As Colonel Gorak paused, Biff asked, "By outsiders, do you mean the Kali cult, sir?"
"For one, yes. For another, there is an international spy ring, run by an adventurer named Bela Kron. We know little about him, except that he will sell out to the highest bidder. Fortunately, Mr. Brewster located the gems and brought them here to New Delhi."
"And as I was here," added Judge Arista, "he came to see me first. I realized that this was an international matter, so I pressed it through proper channels, and Colonel Gorak was assigned to the case. He has done admirably with it."
Colonel Gorak shook his head to that.
"The real credit goes to Mr. Brewster," he insisted. "His story was fantastic, but he had the gems to prove it and Judge Arista to vouch for him. So we had him go to Ladakh in Eastern Kashmir, where he contacted secret messengers from the Grand Lama. They took him to Chonsi where he delivered the jewels with the compliments of our government. There was just one problem. The Light of the Lama was not among the gems."
With that, Colonel Gorak gestured to the huge ruby that was glowing in the sunlight as though its ruddy fire held all the secrets of the past centuries. Never had its sparkle been more vivid. No one could wonder why this was the most prized gem of all.
"We should have thought of that beforehand," declared Judge Arista. "But we had not then seen the Light of the Lama." He studied the gem again, then turned to Colonel Gorak. "I can understand why the Chonsi Lama wants it," he said.
Colonel Gorak nodded. "So can I!" he agreed.
"Then the Lama is keeping my father in Chonsi?" asked Biff anxiously.
"Until he gets the ruby—like a ransom?"
"Not exactly," replied Colonel Gorak. "Your father is still in Chonsi, yes—"