Savette uttered a sharp exclamation as he dropped a book upon the floor. He stood up and faced Tremont, an annoyed look upon his face.
"That's a mistake!" he declared "A bad mistake, Glade! Nothing can be gained. Something may be lost!"
"How?"
"Marsland won't talk. Probably he can't talk. You know enough of The Shadow's ways to realize that. We are only keeping Marsland here because we have not yet gained positive evidence that The Shadow is dead."
"Orlinov has been anxious to test Marsland," declared Tremont. "It occurred to me that he might learn something of value that would enable us to trace The Shadow's lair — to assure ourselves that the dangerous man is really dead."
"The fellow will resist," warned Savette. "Orlinov may carry the torture too far. He will learn nothing, and Marsland may die. Then it would be our ill fortune to find The Shadow alive and active. Our hostage would be gone; and we would have a revengeful enemy."
Tremont laughed.
"Don't worry about Orlinov," he said. "Ivan is a craftsman in torture. He will not overdo it. He handles his victims as a cat plays with a mouse. When he proposed torture for Marsland, I agreed. I wanted to see how he would succeed with such a close-mouthed fellow.
"He tells me that he will work to break the man's endurance. Easily, slowly — then a period of relief that is worse than the torture itself. Orlinov swears he will make Marsland talk. He is going about it by degrees. So there is no cause for alarm. Our precious hostage will not die — at least not tonight."
Savette pondered, then shrugged his shoulders. After all, torture was Orlinov's stock in trade. Savette recalled the efficacy of the bearded Russian's methods.