"Dr. Briotti is not with us," Rick replied. "This is Mr. Manotok."
"Ah. Delighted. Please come to my office so we may talk quietly."
Rick looked doubtful. "We shouldn't leave the plane."
"Do not fear. It will be perfectly safe."
Santos switched to the native language, speaking briefly and with authority. The crowd obediently fell back a few paces, leaving a cleared area around the plane. The road commissioner had the situation under control, all right.
Nevertheless, Angel Manotok said, "I will wait here."
Rick nodded. That was best. He and Scotty followed Santos to the office, a few hundred feet down the street. The office was on the second floor of a frame building. The first floor was a work area filled with tools, including a bulldozer and a road scraper.
Before discussing business, Santos insisted on refreshment. He clapped his hands and a dungaree-clad Filipino workman appeared. Santos spoke. In a few moments the workman reappeared. Both boys were surprised when he offered them their favorite American beverage. It seemed strange to be sipping coke in a place inhabited by primitive people clad in breechcloths, some of them armed with short spears.
Rick got down to business. "Can you find out if a truck and a green sedan have passed through Bontoc?"
"What kind of truck, please?"