“I brought you here so you would not die,” declared Biscayne. “I wanted a witness who could explain all about Silas Harshaw — as we had falsely realized him.
“You were the best witness, I thought, because I believed you ignorant. But when I discovered — just now — that you suspected, the only course was to tell you all.
“Work with me. If you do, half a million is yours.
“We will go to the other room. There we will find three men dead from poison gas. The victims — so we will declare — of Silas Harshaw’s last fiendish scheme. I offer you wealth. Will you accept it?”
A sudden rage came over Joe Cardona. He repressed himself for the moment, and eyed Biscayne warily.
The professor detected the change. He slowly raised his hand — the hand that held the bomb.
“Wealth if you accept it,” declared Biscayne firmly. “But if you refuse — death!”
Cardona’s response was sudden action. His hand began to come from his pocket.
His gun was on its way, ready to deal death to this fiend who so deserved it. But Joe Cardona was too late.
Roger Biscayne had a more effective weapon — the bomb that was in his hand. Before Cardona’s gun was brought into action, Biscayne’s arm swung forward.