ads."

The boys did so, with no hesitation. In spite of Youssef's apparently
casual manner, both knew he would not hesitate to shoot. He raised his
voice and shouted in Arabic. The boys stiffened as footsteps sounded
behind them and gun muzzles were thrust into their backs. Youssef
vanished from the window and reappeared in a moment through the door.

"You're a difficult young man," he told Rick. "But the time for being
difficult is over. I want the cat, now."

"I left it in Hassan's car," Rick said, with pretended hopelessness.

Youssef spoke in Arabic. The pressure of the gun muzzle left Rick's
back. He felt a cord being slipped around his forehead, a cord with hard
knots that fell across his temples.

"What you feel is a strangler's cord," the thief said grimly. "Don't be
a fool. The cat means nothing to you; you were merely a messenger boy.
Give me the cat and you will be left alone."

"Not until the evidence is destroyed," Rick thought. "Not until we're
dead."

"It's in the car," he repeated.

Youssef lost his composure. He snapped an order in Arabic and the cord
tightened. Rick gritted his teeth. Next to him, Scotty bent forward.

"Don't try it," the thief grated. "I only need one of you." His black
eyes bored into Rick's. "One of my men watched you and Moustafa search
Hassan's car this morning. The cat was not there. Where is it?"

Rick started to shout that he didn't know, when a burst of shooting
accompanied by wild yells broke out outside. Youssef spoke quickly in
Arabic, then turned to the boys. "Sit down in those chairs. Move, and
you die. I will deal with you when I have found out what this is all
about."

The shooting gained in volume and the yells increased. The boys took the
seats and stared at the big Sudanese, who was covering them with the
Sten gun. The strangler's cord was draped carelessly about his neck.

"That's a real gun fight outside," Scotty whispered.

Rick nodded. He could detect several guns of different calibers, and the
chatter of Sten guns was distinctive. What was going on?

The shooting lessened, then stopped altogether. The shouting increased.
The big Sudanese kept glancing over his shoulder at the doorway, as
though fearful of what he might see, but he always glanced back too
quickly for the boys to act.

"Watch it," Scotty said from the corner of his mouth. Rick casually got
his feet under him and tensed.

Scotty's eyes opened wide and he choked, "Inspector!"

T