Part 28 (2/2)

CHAPTER XIX

The Nipa Hut

Colonel Felix Rojas paced the floor of Tony Briotti's room in the Manila Hotel He was in uniform now, but his visit, as he made quite clear, was not official At least not yet

Rick had just finished relating the story of how the golden skull had fallen into the hands of Lazada ”Can't you just go to him and demand the skull?” he asked

Rojas smiled sadly ”If only it were that simple Suppose two Malays arrived at your Department of Defense and claimed that your assistant Secretary of the Interior had stolen a valuable Indian necklace froical expedition What would happen?”

Rick knew perfectly ould happen ”They would get thrown out--if they could get anyone to listen to them in the first place”

”Exactly The situation is not particularly different, except that I'm sure we pay more attention to Americans here than you would to Malays in your country After all, you owned us for nearly half a century”

”You warned us,” Scotty said ”Why?”

Rojas shrugged ”I olat's visits to Lazada In fact, I was present at oneAnd I knew that our esteeold If I could prove soer hold public office He would be in jail My hands were tied, officially, but unofficially I tried to warn you I couldn't coht out and denounce Lazada”

”Of course not,” Tony agreed ”We're grateful that you were able to say as much as you did”

Rojas nodded ”Let us continue After you flew back to Bontoc, what happened?”

Rick picked up his tale ”Pilipil was on the o to Banaue in the jeep, then we landed at Bontoc and picked up the other jeep Chahda becauio right ahile I stayed behind in Bontoc”

”I don't get the point of that,” Rojas interrupted

”Chahda intended to follow Lazada or Nast, whoever had the skull They were coon, and there were only two routes they could take--north to the Kalinga country, or south to Baguio We didn't think they would go north So Chahda started for Baguio, knowing that they would probably catch up to hiate They were in so orot who pulled to the side of the one-lane road to let the them easier”

”Smart,” Rojas said ”Then your friends arrived at Bontoc late that afternoon, and you flew the the truck”

”Yes Of course we paid off Pilipil, Balaban, and the Igorots who had guarded the plane Dog Meat rode back with Angel”

”And you haven't heard from your Hindu friend since?”

”No”

Rojas picked up his cap ”I would like very olden skull in his possession It would be a ive the Secretary and the President positive grounds for his dismissal I ask a favor If you hear fro,” Tony Briotti promised