The Shadow - 303 - The Curse of Thoth by Maxwell Grant

Author:Maxwell Grant
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Street & Smith
Published: 1946-04-30T22:00:00+00:00

To Harry, analyzing while he listened, this made sense. Because of his past, Zerland had been the logical man for the others to avoid. Harry was wondering though, about the continued rivalry between the various men who held the secret until Yelvin explained further.

“I said a million dollar secret,” repeated Yelvin. “We were all holding out until Parrish broke the market by selling for half price. Of course the rest of us could only bargain from then on, offering what we knew to ABC, just to let them have the thing exclusively. That should be worth something, shouldn’t it?”

Yelvin was turning his head from Albersham to Curvin, then back again. Darting a sharp look toward Harry, Albersham centered on Yelvin again and offered:

“Fifty thousand dollars.”

“Come now,” laughed Yelvin, lifting his hands and gesturing to the papers. “You’d better make a real deal before Thoth comes popping out of nowhere to run off with these.” He turned to Curvin this time: “What say?”

“I’d say one hundred thousand,” replied Curvin, “only I don’t think Barstow would agree. We really ought to wait for him”

“A quarter million is the price!” broke in Yelvin. “I ought to get half as much as Parrish. Breaking the market was nothing to his credit and it certainly shouldn’t reduce the value of my data, gauged on a million dollar scale. Of course if you don’t want to buy -“

Yelvin was beginning the old bargainer’s routine of picking up his goods to put them away, when a sudden knocking began at the office door, accompanied by a muffled voice that Harry recognized as Barstow’s.

“Albersham! Curvin! Let me in -“

Curvin was already on his way to the door, in that shaky style of his that could be rather rapid when it got under way. Barstow’s summons was rather excited, but it didn’t yet broach the notion of any menace in the offing. Maybe though, that was because the scene between Albersham and Yelvin was demanding full attention.

Angrily, Albersham was telling Yelvin to be reasonable, insisting that fifty thousand dollars was more than a fair price. Albersham wanted to see the papers before Yelvin put them away and Yelvin was sneering at any such idea.

Then the rattling at the door had ended and Curvin was loping back, making shaky gestures as he came.

“Something is wrong with the lock!” Curvin exclaimed. “I can’t get it open from our side and Barstow can’t from his. He’s gone to look for the janitor, but he says for us to watch out for Thoth! Barstow trailed him from Yelvin’s house down here and he thinks he managed to pull ahead of Thoth, but not by much.”

Albersham came to his feet with an oath and started toward the door, looking for some object that would serve as a handy weapon and finally choosing a small, weighted ash-stand. Cardona drew a stubby revolver and pushed Albersham aside. About to follow, Harry paused in the middle of the room, deciding that this was Cardona’s party and that if Joe wanted assistance, he’d call for it.

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