"You will say nothing? Goot! It does not matter. If you haff learned nothing, it can do no harm. If you haff heard — last night — that will be no goot. We haff made things so that it cannot matter." His shrewd eyes were watching to see if Cliff betrayed alarm. Orlinov would gain nothing by his survey of Cliff's poker face. The bearded man shrugged his shoulders.
"You tink that you are strong?" he questioned. "You tink that you are wise? We shall see of that. You haff been sent here by someone. There iss just one man that it could be. That iss the man they call The Shadow."
Cliff failed to indicate that the surmise was correct.
"You tink that you will not talk," laughed Orlinov. "That iss not needed now. That chance you will haff some time after this — if it iss needed. You will know then how I haff found the way to make people talk.
"There iss one thing that can keep you from trying to be wise. You haff seen the men who haff once died. They keep quiet now. Yess, they haff known what it iss to die. So you shall see the same. My goot friend, the doctor, he hass given me a way."
Lacking understanding, Cliff expected to receive a revolver shot from the man stationed behind him. But as Ivan Orlinov approached and stood beside him, Cliff realized that something different was to take place.
Orlinov was speaking quietly, now, except for guttural chuckles that interrupted his words.
"Yess," he was saying, "if this man, The Shadow, hass tried to make trouble, he iss too late. He will find trouble for himself. So it may be that we shall not find you to be of use to us. We shall see." The words made Cliff tighten his lips. He realized now that there had been ample time for Orlinov to communicate with New York.
By a mere chance, the Russian had picked up Cliff's pen. Thus had he divined the reason for Cliff's presence here. Orlinov — Tremont — and a third whom the Russian called the doctor — all were superfiends. The plot against Matt Hartley was not scheduled until tonight. Cliff knew well that Glade Tremont was now cognizant of the new turn that had occurred here in Glendale. The Shadow must be warned!
But how?