Читать книгу The Great Green Diamond; Or, Thief Against Thief - Inspector Stark - Страница 8

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“Zulima,” said the giant Ashah, “it is well for you that you remain true to your faith.”

“Why?”

“Sooner than have you become a heretic, Ajeeb would have me spoil that beautiful voice of yours. That would have been very hard on me, princess, for I always liked you; still, I should have obeyed my master, even unto sacrificing my own child.”

“What do you mean by spoiling my voice?” the girl asked.

“Without the tongue, we could not speak, much less sing.”

“True, Ashah.”

“The good Ajeeb would have had me pluck out your tongue!”

Zulima was horrified.

“Surely, uncle would not have gone that far?” she said.

“Aye.”

“I go this way.”

The princess was about to turn a corner.

“Nay; you must go with me,” remarked the giant.

“Where?”

“To where Ajeeb awaits us.”

“He surely does not expect a visit from me. I saw him once to-day.”

“He told me if you visited the American’s hotel, I was to conduct you into his presence.”

“You can return and say I did not leave my home.”

Ashah started with surprise.

“What!” he cried; “would you have me try to deceive the high priest?”

“There will be no harm done,” answered the princess.

“I would give up this worthless life of mine sooner. How could I ever look Ajeeb in the face again if I told him a lie?”

“Nonsense! You can’t make me believe you never told a lie!”

“True, I have told many, but never one to Ajeeb. Come, let us hurry.”

Much against her inclination, Zulima accompanied the giant.

Ashah had only been a short period in New York, but he seemed to know the streets in that section of the city. Their journey ended at a handsome house on Forty-third Street.

In answer to Ashah’s ring, the door was opened by Ajeeb in person. The latter’s face was clouded, and he bestowed a fierce glance upon the princess.

“So,” he said, taking hold of her arm savagely, “you are false to us!”

“No, uncle.”

Ashah ascended to the second story, and the others entered a very elegantly appointed parlor.

“You visited Stolburst?”

“Yes.”

“And told him I meant to kill him?” growled Ajeeb.

“True; you had already threatened him with death yourself.”

“I suppose you also counseled him to fly, Zulima?”

“No; I visited him to question him about the Eye of Jobu.”

“Well?”

“He denied ever having had it in his possession,” replied the princess.

“You believed him, of course?”

“No, uncle; he lied.”

Ajeeb looked at her in surprise. He had expected she would have endeavored to exculpate the explorer.

“Did you tell him he lied?”

“Yes.”

“What then?”

“He persisted in his denial; I offered him pay for the services he had rendered me, and he refused the money.”

“Good! I find, after all, that you are a worthy daughter of your race.”

“I would not throw aside my belief for any mortal living.”

“Zulima, there is but one course open to me in this matter.”

“I understand.”

“What do you understand?”

“Stolburst must be captured, and tortured into giving up the Eye of Jobu.”

The beautiful-featured princess spoke as calmly as if she was discussing some every-day topic. Away down in her heart, however, there raged a war of conflicting feelings. Try as she might to disabuse her mind of the fact, she had grown to love Stolburst.

“Zulima,” said Ajeeb, “you now talk so sensibly that it seems incredible to me this man should so have blinded you that you deserted your people without regret.”

“I shall go back to Abyssinia when I am old and ugly.”

“When you are old and ugly?” repeated Ajeeb, in surprise.

“Yes; then no one will want to marry me, prince or else.”

“But you should marry the young son of King John.”

“I shall never marry.”

Zulima had kept her feelings from betraying themselves up to this time. Now she burst into a flood of tears.

“My child,” said Ajeeb, in kinder tones than he had yet used, “you have some secret sorrow; let me share it with you.”

“No; it is nothing.”

“Then why do you weep?”

“Because this man is so foolish for himself,” replied Zulima.

Ajeeb frowned. It was plain to him that she had conceived more than a passing affection for the explorer. This was exceedingly displeasing to him, but he judged it better not to speak of it.

“The man is a vandal,” said Ajeeb; “he knows what to expect, and has a chance to save himself. Now, let his punishment be upon his own head. I will not go home without the Eye of Jobu.”

“Perhaps,” said Zulima, “were I to see him again, I might obtain it.”

