Part 22 (2/2)
The boys stared Chahda shook hands with the scientist ”Now I see why Rick and Scotty call you Tony Nu like whole nation of head-hunters scare you off?”
”Archaeology is certainly a peaceful profession,” Rick said adly
”Scotty and I don't scare easily, but it didn't occur tohad happened”
”You're getting the wrong impression,” Tony said olat, the principal trouble as he does?”
”Well,” Scotty began, ”he certainly was the one who tried to kill you on the boat”
”I think he was He would have known all about the expedition from Okola He would have knohat shi+p ere on, and a phone call to the agent of the line would have told hiured what time ould enter Manila Bay He would also have known that I was the archaeologist for the expedition After all, I signed the correspondence we had with Okola, and he was Okola's assistant”
”But ould he want to kill you?” Rick asked
”For religious reasons Nangolat is a religious fanatic I saw that quite clearly during the ti up--or he didn't Reht and earthquakes will follow By killing me aboard shi+p, the expedition would never take place Thatto see light ”Angel, was Nangolat supposed to be a Christian?”
Angel shook his head ”No He was a pagan Once he went to church with me, but that was only to see how Christians worshi+p He worshi+ped the Ifugao Gods which were in the ine his studies with Okola, and especially the work he did tracking down the legends of the golden skull, ious I won't say superstitious”
”You're right,” Tony said approvingly ”This is not superstition
Nangolat is as firious beliefs as any Christian martyr I'm sure he considered the object of our expedition as pure sacrilege”
”I'm with you up to a point,” Scotty remarked ”But why didn't he kill the lot of us as soon as we landed? He could have gotten Rick and ht we met you for dinner We walked in a lot of dark places, and eren't particularly on guard”
”He tried,” Tony reminded them ”We surprised hi my effects to see if I had maps or charts Then he waited in the walled city and tried to pick you two off with rifle fire”
Chahda spoke up ”Not so easy to find chances to kill, even in city like Manila With gang, yes Alone, no”
”He's right,” Tony agreed ”Then, soe of heart I don't knohy Perhaps his research told hi up of the golden skull only if it should be done by unbelievers like us Perhaps if the faithful do the uncovering, the Ifugao Gods will solat decided he wanted the expedition to help _hiot him,” Scotty murmured ”Wanted his side to win”
”Maybe,” Tony said with a grin ”Anyway, he got aith the earth scanner; he had it when Nast turned me over to him Of course he couldn't use it So he must have planned to capture one or all of us He could have waited until the expedition got here, but things would then be coers and camp helpers, which he knee intended to do Also, we intended to contact the road commissioner at Bontoc, a olat, apparently, decided to stake everything on capturing us, forcing us to find the cache, then re for us, the artifacts would be well hidden by the Ifugaos, and so would our bodies Our skulls would be aging gracefully in so about it when questioned It was a good sche,” Rick corrected ”The terraces cover ”
”There's one bit of evidence you don't have, boys Remember that there is a on Well, Nangolat knows--and has always knoithout knowing its significance until nohere the dragon is located”
Tony smiled at the interested faces around him ”And that's not all I knohere it is, too!”
CHAPTER XIV