The Golden Skull: A Rick Brant Science-Adventure Story Page 7

  CHAPTER VII

  Igorot Country

  Rick and Scotty awoke the next morning with a feeling of well-being.After the heat of Manila the cool air of Baguio had caused them to sleeplike logs. Also, things appeared to be going well, and Chahda finallyhad contacted them.

  The contact had been a brief one. Chahda had gone, promising to keep intouch with them as best he could. The Hindu boy was on the trail ofJames Nast, hoping that by keeping close watch he could anticipate, andperhaps prevent, any action Nast might try to take against the Spindriftparty.

  "Dog Meat," Rick said, grinning, as the two knocked on Tony Briotti'sdoor. "It may be a fine old ceremonial name in this part of the world,but to me it's just a meal for Dismal."

  Dismal was the Brant family pup. When Rick thought of the pagans eatingdog, he always thought of Dismal served up as a roast, and the thoughtmade him ill. He had decided that he might admire the fine qualities ofthe Igorot and Ifugao people, but the mental image of Dismal among thepoor, beaten mongrels in the dog market would always keep him from beingreally fond of them.

  Tony failed to answer the door. "Probably gone down to breakfastalready," Scotty said. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Chahda won'thave much trouble finding Nast. Baguio isn't very big and there aren'tvery many Americans. Wonder what Nast will try to do?"

  Rick shrugged. "How can we guess? There are so many things about thispart of the world we don't know. He might have two dozen slick tricks uphis sleeve. The best thing we can do is be on guard all the time. I'mglad we sent Angel out to guard the plane."

  As they passed the hotel desk, the clerk hailed them. "Mr. Brant? Amessage for you."

  "Probably from Chahda," Rick said. But he was wrong. The note was fromTony, and it made Rick's eyes widen. He read it aloud:

  "'Dear boys. Woke up at dawn with something nagging at me. It brokethrough my thick skull while I was having coffee. The Ifugao No Palatemust be Nangolat. It's the name Okola mentioned--his prize student. Iknow of no other Ifugao with even a less remote connection. Also, theshape of Angel's face bothers me. I am going to the airport on a hunch.Be back about eight, with Angel.'"

  Scotty pointed to a wall clock. It was nearly nine o'clock. They hadslept late.

  The two boys, without a word, ran for the door. Outside the hotel aFilipino taxi waited. They jumped in and gasped in one voice: "BaguioAirport!"

  "The chucklehead," Scotty groaned. "Why didn't he wake us up? Why did hehave to go alone?"

  "Relax," Rick said, but he didn't really mean it. "It was just an ideahe had that this Ifugao might be tied up with Angel. After all, Okolarecommended Angel." He recognized the fallacy in his argument as soon asthe words were out, but Scotty was already pointing to it.

  "Yes. Angel is Okola's boy, and so is this Nangolat. What's more likelythan their being close friends? Angel could be giving Nangolat a helpinghand."

  The taxi climbed the winding streets of Baguio, passed the Americanmilitary rest camp and the Baguio residence of the American ambassador,and finally entered the airport.

  One quick look around the field showed them that the truck was missing.The Sky Wagon was waiting by itself. On Rick's quick instructions thetaxi raced to the plane. They got out and took a quick look.

  "No sign of damage," Scotty said. "Let's ask at the airport office."

  The office was closed. It was operated by Philippine Air Lines, and wasonly kept open during the day, starting one hour before the day's firstflight to Manila or from the big city. The first flight on this day wasnot until ten thirty.

  A pair of workmen with shovels were scratching listlessly at the gravelon the opposite side of the field. The boys jumped into the taxi andtold the driver to cross the field.

  Rick leaned out. "Did you see a truck?"

  The men smiled and nodded.

  "How long ago?" Rick called.

  The men smiled some more, then shrugged.

  The Filipino cab driver spoke to them in Ilokano, the Christian dialectof the province. They answered briefly, smiled at the boys again, andwent back to scratching at the gravel. Apparently they were supposed tobe leveling the shoulders of the runway. If so, the shoulders would bestooped with age before they were finished.

  The Filipino cab driver turned to the boys. "Sir, these men not seetruck. They be here since maybe two hours. No truck."

  "But they said they did!" Scotty exclaimed.

  Rick interrupted, "Ask them if they saw an American, alone."

  The driver exchanged quick syllables with the workmen. "They seeAmerican. He get in sedan which waiting for him, and go off."

  "Who was in the sedan?"

  Again the driver translated. "They not see. It on other side of field.Only know maybe three men, maybe American, maybe Filipino. They notknow."

  "Take us back to the hotel," Rick commanded. "And thanks forinterpreting for us."

  "They said they saw the truck," Scotty insisted.

