"Right. But she's not alone. She came back with Mahkouf Pasha. I've got them both safe under lock-and-key, with Wasso Mikali's knife at their throats. Still—"
He shrugged his shoulders.
"Out of the frying-pan into the fire, your ludship," remarked Watkins glumly. "Sure I was this was too good to last."
CHAPTER XXVII
ANTIQUES, STATUARY, CHGS. PD., WITH CARE
Reluctantly and with many a backward look, we retired from that glimmering vault of wealth, and climbed to the atrium. We were all soaked to the waist and suddenly conscious of the fatigue of the last two crowded days. Personally, I felt that I had reached the limit. I didn't care what happened. I thought that we were in a hopeless fix. Vernon King was equally morose. Betty was ready to weep. Nikka was sardonically amused at our ill-luck. Kara was indifferent, so long as Nikka refused to embark upon a scheme of wholesale murder in order to impound the treasure for themselves alone. Watty was tiredly hopeless. Only Hugh squared his jaw and said nothing.
"I'll have the precious pair fetched in if you like," volunteered Nikka as we sat about the room. "But I don't see the use. I've talked to them, and I can assure you they aren't in a mood to be agreeable. Mrs. Hilyer is consumed with revenge. She isn't thinking of anything else. She just wants to get back at us. Mahkouf is politely threatening. He figures that he has us on the hip because of the killings last night,—murder of His Imperial Majesty's subjects and all that. He talked about international complications, and lawlessness."
"Could we, perhaps, detain them sufficiently long to permit us to get away?" inquired my uncle.
"With the treasure? Hardly! I say, do you realize the sheer physical job in removing that stuff? Why, there must be tons of it! It would have to be boxed and crated. And where would you take it to? How would you take it anywhere? To arrange for its removal would require—oh, I'd hate to say how long! In the meantime, we might hold Mrs. Hilyer without causing any comment, but Mahkouf is a well-known person. He isn't called 'The Grand Vizier's Jackal' for nothing."
Wasso Mikali appeared in the doorway at the foot of the stairs that led up to the large chamber on the courtyard level. His face was grim and the tone in which he addressed Nikka so savage as to attract the attention of all of us. Kara eyed him with approval, and ventured a confirmatory nod.