"You little idiot!" Balcom almost hissed. "I'll not tolerate a failure, either. Get out!"
Although Zita almost went on her knees in her pleading to him, Balcom was adamant, and finally she left in utter despair.
Outside, she telephoned to Paul to see if she might induce him to use his influence in reinstating her in his father's good graces.
As soon as Zita was gone Balcom busied himself with the ancient brazier and was standing before a small image of Buddha. He took a small package and from it poured a powder into the bowl of the brazier. Then, going to the table, he wrote a short note, after which he went to a divan and awaited Locke's coming.
Balcom had not long to wait. A ring came at the door and Balcom leaped to his feet and lighted the powder in the brazier. Then he adjusted a gas-mask that Doctor Q had given him, and, returning to the divan, lay down, pulling a camel's-hair coverlet well over himself as he awaited results.
There was a rap at the door and a peremptory demand for entrance--a pause--and a whispered consultation outside.
As there was no answer, heavy blows were rained upon the door, and finally it gave way.
Three men stumbled into the room. They stared about, then started to search the place. One by one they started to cough. Locke, who was the farthest away from the brazier, seemed to be the least affected.
Finally he spied the note on the table and snatched it up. By the dim light he read:
You will never live to capture me. The deadly gas is even now killing you.
Locke gasped. There was the sound of a heavy fall behind him. He turned and saw that one of his men was down.
He took a step forward, when the other pitched on his face.
Locke tried to rescue them, but by this time the deadly fumes had reached him and he, too, fell to the floor, coughing his life away.
At that moment Balcom got up from the divan and, stepping over Locke's prostrate body, left the place, forgetting to close the door behind him.
When Zita telephoned Paul, Paul made an immediate appointment for her to meet him at Doctor Q's, and when she arrived there Paul was already in conference with the doctor.
Over the telephone Zita had already given Paul a brief account of what had happened, and thus the two men were prepared with a plan when she arrived.