"Rajah Brahman speaks the truth," declared Mrs. Garwood.
"Then I'm not wanted here?" quizzed Dick.
"You have heard the reply," remarked Rajah Brahman serenely. "You are welcome if you choose to believe. You are not welcome if you do not believe."
For a moment, Dick gazed threateningly at the man on the throne. Then he spoke to Mrs. Garwood.
"Do you agree with that?" he asked.
The woman nodded solemnly. Without another word, Dick turned on his heel and left the sanctum. He reached the reception room. There, he cooled his heels while Imam Singh was ushering out some others, among them Thomas Telford.
Dick saw the elderly man shake hands with Benjamin Castelle, and he heard Telford mention that he had an appointment with the rajah for the next evening. Then, Imam Singh spied Dick, and brought him his hat.
Going through the hallway, Dick felt his anger subsiding. After all, he owed a duty to his aunt, no matter how foolish she might be. He decided to wait in the downstairs lobby until she arrived. When he reached the elevator, he encountered a wise-faced man who was waiting there alone. The man grinned knowingly. Dick responded with a grunt.
He did not know that the waiting man was there by design. It was Martin Slade, but Dick Terry had never seen him before.
While they were waiting, Slade made a joking remark that aroused Dick's immediate interest.