Laudring. “Take them with the Joss.”
“They’re cannons, aren’t they?” queried Roucard, in feigned surprise. “Regular mortars that have been plugged. Yes, they must go, too.”
FEVERISHLY, Laudring brought out stacks of grimy canvas. Roucard found some pieces of rope. Together they began to cover the Fate Joss and the War Dogs.
While Laudring was completing the lashing, Roucard hurried out through the rear passage. When he returned, he was accompanied by half a dozen husky truckmen. Roucard pointed out the boxes. With hammers, the truckmen knocked out ends and sides, to make them into improvised crates.
With Roucard in charge, the crew tilted the heavy Fate Joss, which made an odd sight, covered from top to bottom with its canvas swaths. As the bottom of the pedestal was hoisted, Laudring covered it with another sheet of cloth. The truckmen made a quick job of the crating; then raised the covered Joss aboard a pair of rollers that they had brought with them.
“They’ll come back for the cannons,” remarked Roucard, as he and Laudring watched the six men roll the Fate Joss out through the passage to the house on the other street. “We may as well go upstairs.”
“That passage puzzles me,” said Laudring. “Why should this house be connected with the one in back?”
“Some one probably started to make apartments of them,” decided Roucard. “Planning a central-heating system. I suppose we would find several connected cellars hereabouts.”
Satsu was in the hallway when the two arrived. The Korean had been making another telephone call; but he had long since finished. He made no comment when Laudring and Roucard arrived. He watched the two shake hands, then opened the front door to allow Roucard’s departure.
Chichester Laudring showed relief. He found a bolt on the front door and pressed it shut, not trusting to the lock alone. He told Satsu to accompany him to the cellar. They arrived there to find vacancy. The canvassed War Dogs had followed The Fate Joss.
Laudring closed the sliding door. He smiled to see that it was equipped with heavy inner bolts. He closed them, thus cutting off this avenue of entrance. Followed by Satsu, the ex-owner of the Fate Joss went upstairs.
“I need sleep, Satsu,” announced Laudring. “Here are the keys. You may keep them. We shall leave this house tomorrow. What a weird adventure this has been! I’m thankful that fellow Roucard showed up. He’s welcome to the Fate Joss — and the War Dogs, as well. My conscience is clear. He knows the risk himself.”
Satsu waited until his weary master had gone upstairs. Again the Korean went to the telephone and put in a final call to Doctor Roy Tam. Instructions must have followed Satsu’s statement of details, for the Korean concluded by acknowledging words that came across the wire.