"Is there any communication which your majesty would like to have delivered to my Government?"
"Yes," replied the monarch, drawing from under his loose robe a sealed packet, which he appeared to have had in readiness for the occasion. It was addressed as follows:--
"To Colonel John Tempest, D.S.O., M.C..
Chief Commissioner of the British Aerial
Police, Scotland Yard, London,"
and across the top left-hand corner it was marked "Confidential," and also "To be delivered personally by the Captain of the Air-Liner, Empress of Britain."
The skipper, apparently bewildered for a moment by this strange request, for it seemed to him like a letter from a condemned man to his executioner, looked the packet over for a few seconds. Noting the great red seal on the back, he read the imprint embossed on the huge wafer. It read as follows, and was circular in form:--
"From Sultan von Selim, Air-King of the Hamadian desert," and the crest was a scorpion, with the solitary word in Latin, "Scorpio."
The caliph waited patiently until the captain had examined the exterior of the packet, and recovered from his amazement, and then said, "Before you depart, Captain, you must promise me that you will deliver that packet in person to Colonel Tempest, who is not unknown to me."
The captain did not answer for a few seconds, for he was wondering what new conspiracy was this. He was wondering also whether the conveyance of this packet was not after all the real reason for the forced descent of the airship.
"Do you promise, Captain?" asked his interrogator, looking at him fixedly.
"Yes, I promise."