"Look also," replied Kazu, "you will find device which magnify voice. My teachers use this always."
A further search disclosed a microphone and the switch for a public address amplifier. Baker settled down to his now illustrated lecture.
After he had talked himself hoarse, Baker asked each of the rest of us to speak briefly on our own specialties. I was the last, and I was practically through when I became aware that we were not alone in the room. I gave Martin a nudge, and turned from the microphone to face eight of the uniformed guards, led by our friendly yellow-robed priest. Only now he wasn't friendly, and he carried a heavy automatic which was carefully aimed right at us.
"Very clever, gentlemen," he said. "You took good advantage of your chance with our simple giant, did you not? Tried your best to ruin the whole work of Pan-Asia just to save your miserable skins. Well, you shall not—"
He was interrupted by the thunder of Kazu's voice.
"Please continue, Mr. Cady. I find it most interesting. Why do you stop?"
I took a step toward the microphone, but a menacing gesture with the gun stopped me. I looked from yellow-robe to Baker. After a moment's hesitation, the latter spoke.
"I'm afraid, my friend, that you have misjudged the situation. I admit that we jumped into Buddha's hand to escape from Phobat Rau, but if you are familiar with the expression, our leap was from the frying pan into the fire. Your giant is holding us prisoner, and even now forces us to tell him things on pain of death."
The priest looked astonished, and the gun barrel dropped slightly.
"No one," continued Baker in a sincere tone, "could have been more welcome than you. But"—his voice dropped and he took a step toward the other—"we must be careful. If he should even suspect that you are here to rescue us, he would crush this room like an egg!"