ird held the most important object of the expedition--the Spindrift
Experimental Earth Scanner, called SEES for short, and further
abbreviated by the boys to a sibilant hiss.

"How's the SS working?" Scotty would ask, and Rick would answer: "'Sfine
'scan be."

The boys were old hands at expeditions and they had learned from bitter
experience about the number of unexpected things that can happen to
baggage, so in spite of some opposition from the hotel clerk, they
insisted on stowing the supplies in their room. This done, they got into
bathing trunks and cooled off in the hotel pool. There was nothing to do
now but wait for Tony--and Chahda.

When they returned from their swim a message was waiting, brought by a
messenger from Tony Briotti. Rick read it, then handed it to Scotty.
They were to have dinner with Tony's colleague Okola, and an Assistant
Secretary of the Interior, a Mr. Lazada, at the latter's house. Dinner
was at ten. They were to arrive a half hour early, and wear dinner
jackets.

"Dinner at ten!" Scotty was stunned. "It must be a mistake. No one could
live until that hour without food."

The desk clerk overheard the comment and smiled. "Old Spanish custom,
sir. Many Filipinos follow Spanish custom."

"Very fine for those who are used to it," Rick said. "But here's one
Americano who is not going to follow Filipinos who follow old Spanish
custom."

"Two Americanos," Scotty corrected. "We will follow old American custom
of snack early, English custom of dinner at eight, and then Spanish
custom of dinner at ten. That way we get plenty chow, hey?"

This exchange was for their own benefit. The clerk did not overhear
because they were hurrying to their rooms to change.

It was not too early to get into dinner jackets. They hauled out what
Scotty called their "penguin rigs" and got into them. In spite of
feeling a little self-conscious, they looked brown and handsome in their
white tropical jackets with maroon bow ties.

They found a table on the porch, looking out over Manila Bay and the
great field called The Luneta. By turning a little Rick could see the
traffic on Dewey Boulevard. Rick had never seen anything like it.
Apparently Filipino drivers were all mad at something, and all under the
impression that no other vehicles were on the road. Also, Filipino
drivers obviously had wild affection for their horns. They tooted
constantly.

"The life of a pedestrian must be less than ten minutes in this