The Shadow - Serpents Of Siva Part 12

The stairway surrounded a squarish wall, that was far larger than any pillar. The Shadow was a turn ahead of the men who followed him. Lucky caught no more than a glimpse of a swishing robe at every corner. A doorway was closing at the stair top. Lucky flung himself against it, then yanked the k.n.o.b. The door opened; Lucky went through. He saw a corridor, a door to the right. It was a large, wide portal, and Lucky was sure The Shadow had gone through it.

What alarmed the crook was the blatant sounds he heard, from somewhere outside. He thought that he caught the shrill of police whistles. Stopping near the doorway, he looked toward a flight of stairs. The sounds came louder, up that broad stairway.

Gummer arrived, to recognize the sounds. He swung to Lucky, in alarm: "The bulls!"

Lucky nodded, glowering. It was the cops, all right; and there was no use in going back. That downstairs maze would only prove a trap. Lucky looked toward the open doorway; saw bra.s.s portals hanging on huge hinges. Turning to the crew, he pointed at the doorway.

"The Shadow's in there!" spat Lucky. "Come on - let's get him!"

This time, the hoodlums went first, for Lucky knew what might be due, and so did Gummer. Guns ripped from the instant the first thug entered. Bringing up the rear, the mobleaders stopped just inside the doorway.

For the first time, they viewed the temple of Siva.

Bullets were pounding those bra.s.s-faced walls. Crooks were dropping, with smoking guns in their fists. The Shadow had taken the alcove on the right. He was firing from cover.

Three fresh fighters made a dash across the floor. They were after a bead on The Shadow's vantage spot; but he had left it. He was following their course; cutting in, he flung himself into the trio, milling with his guns.

Footsteps were pounding on the outside stairs. Lucky grabbed a big door; Gummer took the other. They hurried the barriers shut. The bearded Hindu, babbling distractedly, did the only deed that remained to him. He dropped a big bar into place, to clamp the doors shut.

Lucky turned, expecting to witness The Shadow's finish. Instead, he saw the black-cloaked fighter dodging past the Siva statue, to the left. There was a door open to the right of the statue; from it peered the alarmed face of Singhar Bund.

The cult leader saw no more than gun smoke. He slammed his own door, blocking all entrance to his grotto.

"GET The Shadow!"

Lucky bawled the order. Half of his crew had floundered. The rest were diving for the side alcoves. The cry rallied a few to action; but The Shadow had the antidote for the poison they wanted to deal.

As Lucky and two others gained the angle they needed, The Shadow was away again, spinning deep into the alcove at the left of the statue.

Though momentarily out of range, he had put himself in a spot he could not leave. It was Gummer who recognized it; he reached the Siva statue, thrust a revolver past a bronze arm that held a trident. The Shadow saw the pointing muzzle. He fired; Gummer ducked back.

Lucky and the rest made a sudden attack. The Shadow met them pointblank with a fire of three swift shots. With a backstep, he grabbed the door of the big metal casket that stood just behind him. Taking that last refuge, he hauled the door shut.

Lucky reached the casket. Panting, he grabbed the padlocks, snapped them into place. As he finished with the last, he sagged. Gummer reached him; heard his dying cough. Lucky had dared too much, in that last sortie against TheShadow.

There was ominous silence beyond the big bra.s.s doors that Lucky and Gummer had closed. Gummer spun about, snapped to the crooks about him: "Why ain't the bulls ramming? They ought to be trying to get in here.

Say"

- he turned to the bearded Hindu - "ain't there another way out of this joint?"

The Hindu was gesticulating, trying to explain something. It didn't register with Gummer. He nudged his thumb toward the casket in the alcove.

"Lucky boxed The Shadow," he told the Hindu. "You savvy that, don't you?

He's as good as croaked, The Shadow is - but so are we, unless you get us out of here before"

Gummer was predicting trouble from the bra.s.s doors. It came before his sentence was completed. A dull explosion quivered the building. Gummer went staggering against the Siva statue. Reeling to his feet, he looked toward the doors.

Smoke was filtering through shattered bra.s.s. Joe Cardona had remembered those barriers. He had come equipped to demolish them, if Singhar Bund tried to block the police. What went for Singhar Bund, went double for the mobsters who had invaded the Siva temple.

Police were pouring through. Gummer rose to meet them with bullets, along with the remainder of the gang, who now accepted him as leader. They charged into a barrage from police revolvers. Gummer staggered, fell as he turned toward the Siva statue.

Some of the thugs had been gunned down with him; others were surrendering to the law. But the only man that Gummer saw, was the bearded Hindu.