  Rick shook his head. "Remember what Tony once told us. Never ask aquestion that can be answered yes or no, or the answer will be yeswhether that's the answer or not. That's as true in the Philippines asit is in China or anywhere else in the Orient. I don't think they sawthe truck, but I'm sure they did see Tony go off in a sedan. I'mworried, Scotty."

  "Same. Of course the men in the sedan could just have offered Tony alift back to the hotel."

  "What were they doing at the airport? The sign on the office door saidthe first flight from Manila was at ten thirty. No one uses the fieldbut PAL, a few travelers like us, and maybe military planes."

  "I don't believe he just got a lift. But it's a possibility."

  "We'll soon know," Rick said. "Driver, please hurry."

  The Filipino grinned. "Sor, would like to please customer. But hurry onthese roads is break the necks, I think so."

  "He's right," Scotty agreed. "We'll get there soon enough."

  Within a few moments they were back at the hotel. Rick paid the driverand thanked him for the help, then they ran in and confronted the clerk."Is Dr. Briotti back?"

  "I haven't seen him, gentlemen. Just a moment please." The clerk lookedin Tony's box. "His key is not here. Have you called his room?"

  "Not yet. Would you have seen him if he came in?" Rick asked.

  "Perhaps. Perhaps not. I've been doing some paper work, and unless hecame to the desk, I might not notice him."

  The boys nodded their thanks and hurried up the stairs to Tony's room.They tried the door, then knocked loudly. There was no answer. Theyknocked again, waited, then stared at each other bleakly.

  "Now what?" Rick had a feeling that Tony was in danger. He didn't knowwhy he felt that way when the only news they had was that he had goneoff in a sedan with three men. The workmen hadn't said that he hadfought, or that he had been pulled into the car. He voiced his thoughtsas he followed Scotty to their room.

  "That means nothing," Scotty pointed out. "He probably wouldn't arguewith a gun pointing out the window at him. The workmen probably wouldn'thave noticed a pistol barrel."

  "You're right, as usual. Well, what now?"

  "Call the cops?"

  "What would we say? Tony hasn't been gone more than an hour or two, sofar as we know. That's not reason enough to call the cops. We couldn'ttell them about Chahda and what he said. They wouldn't believe any suchstories about their Assistant Secretary of the Interior, and if theydid, they'd probably be afraid to do much about it. If Tony doesn't showup in another hour or two, we probably ought to call the police. But notyet."

  Scotty had worn a jacket because the morning was cool. But now the roomwas warm, and he went to the closet to hang it up.

  "Hey, Tony must have taken the earth scanner with him."

  Rick was in the act of sitting down on his bed. He bounced up like arubber ball. "What? He couldn't have!"

  "Well, it's gone. And who else would have taken it?"

  "Tony didn't. He hasn't been in this room, except last night when Chahdawas here, and he didn't take the scanner t
hen."

  Scotty snapped his fingers. "You gave Angel your key and told him toclean up!"

  Rick slumped down on the bed again. That was it, of course. It had tobe. No one else had had the chance to get the equipment, barring thepossibility that the hotel personnel were dishonest, and there was noreason to suspect them.

  "Then the equipment went with him last night. And we didn't notice untilnow. But we would have noticed if it had been gone, wouldn't we? I'vebeen to the closet a dozen times and so have you."

  "Means nothing. I don't know why I noticed just now that the stuff wasgone. But there was nothing to call our attention to it last night orthis morning. Anyway, it was behind my big suitcase--I know. I knockedthe suitcase over when I closed the closet door this morning, and Ididn't stop to pick it up. It's still on its side. That's why I noticedthat the earth scanner wasn't there."

  "If we needed any proof that Angel is a bad one, probably in cahootswith Nangolat, we have it. Scotty, what are we going to do?"

  "Call the cops," Scotty said grimly. "Now we have a theft to report." Hestrode for the phone, but before he could pick it up there was a sharpring. Scotty answered. "Yes?" He listened, hung up hastily, and turnedto Rick.

  "The clerk says there's a Filipino in the lobby who wants to see us.Says he knows us."

  "Chahda! It must be. He's posing as a pagan of some kind, and we don'tknow any other Filipinos."

  Rick's thoughts were expressed as he and Scotty ran down the hall, thentook the stairs four at a time.

  "That's not Chahda!" Scotty pointed to a big Filipino who was stridingback and forth in front of the desk. The man was Scotty's size, andbuilt in about the same proportions. Around his head was what at firstglance appeared to be a kind of turban. At second glance the boys sawthat it was a thick bandage.

  The Filipino saw them and came toward them with quick strides. His faceprobably was pleasant most of the time, but now it was grim, his mouthcreased in lines of pain.

  "Mr. Brant and Mr. Scott?"

  "Yes," Rick said. "And you...."

  "I am Angel Manotok!" the Filipino said.