Part 2 (2/2)
He flashed the tiny light ahead and froze as he saw the shape of a man
Beside him, he felt Scotty tense
It was silly to stand frozen Ricktunic with sash Fiercely whiskered face A Sikh guard
He breathed a sigh of relief Sikhs--Indians--were noted for their bravery and fighting ability, and they could be found in uards or police
The Sikh came to attention and Rick noted that he was rather sthat the beard was neatly tied in the Sikh fashi+on Brown eyes stared unblinkingly A hoarse voice said, ”This ees house of Meester Secretary Lazada Please to enter”
Suddenly the voice changed and Rick nearly juht on up the stairs, ry He always is”
Rick choked
”Chahda!”
CHAPTER III
The Gods of Banaue
Scotty reached out for the Hindu boy, but Chahda stepped nimbly aside
”Not time for horseplay now,” he said ”Or talk either Houseboy will hear It io up and eat Later, if I can, I will couio”
The boys knew better than to argue They each punched Chahda affectionately as they passed him, then Rick knocked on the door, which was instantly opened by a Filipino houseboy
The houseboy led the room, sparsely furnished after the tropical fashi+on, but with exquisite and expensive Chinese furniture of rosewood and teak Tony Briotti came to meet them, then introduced them to Dr Remedios Okola and the Honorable Irineo Lazada
Dr Okola, obviously, had a great deal of Spanish blood in his ancestry
He was tall and lean, with a deeply lined face and a ray He wore black dress trousers and an open-neck slipover shi+rt of a very fine, almost transparent, fabric heavily e outside his trousers in traditional style This was the _barong_ Tagalog, the native Filipino costuist showed his Spanish blood, the Honorable Irineo Lazada's face betrayed his Chinese ancestry He was round of face, and his eyes had the typical Mongoloid fold He was dressed in an expensive white sharkskin suit with a white American-style shi+rt and a black tie The tie was held in place by the biggest diamond Rick had ever seen He assu
Lazada had a huge Manila cigar in one hand and a fan in the other By soed to shake hands with the boys without letting go of either
”Coenially ”Welcome to the Philippines You will have some refreshment? How about a coke?”
That suited the boys fine Lazada waved a pudgy hand and a slippered houseboy appeared like a genie, carrying two iced glasses of coke Rick was not in the least surprised He had had his favorite Ae in more unexpected places than this
Tony Briotti explained, ”Dr Okola and I just got here We had a o into the details of our expedition with Mr Lazada”
”Please continue,” Lazada said expansively
Rick, as sensitive to voices, had the ih a bath of highly refined oil before it eed from his thick lips It wasn't exactly oily--just sort of overlubricated
Lazada alternately s ather that you are the only Spindrift scientist on this expedition? And that these young e?”
”By no ht ”Rick is our pilot and electronics technician Scotty is er”