He had gone berserk when the police crashed through. His hand was loosening from a knife handle. Like Gummer, he was through.

WITH dying motions, the Hindu pointed to the Siva statue. He moved his lips; used a hand to cup his ear. Pointing again, he lowered his fingers to touch his lips. His meaning at last was plain.

The dying Hindu wanted Gummer to perform a last task: to speak to the Siva statue. Perhaps it was Gummer's own distorted mental condition that made him understand. Furthermore, he forgot his own plight, in his urge to do the Hindu's bidding.

Gummer began to crawl toward the statue. He toppled; planked his weight forward and clutched the bronze knees with his hands. Raising himself, despite the pain that caught him, Gummer choked the words: "It's Gummer! I'm through - like Lucky. We got - we got The Shadow. He's through - The Shadow -"

Fingers slipping from the bronze, Gummer curled in a heap. His glazed eyes turned upward, toward a face they could not see.

Joe Cardona was stooping above the dead crook, wondering what quirk had caused Gummer to utter those last words.

Because of the big bra.s.s doors, Cardona had heard no sound of the battle in the temple. The thick barriers had cut off all communication. There was nothing to show that The Shadow had been here; not even the batch of mobsters upon the floor.

Cardona supposed that some of those hoodlums had been flattened by the explosion. In the smoke, the police had depended upon sheer force of numbers to riddle the opposition. The fact that so many defenders had taken bullets did not surprise Cardona. He credited his squad with having performed exceptionalmarksmanship.

Nor did Cardona note the oddly satisfied expression on the faces of wounded prisoners who were filing outward. They were keeping mum; but they couldn't completely control their elation over The Shadow's finish. If the police didn't yank him from that coffin in a hurry, The Shadow would be dead for sure.

The police didn't know that The Shadow was in there! Even Cardona, the No.

1 detective, hadn't wised to it. The defeated mobbies didn't intend to tell him.

Cardona was concerned with the door that led to Singhar Bund's grotto. He was about to order another charge of explosive, when the door cautiously opened. Cardona sprang toward it, covered the crack with a revolver point. The door swung wide.

There stood Singhar Bund. He was wearing tuxedo instead of robe; but he still had on his turban. His hands were lifted slightly; his lips wore a forced smile.

"So it is you, inspector!" Singhar Bund tried to look pleased. "I heard the explosion. I am grateful. You have rescued me from a desperate situation."

"We'll see about that," returned Cardona. "Who else is in that grotto?"

"A few of my chelas. I was consulting the crystal. It clouded, just before the trouble began. I remained calm; later, the crystal cleared, and -"

"And you stuck your nose out? That bunk is through, Singhar Bund. I'm arresting you, for murder!"

Singhar Bund stared, a horrified innocence forced to his face. From the room came others, who had attended the earlier meeting; among them was Phineas Leeth.

"You folks can go home," Cardona told them. "I'll take care of this faker."

"But I need witnesses!" protested Singhar Bund. "Those who can testify that I was here all evening."

Cardona agreed that those who wished could stay. A few of the less nervous cult members remained; Leeth was among them. The rest had gone, when Commissioner Weston arrived to congratulate Cardona on his work.

Those congratulations brought a stolid smile from the ace inspector.

Cardona was thinking of The Shadow's part. Joe's one hope was that he could return the favor to The Shadow. Sometime, perhaps, The Shadow would be in a plight where Cardona could really aid him.

While he considered that improbable prospect, Inspector Joe Cardona was staring at the padlocked casket wherein The Shadow had been entombed by men of crime!

CHAPTER XX.

SYMBOLS OF SIVA.

SINGHAR BUND stood with folded arms before the statue of Siva. His smile had gone; for he had heard a deeper accusation than he thought would come.

Singhar Bund was ready to shift blame for the deaths of Rensh.e.l.l and Sarmon; evidence still pinned them on Morton Mayland. But the names that Cardona mentioned made the suave Hindu quiver.

"And then Welk," completed Cardona. "He was the last of those fake accident victims. But you went after Bolingbroke, and, tonight, you made a stab at Selwood.

"Those dacoits needed to get Selwood worst of all, because he knew thathis niece was goofy about this c.o.c.keyed cult of yours. That finishes you.

Singhar Bund."

The Hindu shifted. He saw Commissioner Weston was as firm-faced as Cardona. With them were two detectives, ready to clamp the bracelets on Singhar Bund. Of the members who composed the Siva cult, all were gone, with one exception.

Phineas Leeth was present. He looked crushed. His eyes had reflected horror, as they viewed the twitchy face of the man whom he had once upheld.