“No; with the grasping avarice of his race, he thinks he can retain the diamond. The fool! Were he to throw it in the ocean, one day or another it would be found by a priest of Jobu.”

“Perhaps he has lost it?”

“No; in that case, he would have so informed me.”

“He may think you would not believe him,” said the girl.

“Neither should I,” remarked Ajeeb. “Now, Zulima, you know where to find me?”

“Yes, uncle.”

“Well, before you go, I want you to promise not to again visit this vandal.”

“I promise.”

“Good! You have plenty of money?” said Ajeeb.

“Yes.”

“Good! Should you want more, call upon me.”

“I have enough to live upon in splendor, if I so choose.”

“Now, my child, you can go; and, before many sunsets, I will have recovered that for which I traveled so many miles.”

Ajeeb kissed her lightly on the forehead. It was with a head weighed down with sorrow that Zulima returned to her home.

Soon after her departure from the house in Forty-third Street Ajeeb had another visitor. The latter’s appearance and general make-up pronounced him an Englishman.

“Well, old man!” he cried, upon meeting the Abyssinian priest; “how does the world wag for you, and what are you doing in New York?”

Ajeeb was another man in this person’s presence. Before Zulima and Ashah, he carried a very stern front. Now he unbent his rigid dignity.

“I came here on a very serious mission, friend of long ago!”

“Can Billy Barry do anything to help you along, old man?”

“I sent for you, thinking you could be of great assistance.”

“How did you find me out?”

“Don’t you know I am something of a magician?”

“That be blowed! Honor bright, how did you discover my address?”

“I got it from Harry Swinck.”

“Do you know that old pirate?”

“He is known to me. This is not the first time I visited to New York.”

“You wear European clothes much better now than when I first made your acquaintance in London.”

“Don’t speak of those days,” said Ajeeb. “I guess I must then have broken about every commandment of my religion.”

“Well, you did get in with a pretty stiff crowd after becoming acquainted with me; but I was to blame for all that.”

“Yes,” smiled the Abyssinian, “and I rank high as a priest at home.”

“You old hypocrite!”

Ajeeb’s brow darkened.

“No,” he said; “you misjudge me; I but joked when I spoke of breaking commandments of my faith. We take a different view of sin to the outer world, my friend.”

“Don’t tell me anything about religion,” said Barry. “What did you come to this country for?”

“To run down a man.”

“Have you succeeded?”

“In running him down, yes,” replied Ajeeb; “but he refuses to return that which he stole from our temple.”

“What did he steal?”

“A wondrous diamond, larger, perhaps, than any other in the known world.”

“The lucky devil!”

“Barry,” said Ajeeb, “I would rather part with ten thousand pounds than you were in that man’s position.”

“Do you value the diamond so very much?” asked the Englishman.

“It is not that.”

“What then?”

“He desecrated our temple, and his life has been forfeited.”

“Mean to kill the rooster, eh?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t suppose he is a common thief,” remarked Barry.

“Neither is he. The man has great learning, and bears a high name among the people here and in Europe.”

“What’s his name?”

“Henry Stolburst.”

“The African explorer?”

“The same.”

“Ajeeb, my friend,” said Barry, “I think you have undertaken to crack a very hard nut.”

“No,” smiled the Abyssinian. “I shall not fail in this matter.”

“Does Stolburst suspect your purpose?”

“I told him all about it.”

“That was foolish; he has probably told some one else of your threat.”

“What harm? His body will never be found, and who can prove murder against me, or my chosen instruments?”

“What do you mean by saying the man’s body will never be found?”

“Just what I said.”

“Explain.”

“I want him kidnaped; then the rest will be easy.”

Barry threw himself back in his chair, and laughed heartily. Ajeeb knew he was the object of the other’s mirth, and was naturally displeased.

“My dear fellow,” said Billy, “you seem to forget you are in a civilized community.”

“Is that why you laugh?”

“Don’t get mad about it; I was forced to laugh.”

“I will have this man in my power before thirty-six hours have passed, mark my words for it!”

“You are taking a fearful risk—the laws here are very stringent.”

“Nothing can prevent my success. I have said it.”

“I wish you all sorts of good luck, old fellow; but, in my humble opinion, you are completely off.”

Ajeeb laughed in a cold, hard manner.

“My friend,” he said, “I shall succeed.”

“Where do I come in?”

“You will kidnap this man!”