"Guess you're right," assented Hugh thoughtfully. "It looks as though we were pocketed.'
"What puzzles me is why they didn't try something like this before," continued Nikka. "I fancy they wanted to be very sure of their man first."
"Surely, they won't have told him!" protested King.
"Who? Mahkouf? Oh, no. They're too wise. No. they've simply explained to him the general proposition and arranged tentative terms. They won't trust him any farther than they have to."
"Is it your idea that we've got to accept their offer?" asked Hugh.
"It's my idea that we've got to use our wits, and act quickly," said Nikka.
"But you can't trust them," I cried. "Hélène as much as told you so. We'd get the stuff out—"
"If it's there," Hugh reminded me.
"—if it's there, then, and they would think nothing of jumping us, either by force or by some damned trick."
"They might even stage a fake hold-up on the part of a Government agency," Nikka added cheerfully.