Maxwell Grant - The Shadow - 230 by Maxwel l Grant

Author:Maxwel,l Grant
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf

CHAPTER XII

DIVIDED ODDS

WITH a careless flip, wherein his automatic seemed to begin an aim toward Yeddo and then Su Yeng, The Shadow finished by sliding the weapon beneath his cloak. The action produced an effect upon both of the menacing watchers. Each relaxed in his own peculiar style.

Prince Yeddo, at The Shadow's left, was turned about in his chair, to look

at the door where the black-cloaked visitor had entered. Yeddo was wearing a Tuxedo, and his right hand was in the jacket pocket. Unquestionably, it gripped

a small revolver, and Yeddo was no trifler with such a weapon.

But The Shadow could see an easing motion of the Jap's wrist muscles,

coming at the moment when The Shadow started to cloak his own gun. Yeddo's hand

came from the jacket pocket, bringing a pack of cigarettes.

Knowing The Shadow to be Cranston, Yeddo was duplicating the nonchalance of his erstwhile prisoner. It was the type of imitative action for which Japanese were noted. It gave The Shadow an index to what he could expect from Prince Yeddo - for a while.

Meanwhile, Professor Su Yeng, on The Shadow's right, was demonstrating his

acceptance of what appeared to be an invitation to a three-way conference.

Arms

folded, Su Yeng was leaning forward to the desk as though the position was normal. It wasn't.

Those loose sleeves of Su Yeng's Chinese garb were the give-away. His right hand, dipped slightly in the left sleeve, was fingering a knife that he kept there. Knowing the skill of the knife tossers in Su Yeng's employ, The Shadow was quite convinced that Su Yeng was also adept with the blade.

It was the slight motion of Su Yeng's shoulders that gave a key to his coming behavior. They were lifting as The Shadow's gun went from sight. The motion meant that Su Yeng intended to lean back in his chair, his logical position for a quiet conference. With his own gun completely away, The Shadow saw Su Yeng's arms unfold. Hands with long-nailed fingers placed themselves openly upon the desk.

Sweeping a chair along with him, The Shadow planted it in front of the desk and sat down. Ignoring both Yeddo and Su Yeng, he studied the startled man

who faced him: Gifford Wendyke. All semblance of the pompous had gone from Wendyke's bearing. He was haggard; his glare had become a frightened stare.

"These two are trying to outbid each other." As he spoke, The Shadow gestured from Yeddo to Su Yeng. "They want your services, Wendyke" - the sinister whisper was strong with accusation - "and you will give them to whichever makes the better offer."

"No, no!" gasped Wendyke. "I didn't know -"

"That I was coming here," The Shadow interposed. "But you did know what these two represent, because they told you."

The words left Wendyke speechless. Managing to shake his gaze from The Shadow, he looked appealingly to his other visitors. The Shadow had struck the truth in a fashion that Wendyke regarded as uncanny.

It couldn't just be guesswork. No one, not even a black-shrouded visitor who

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