Part 31 (2/2)
”I'm sure of it And whose word do you take? That of your countryn adventurers?”
”Theirs,” Rojas said ”I will accept froolden skull, stolen by you froaos”
Lazada had recovered his coolden skull You are free to search, even without a warrant, Colonel”
”Thank you Please lead the way to your garage”
”Certainly, but you will find nothing there but my car”
Lazada led the way to the back of the house and down a flight of stairs to a garage If the sight of constabulary troopers with ready carbines bothered him, he didn't show it But Nast, obviously, orried He kept casting glances at the boys
”Better give the colonel that shoulder gun you ht hurt yourself with it”
Colonel Rojas held out his hand ”Give”
Nast did
In the garage was the li here but olden skull,” Rick said He opened the trunk and reached in for the box!
Lazada screae He leaped for Rick He met Scotty's fist and sat down, hard
Colonel Rojas had been sweating profusely Now, at the sight of the golden skull, he took out his handkerchief, wiped his face, and smiled contentedly ”We'll need a new assistant Secretary now,” he said happily ”And we'll shi+p Mr Nast back to America as an undesirable alien The authorities there will take him into custody”
”Have you found it? Where is the skull?” so up the driveway, and with hiroup sat in Dr Okola's office at the uard Inside, a fabulous collection of golden and silver artifacts, do attention of the Spindrift group, Colonel Rojas, Angel Manotok, and Dr
Okola, with Nangolat as lecturer
When he had finished describing the various objects and their uses, the Ifugao said, ”And now, I ave myself up to Dr Okola He, in turn, will hand me to the police I asked only that I be permitted to examine the treasures”
Tony Briotti shook his head ”I don't understand You're intelligent, well-educated, and well on the road to becoolat's broad face was sad but coel I attacked innocent American scientists who had no evil intentions toward ainst the wishes of their elders It is only because my Gods watched over me that I do not have your blood on my hands But how can I explain?”
His dark eyes pleaded for understanding ”You cannot knohat it is to an Ifugao or an Igorot In America you respect your priines--pri We are sneered at and despised To Americans we are curiosities We wear breechcloths and funny hats that we use for pockets”
”Nangolat!” Dr Okola exclaiht we had always treated you as we did any other student”
”You were the ones who treated el But when I worked with you in tracing down the golden skull and what ithappened The more we learned, the more I resented the attitudes of the others, those who despise the Ifugao as a dog-eating aniolden skull we had the proof that the Ifugaos were better than any of you, that our civilization was older I lost ot reatness of the Ifugao, and that the A to take it away”
”But we said that the artifacts would remain here,” Tony Briotti reminded him ”We told Dr Okola that ould not ask permission to take them out of the country”
”Yes, but I orried I went to Lazada, to plead with him to forbid you to take them under any circumstances, and he told me that he was helpless, officially He said that the A the treasures of overnment would have to yield because we need American financial aid”