Bob turned the flashlight beam on Jupiter. Jupe had his hand out, palm up, and in his palm glittered a brilliant red stone.
“Meet the real Fiery Eye,” Jupiter said. “The one I threw away was the imitation stone Three-Dots left with us. I took it along, as I said, on a hunch. When I bent over to pick up the box and stone, I made a simple substitution.”
“Jupe, you’re a genius!” Bob said.
“I should say so!” Gus agreed. “You fooled them properly.”
“I’ll buy a double helping of that!” Pete exclaimed.
And then a voice, cold and quiet and deadly, spoke over their shoulders.
“And I — ” it said — “will take The Fiery Eye now, young sir. Please hand it to me.”
Before they could quite grasp what they had heard, the big yard light attached to the front of the office blazed on. The tall, thin man who had been standing unseen round the corner of the office stepped forward, holding out his hand.
It was Three-Dots. His sword cane swung in his other band as if ready for use.
The boys stared at him, too surprised for speech.
“Don’t try to run!” he said, raising the cane. He still held out his hand.
“Well,” he said, “I am waiting. I have been waiting all evening. Your stratagem in sending away that highly visible Rolls-Royce with dummies inside was most amusing, but it did not work. I felt sure you would outwit those bunglers with their false moustaches and their babble about a bust of Augustus. I realized in time that the busts must be a false clue and I told them so. I deduced you were on the real trail. Now you have it. Give it to me.”
Bob knew they were stuck now. Done for. The only thing to do was give up The Fiery Eye.
But Jupiter still hesitated, the red stone balanced on his palm. He swallowed, then spoke.
“Mr. Rhandur,” he said, “are you from the Temple of Justice in Pleshiwar?”
“I am, young man,” Three-Dots said. “I am the contact with the world outside. For fifty years I and others before me have sought this stone so that our figure of Justice might once more judge good and evil. It was falsely sold by a renegade officer of the temple, who feared its power would reveal him. He suffered the consequences that befall all who steal the stone. Now give it to me before you, too, suffer the consequences.”
He Lifted the sword cane suggestively. Still Jupiter remained motionless.
“It has purified itself,” he said. “It can be found, given, or bought, but it cannot be seized or stolen. That’s what the legend says. I found it, so I’m safe. Now I’m giving it — to Gus.
“Here, Gus.” He handed the ruby to the English boy, who took it, a little dumbfounded. “I’ve given it to you, so you’re safe. But if you seize it from him, Mr. Rhandur, then it will be you who has to take the consequences.”
For a long moment the tall man hesitated. His gaze was as piercing as an eagle’s. Then slowly he withdrew his outstretched hand. He thrust it into the pocket of his coat.
“All along I felt sure I could frighten you into giving it to me,” he said. “I was mistaken. You are right — I dare not seize it. However — ”
He withdrew his hand, and in his fingers was a long green slip of paper. He extended it to Gus.
“I can buy it,” he said. “You will notice that this cheque is certified. I was prepared to pay for The Eye if I could not gain it safely otherwise. You might sell it for more elsewhere, but again, you might never be able to sell it. Its history will haunt it and collectors will shy away from it I advise you to take what I offer.”
Slowly Gus took the cheque. He looked at it and his jaw dropped.
“Wow!” he said in good American fashion. “All right, sir, you can have it. It’s a deal.”
He held out the ruby. The tall man took it and it vanished into his pocket. He bowed.
“Fear nothing from those bunglers in the silly moustaches,” he said. “They are mere opportunists who heard of Mr. August’s hidden treasure and wished to find it to sell it to me. I regret my foolish efforts to frighten you into giving it up for nothing.”
He paused for a moment.
“If you wonder what brought me here,” he said, “it was the story in the newspaper about Mr. August’s death. I have watched for years for some such item, and at last, belatedly, I found it. Now farewell.”
He seemed to glide away like a huge cat. A car motor started up, then he was gone.
The four boys stared at each other.
“I feel like pinching myself to see if I’m real,” Bob said at last.
“I’m too numb for pinching to do any good,” Gus said. “This cheque — it’s fabulous. What an inheritance Uncle Horatio left me! And you found it for me, Jupiter.”
In a moment all three boys were laughing and shouting and pounding Jupiter on the back. But Jupiter just stood there, looking glum, not joining in the celebration.
“What is it, Jupe?” Bob asked at last. “You ought to feel like a million. What’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong?” Jupiter sighed. “Look at me. Dirt all over me. On my hands, my face, my clothes. And you know how Aunt Mathilda feels about dirt. The minute I go inside the house, she’s going to make me take a bath.”
18
Alfred Hitchcock Speaking
THERE is little more that needs to be told about The Mystery of The Fiery Eye.
From the cheque which August August received for the ruby, he gave each of The Three Investigators a generous reward. The money went into their college funds. He also made certain financial arrangements with Mr. Gelbert, manager of the Rent-’n-Ride Auto Agency to assure The Three Investigators of motor car transport in the future. Worthington, and the gold-plated Rolls-Royce, would be at the service of the firm when they needed it, and The Three Investigators could remain in business.
Some small questions were cleared up after the case was closed. Mr. Dwiggins was not in league with the Black Moustache gang, but he was responsible for its obtaining a copy of Mr. August’s mysterious message. Hugo, the leader, was his nephew. He had overheard Mr. Rhandur offering to pay Mr. Dwiggins a large sum of money if he could tell him The Fiery Eye’s whereabouts.
Hugo had forced his uncle to turn over Mr. August’s message to him. Mr. Dwiggins made up the false story about being assaulted because he was ashamed of having aided Hugo, however unwittingly. Hugo had been in the next room when the boys “rescued” Mr. Dwiggins, heard about the plaster busts, and guessed they were important.
He then contacted Mr. Rhandur, who agreed to pay for the ruby if Hugo could deliver it to him. Gathering together some disreputable friends, he enlisted the aid of Mr. Jackson, and began the search for The Fiery Eye.
This clarified for Jupiter the puzzling question of how Mr. Rhandur obtained the fake ruby so soon after Hugo had taken it from the broken bust of Augustus. Hugo had gone directly to Mr. Rhandur, who spotted it for a fake. The hint that Mr. Rhandur had killed Hugo to get it was just to scare the boys.
Gus returned to England with his legacy. Hugo and his friends have made themselves scarce. As far as anyone knows, The Fiery Eye is once more in its accustomed place in the Temple of Justice in Pleshiwar, India, and all is quiet there.
As for The Three Investigators, they are actively searching for some new and intriguing mystery to solve and I should not be surprised to hear from them at any time. You may be sure I will let you know of any new adventures they may have.
ALFRED HITCHCOCK