Licking his dried lips, Singhar Bund tried to find some answer. Words did not come. He could not dispute that list that Cardona held: the one with the names of victims whose wealth had filled the coffers of Siva.

Where the list had come from, Singhar Bund could not guess. Cardona knew, but did not mention it. The list was from The Shadow.

Cardona had found it back at headquarters. The statement had borne The Shadow's signature when Cardona first read it; but that had faded, afterward.

The incriminating facts, typewritten to the finest detail, had remained.

There was a knock against one of the shattered bra.s.s doors. Cardona turned, to see Lucille Mayland. Singhar Bund showed new worry when the girl entered. Lucille no longer had that self-sufficient air that went with the followers of Siva.

Coolly, Lucille told the story of her abduction; how she had been held a prisoner in a cell room below the temple. When she had finished, she looked past Singhar Bund. She was studying the statue, when she declared: "Siva has many arms -"

Lucille paused. Cardona supplied the rest.

"Lucky Belther and his outfit," said Joe. "They were called the Arms. The strong-arm boys."

"And many eyes -"

"Gummer Gilben and his crew. We finished the lot of them."

Lucille studied the gruesome necklace that girded the throat of Siva.

"We know about that, too," stated Cardona. "The Serpents were a bunch of dacoits. They're finished. But the skulls were victims. They pin the goods on Singhar Bund."

LUCILLE still eyed the statue. She was remembering words that The Shadow had spoken. Not knowing the girl's thoughts, Cardona took another channel.

"We'll clear your grandfather," he told Lucille. "It's plain enough that he was the goat for this Siva stuff. Singhar Bund had to have a fall guy."

Lucille's eyes were still fixed upon the placid faces of the giant Siva.

In emotionless tone, she stated another fact: "Siva has three heads -"

Cardona looked at the statue, then at Weston. He started to say something; the commissioner intervened.

"The girl's right!" snapped Weston, always intrigued by the unusual.

"There are three heads on the statue, inspector. The symbolism should certainly apply."

Dumfoundment held Cardona; then came the inevitable hunch. With a quick turn, Cardona looked at Singhar Bund, saw the alarm that the Hindu registered.

Another half turn, Cardona spied another face that was trying to control itself. With a long stride, Cardona reached Phineas Leeth.

"You're in it!" snapped Cardona. "Sure, you're in it! Pa.s.sing yourself as Sap No. 1, to lead on the suckers. Who started me on the phony trail, anyway?

You did!

"That's why you called me up to the Ritz Plaza, to ask me what I knew about Hindus. You were worried, weren't you? And when I went out to get my whiskers, you called Singhar Bund, to tell him I'd be at the meeting. That'show he knew who I was."

Leeth was protesting, wildly. Cardona laughed him down. Joe was pleased because The Shadow had left him something to find out for himself, even though The Shadow had previously divined it.

"This racket needed dough to get started," snorted Cardona. "Not just a little; but a lot. That makes you the angel, Leeth; and Singhar Bund is the front. Only there's one more guy" - Joe was thinking hard, but finding no answer - "one more: the real brain!"

"I can name him," declared Lucille. "Gladly, too, because his connection with these crimes is strongest proof of my grandfather's innocence. Tonight, when I suspected I was watched, someone called me on the telephone.

"I recognized his voice; and he knew it. That is why I was taken prisoner.

But I am free; and I can name the man whose voice I heard. Courtney Rensh.e.l.l - the third and central Head of Siva!"

ALL eyes were on Lucille. Ears heard a m.u.f.fled sound that they scarcely noted, until it finished with a sudden clang. The stroke came from the Siva statue.

Turning, they saw uptilted sheets of bronze. The platform fronting the huge idol had lifted apart on hinges.

In the s.p.a.ce stood a sallow, dark-haired man whose face blazed fury. His eyes were as vicious as those of the departed Serpents. The hiss from his lips was more snakish than their signal call. The revolvers in Rensh.e.l.l's fists were trained to cover all members of the group except Phineas Leeth and Singhar Bund.

Arms were stretched. Weston and Cardona glowered their chagrin. The d.i.c.ks looked sullen, especially when Leeth and Singhar Bund helped themselves to the revolvers that the detectives carried.

Lucille's eyes remained steady. The girl felt no terror.

Oddly, she had expected Rensh.e.l.l to appear from some secret place. The square walls of the lower floor were explained. The metal stairway girded the secret room wherein Rensh.e.l.l had lodged after his disappearance.

"For once," sneered Rensh.e.l.l, "I can waste words. My methods, it appears, were learned by someone who calls himself 'The Shadow.' Since we have not heard from him, in person, I shall divulge the facts he learned.