But to return to what I was saying--your job
was to smash my little system, and if you pull it off, it's a
feather in your cap. Well, you've killed two of my people and
you've arrested the ringleader."
"Meaning Behrend?" asked Desmond.
"Behrend be hanged! I mean Nur-el-Din!"
"Nur-el-Din was not the ringleader," said Desmond, "as well you
know, Strangwise!"
"Your employers evidently don't share your views, Desmond," he
replied, "all the documents were found on Nur-el-Din!"
"Bah!" retorted Desmond, "and what of it? Mightn't they have been
planted on her in order to get her arrested to draw the suspicion
away from the real criminal, yourself?"
Strangwise laughed a low, mellow laugh.
"You're devilish hard to convince," he remarked. "Perhaps you'll
change your mind about it when I tell you that Nur-el-Din was
sentenced to death by a general court-martial yesterday
afternoon."
The blow struck Desmond straight between the eyes. The execution
of spies followed hard on their conviction, he knew. Was he too
late?
"Has... has she... has the sentence already been carried out?" he
asked hoarsely.
Strangwise shrugged his shoulders.
"My information didn't go as far as that!" he replied. "But I
expect so. They don't waste much time over these matters, old
man! You see, then," he continued, "you've got the ringleader,
and you shall have the other two members of the organization and
save your own life into the bargain if you will be reasonable and
treat with me.
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