es.
But when they told him as much, he laughed it off.

"Oh, I'm sure that's overdoing it a bit. What that crew was probably
after was a bit of ransom. Pirates are still something of a problem
around here, you know. We've had regular ocean-going craft picked off by
them and held. I've enjoyed it immensely, and if thanks are due, I'll
give them to you. Life was getting to be a bit of a bore."

And that settled it, so far as Keaton-Yeats was concerned. He drove them
to the Kowloon ferry, but suggested that they take a walla-walla in view
of their disreputable appearance. As they shook hands all around, he
said, "Oddest thing. To me, the most curious business was that chap who
watched us. Not the Eurasian. Another one. It was because of him that we
suspected new recruits for our pirate friends were on the way."

"What did he look like?" Rick asked.

"Can't say. We never did see his face. Or any of him, for that matter.
Somewhere up the alley was an open door, and he was standing in it,
against the light. At least I believe that was the case, for all we saw
was his shadow. A most unusual shadow, at that. It was so long and thin
that it looked like a pole with a head and limbs. Our Eurasian friend
was a bit disturbed by it, too, for he mumbled something about blowing
the creature's head off if he stepped out of his doorway."

"But you didn't see anything except the shadow?" Scotty asked.

"Not a blessed thing. There was just that form, outlined in light,
stretching clear across the alley. It was uncanny, because to cast a
shadow such as that the bloke must have been ten feet high and no
thicker than a pencil!"

They had found the Golden Mouse. Now another bit of Chahda's cable had
come to life. Rick's lips formed the words.

"Long Shadow!"

CHAPTER VIII

Long Shadow

"Wheels within wheels and all of them turning merrily," Zircon said. "I
am absolutely appalled at how little we know of what is going on."

The three of them, refreshed by showers, were in the hotel dining room
having a late snack.

"Anyway, we have friends working for us," Scotty pointed out. "I think
our British pal did just as he said. He found out that the Golden Mouse
was not the sort of place for a couple of American tourists and decided
to go there in case we needed help."

Rick agreed. "And thank heaven he did. But I have a couple of questions,
besides the biggest one of all."

"The biggest one being: Where is Chahda?" Scotty a