rowd dispersed and the three walked back to the hotel. Zircon left
them in the lobby. "Be back shortly. I'm going to wire Okola about
pirates."

In their room the boys took off their outer clothes and sprawled on
their beds in shorts. "This is shaping up to something big," Rick said
thoughtfully.

"I know what you mean. Robbery at Cotabato, kidnaping at Davao, and now
this. It must tie together. Apparently some people have heard of the
Pirates of Shan, but most haven't."

"Strange the constabulary doesn't know about them. But I suppose it's
natural enough in an area like this, with only a few troops and millions
of square miles. But why would pirates take our friends?"

Scotty didn't even try to guess. "Isn't Chahda due pretty soon?" he
asked.

"Not until eight." Rick had given Chahda details of the findings at the
Bagobo village and the Hindu boy had decided to spend another day in
Davao. He would join them at Bayot's.

"At least we're collecting some pieces that add up," Rick said with more
satisfaction than he had felt in a long time. He closed his eyes and
began to review the information they had obtained. Presently he drifted
off to sleep.

Scotty woke Rick some time later. "Wake up! Chahda's here."

Rick sat up, blinking. "What time is it?"

"After nine. We're due at dinner shortly."

"Where's Chahda?"

"Getting cleaned up. He'll be back."

"Where's Zircon?"

"Gone out. He had a call from the hotel desk."

Rick got into the shower for a quick wake-up bath. By the time he was
dressed Zircon had returned, a yellow sheet of paper in his hands.
Chahda arrived a moment later.

"All here," Chahda said. "Good. Now I tell. You know who got our
friends? Pirates!"

Rick stared at him in awe. "How did you find that out?"

"Word you said, one that scared Bagobos. I said it too, in few places at
Davao. I try different ways to say, and I must have said it good one
time. Filipino snapped at me to shut up, because word no good. But did
Chahda shut up?"

"Never," Scotty said emphatically.

"Is true. Anyway, Filipino whispers to me about Pirates of Shan. He
knows little. Only that they kill quick, and no one knows who is a
pirate and who is not. Not many have heard of them."

"Some have," Zircon interjected. He waved the paper. "Okola replied by
return wire. Listen."

The big physicist read: "'Pirates of Shan date back to seventeenth
century. Originally Chinese Moslems, later joined by Filipino Moslems