Stan continued to study the Robin, but his thoughts were with the Jap base near the temple. The Flying Tigers had never spotted this base in the jungle. He turned to Niva.
“How many planes have they hidden in the jungle?” he asked.
“They have fifty big ones and many small, fast ones, so I have heard the officers say. They are hidden in the trees beyond the big temple with the red roof,” Niva answered.
“They are to be used to bomb and to kill your people,” Stan said. “If I can get away I will come back and destroy them.”
“You must get away. But I cannot go. I will be safe here. I will go back to my room and will be in bed when my maid comes. I have work yet to do.” She smiled up at him. “When I take off this robe and turban I will be a girl again.”
“I’m afraid you won’t be safe,” Stan said.
“I will be safe,” Niva assured him. “I can walk out and talk to those men. Could you get the flying machine away if I got them to take me across the street to that little shop? I am very thirsty and they could buy me a drink.”
Stan looked at her for a long minute. “I think you’re taking a lot of chances just to get me off.”
“I take some chances, but always I have taken chances. For a long time I have been a hired spy. I do not think Te Nuwa will press me with many questions. He will call in his dacoit and the dacoit will lie as will the temple helpers who work with him. I will have many to help me.”
“But the men out there will recognize you. They’ll probably suspect you of helping me and tell the police,” Stan argued.
“When you start the machine it will make much noise. The men will rush out to stop you. I will come here into the shadows and put on the boy’s outfit. I will go down to the street and mingle with the crowd. I am a boy much of the time. I go about listening to what the people say about the Japanese.” Niva laughed softly. “You love the danger of flying. I love danger, too. Get ready to act as soon as I have drawn those silly guards away from the shed.”
“I’ll come back and get you out of here,” Stan promised.
“You may do that. I will be looking for you.” She gave him a saucy toss of her head. “Here I go.”
She slipped out of her white robe and laid aside her turban. Then she faced Stan. Stan looked down at her and grinned.