I opened the door and a few seconds later Long Sin himself entered.
Kennedy looked up inquiringly as the Chinaman approached, holding out a package which he carried.
"A bomb," he said, in the most matter of fact way. "I promised to have it placed in your laboratory before night."
The placid air with which the grotesque looking Chinaman imparted this astounding information was in itself preposterous. His actions and words as he laid the package down gingerly on the laboratory table indicated that he was telling the truth.
Kennedy and I stared at each other in blank amazement for a moment.
Then the humor of the thing struck us both and we laughed outright.
Clutching Hand had told him to deliver it—and he had done so!
Hastily I filled a pail with water and brought it to Kennedy.
"If it is really a bomb," I remarked, "why not put the thing out of commission?"
"No, no, Walter," he cried quickly, shaking his head. "If it's a chemical bomb, the water might be just the thing to make the chemicals run together and set it off. No, let us see what the new X-ray machine can tell us, first."
He took the bomb and carefully placed it under the wonderful rays, then with the fluoroscope over his eyes studied the shadow cast by the rays on its sensitive screen. For several minutes he continued safely studying it from every angle, until he thoroughly understood it.