principal, very successfully, whilst I, in the capacity of an Arab with whom he had confidential business, have been at liberty to get on with my job. '
'But I don't understand,' said I, 'just what your job has been. I can't make out what a senior official of Scotland Yard is doing here in Luxor. It surely isn't usual? I mean, you've been hanging about our camp for some time past, sir.'
Nayland Smith smiled; and--a magic of all rare smiles-- my impression of his char- acter was radically altered. I found myself for the first time at my ease with this grim Anglo-Indian. I saw behind the mask and I loved the man I saw.
'Damned unusual,' he admitted, 'but so are the circumstances.' He turned to Petrie. 'I didn't recognise Weymouth. I passed you very quickly. We must send for him. Fletcher can go.'
He began to pace up and down the room, when: 'Smith!' Petrie exclaimed. 'I don't understand. We're all in together. What had you to gain by this secrecy?'
Nayland Smith pulled up in front of him, staring down hard, and:
'Do you quite realise, Petrie,' he asked, 'with whom we're dealing? '
'No,' Petrie replied, bluntly, 'I don't' Nayland Smith stared at him for a while longer and then turned to me.
'How much do you know of the facts, Mr. Greville?' he snapped.
'I have heard something of the history of Dr. Fu Manchu,' I replied, 'if that's what you mean! But Fu Manchu is dead. '
'Possibly,' he agreed, and began to walk up and down again--'quite possibly. But'-- he turned to the doctor--'you recognise his methods, Petrie? '
'Undoubtedly, so did poor Barton! By sheer luck, as you know, I had a spot of the antidote. But whilst it has worked the old miracle, there are complications in this case. '
'There are,' said Smith. And stepping to the writing-table he began to load a large and very charred briar with coarse-cut mixture from a tin. 'It may be that the stuff has lost some if its potency in years--who knows? But one thing is certain, Petrie. I address you also, Mr. Greville.'
He broke two matches in succession, so viciously did he attempt to strike them, but he succeeded with a third.
'All that fiendish armament is about to be loosed on the world again--perhaps rein- forced, brought up to date.... And that's why I'm here.'
Neither Petrie nor I made any comment. Nayland Smith, his pipe fuming between his teeth, resumed that restless promenade; and: 'You must know all the facts, Greville,' he said rapidly. 'Then we must form a plan of campaign. If only we can strike swiftly enough, the peril may be averted. It seems to be Fate, Petrie, but again I'm too late. Reports reached me from China, then from nearer home; from Cairo; from Moscow; from Paris and finally from London. Doubting everybody, I took personal action. And I definitely crossed swords with her for the first time at a popular supper restaurant in Coventry Street. '
'Crossed swords with whom?' Petrie demanded, voicing a question which I myself had been about to ask.
But Nayland Smith, ignoring Petrie's question, continued to stride up and down, seemingly thinking aloud.
'New evidence respecting the sudden death of Professor Zeitland, the German Egyptologist, came to hand. I was satisfied that she was concerned. I sent Fletcher to interview her....
'She had disappeared. We lost track of her for more than a week. All inquiries drew blank; until, by a great stroke of luck, the French police identified her at Marseilles. She had sailed for Egypt.
'Good enough for me! I set out at once with Fletcher! Perhaps I shall be better understood if I say that the chief commis- sioner sent me. Since our one and only meeting, further advices from China had opened my eyes to the truth.
'I arrived in Port Said two weeks ago to- day. I had nothing to go upon--no evidence to justify summary action; only one fact and a theory....'
His pipe went out. He paused to relight it.
'Do I understand, Sir Denis,' I said, 'that you're speaking of Madame Ingomar?'
He glanced at me over his shoulder.
'Madame Ingomar? Yes. That's a nom- de-guerre. Her dossier is filed at Scotland Yard under the name of Fah Lo Suee. You'll recognise her when you see her, Petrie! '
'What! '
'You met her once, some years ago. She was about seventeen in those days; she's under thirty, now--and the most dangerous woman living. '
'But who is she?' cried Petrie.
Nayland Smith turned, a lighted match held between finger and thumb.
'Dr. Fu Manchu's daughter,' he replied.
Chapter Fifth
NAYLAND SMITH EXPLAINS
'The trail led me from Cairo to Luxor,' said Nayland Smith. 'Information with which I was supplied from day to day clearly pointed to some attempt on Sir Lionel Barton.
'Professor Zeitland, I had learned, from facts brought to light after his sudden and mysterious death, had been studying the problem presented to Egyptologists by Lafleur's Tomb, or the Tomb of the Black Ape. He had contemplated excavations. He deeply resented what he looked upon as Sir Lionel's intrusion. Did you know this?'
He turned to me suddenly. His skin, as I new realized, had been artificially darkened. Looking out from that brown mask, his eyes were unnaturally piercing.
'Perfectly well.'
Superintendent Weymouth, whose unex- pected meeting with Sir Denis had reduced him to an astounded silence, now spoke for the first time since he had entered the room.
'Probably some of the professor's notes were stolen,' he said.
'They were!' rapped Nayland Smith: 'which brings us to Barton. Are his notes intact?'
He shot the question at me with startling rapidity.
'He made few notes,' I replied. 'He had a most astounding memory. '
'In short, his memory was his note-book! This explains much....'
He paused for a moment, and then: 'I immediately adopted the device which you know,' he went on. 'Fletcher installed himself here, and I used these rooms as my base of operations. I had first to track Fah Lo Suee to her lair. I use the term advisedly, for she is the most dangerous beast of prey which this century has known. '
'I simply cannot understand,' cried Petrie, 'why Sir Lionel never suspected this woman!'
Nayland Smith shook his head irritably.
'I think he did--but too late. However-- naturally I distrusted everybody, but I decided to take Barton into my confidence. It was on that occasion, Greville, that we met for the first time. I bear you no ill will, but I could have strangled you cheerfully. Short of revealing my identity, I was helpless... and I decided to stick to my disguise....'
He shrugged his shoulders.
'I was wrong. The enemy struck. Forthright action might have saved him. I must have failed to do even what little I did do, for all the odds were against me, were it not that that very night I made up my mind to try to get to Sir Lionel secretly whilst the camp was sleeping.
'In one of your workmen, Greville--Said by name--I recognized an old friend! Said was once my groom in Rangoon! I dug him out of his quarters at Kuma and appointed him my liaison officer.
