Palermo waited a moment; then pointed to the telephone. Hassan nodded to indicate that the instrument had been ringing.
Palermo laughed. He beckoned to his servant to follow him.
They went to the sliding panel. Doctor Palermo gave the finger snap. The opening appeared. The two men ascended to the Chinese room.
Palermo instantly observed the black-clad form that lay, face down, upon the floor, its arms outstretched.
The evil smile began to play upon the physician’s lips. It became a leer as the man turned and surveyed the image of Chong, which still stared steadily at the body on the rug.
The master spoke in a strange tongue. The idol came to life. It clambered from its perch and disappeared through a gap in the tapestries.
Palermo pressed his hand against the wall. A panel slid back. A carrier moved forward, bringing the genuine bronze image to the top of the pedestal. The metal idol was a perfect replica of the hideous dwarf who had just gone.
PALERMO removed his coat and clapped his hands. Hassan came forward with the red robe that bore the golden dragon.
Palermo moved to the throne; there he discovered that the mechanism had been operated. He clapped his hands. Hassan went to the throne, to adjust it to its former condition. Palermo took his place on the throne.
Now he began to evidence real interest in Chong’s victim.