The Veiled Lady (14 page)

Colonel Weeks paced the Jungle Patrol airfield while his helicopter was being readied. His pipe had gone out and he was swinging it as he walked, like a scythe. "Why did I wait so long?" he said. "We should have gone in after that girl the moment we lost radio contact."

Walking at his side, Sergeant Barnum said, "That's hindsight talking, sir. We had no way of knowing would go up. She's been dormant all these years."

"I suppose you're right, Barnum," admitted the colonel. "Still, I feel completely responsible for Doctor Love. If she's killed by this

Barnum nodded at the JP copter. "They're signaling to us, sir. Let's go."

Striding across the field toward the ship, Weeks said, "I should never have allowed her to go down there in the first place."

Barnum stepped aside to allow the commander to precede him into the copter. "You shouldn't feel so paternal, sir."

The colonel frowned at him for a few seconds, then smiled a little. "I guess that's part of the job, Barnum."

Soon the Jungle Patrol ship was whirring up into the afternoon, leaving Mawitaan behind and heading for the Llongo country and .

"What's the latest on the volcano?" the sergeant asked the red-haired young pilot.

"They're moving everybody within a five-mile radius of ," answered the pilot. "The whole country around there is suffering from earthquakes. Looks like she'll erupt for sure."

Colonel Weeks said, "Let's hope we get there in time."

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"You're not figuring on going down into that volcano, sir?" the stocky Sergeant Barnum wanted to know.

"Huh?" blurted the redheaded pilot before he got control of himself.

"I'm not sure," said the gray-haired colonel. "If I do, you needn't worry. I won't risk anyone but myself."

Barnum decided to try to change the subject. "How about that Barber guy?"

The colonel was watching the landscape unroll below them. "What did you say, Sergeant?"

"I was speculating about Barber," said Sergeant Barnum. "The so-called mastermind behind the plot.

What do you think of that treasure business?"

"It's hard to tell," said the colonel. "I suppose a fortune in gold and jewels could have been thrown into centuries ago."

"Barber sure believes in it," said the sergeant. "He's convinced Doctor Love went into the volcano to get herself the treasure."

"People with obsessions sometimes get to believing everybody shares them." The colonel tapped the pilot's shoulder. "See if you can contact Sandy or Smythe in one of our patrol ships near the volcano."

"Yes, sir," replied the red-haired boy. In a moment he said, "Here's Sandy, sir."

"Sandy, this is Colonel Weeks."

"I guess you know about what's happening here, sir.

"Yes, we're on our way out there to you now. How does it look?"

"Bad," replied Sandy. "Very bad, Colonel. Smoke is pouring up out of the volcano now-black smoke, yellow smoke. The whole peak is trembling and quakes are shaking up the whole countryside."

"I don't suppose," asked the colonel slowly, "you've spotted any sign of anyone inside?"

"No, sir. Sorry. Not a trace of Doctor Love. If she's still alive in there now, sir, well

"Yes, I know, Sandy."

"There is one thing, sir. This morning a couple of teenage boys from the Llongo tribe came to the base to tell us they thought they saw another copter flying up and into ."

"Yes, I know about that."

"What was it, sir, some kind of private rescue team?"

"Some kind of private hijackers," replied the colonel. "Any trace of them?"

"Nope," answered Sandy. "Like I said, all you can see now is smoke and more smoke. It's really shooting out of the old mountain now. And flecks of fire are showing up. It's like the biggest

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fireworks' display you've ever seen. Or maybe like the end of the world, with fire and brimstone."

To Sergeant Barnum, the colonel said, "We'll never get there before it goes."

"Doesn't seem like it," agreed the sergeant.

All signs of civilization were gone below them now. They were flying over jungle. Gazing down, Colonel Weeks said, "They say the Deep Woods is down there someplace. And somewhere down there may be the Phantom."

"I thought he was just an ancient legend, sir," said the young pilot. "Isn't he?"

"The Phantom is more than a legend," said the gray-haired colonel. "I wish I had someone like him helping me now."

"Colonel Weeks," came Sandy's voice out of the radio. "Colonel Weeks?"

"Go ahead, Sandy. What is it?"

" is erupting," Sandy told him. Over the radio came a terrific explosion. "Can you hear that? She's spewing lava now; it's running down the side of the mountain. I'm glad we got the people out of the area in time."

"All except Doctor Love," said the colonel, slumping back in his seat.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

The Phantom tested the rope. "You first, Karl," he said. "That way you can take care of any emergencies on the ground."

The four of them were huddled on the mountainside, clear of the sputtering falls which were beginning to shoot out lava.

Karl gave Jan a smile before starting his climb down the shaking side of the volcano.

The air all around them was a sooty orange color. There was a strong smell of sulphur.

Jan rubbed her eyes. "It's raining ash and rocks," she said. "Be careful, Karl."

The bearded biologist was twenty feet down the rope.

"All right." The masked man tapped the girl on her shoulder. "You next, Doctor Love."

"Shouldn't Gabe go?"

"I'm okay," the pilot said. "Arid the old rule is women and children first, remember?"

Jan gripped the vine rope, went over the side of the ledge.

When she'd descended a dozen feet or so, the Phantom said, "Your turn, Gabe."

"I can bring up the rear if you like," he offered.

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"I'll do that."

"Okay then," said Gabe. "Here goes."

The explosions within the long-dormant volcano were growing louder and louder. It was like being in a city under bombardment. The air was thickening with black smoke; great flakes of ash and red-glowing rocks were falling everywhere. Tongues of flame seemed to flicker in the deepening blackness.

Down below the Phantom, Gabe coughed. He had already made it down ten feet of rope. Karl was nearly to the ground, Jan still some fifty feet up.

The masked man took hold of the rope and backed over the ledge. A few yards to his right scarlet-glaring lava was flowing out of the cavern they had so recently departed.

"Hey, look out, Doctor Love!" warned Gabe.

A flaming bit of volcanic debris had slapped against Jan's back. Her blouse was starting to smolder.

"Hang on," said Gabe, "I'll put it out." He let go of the rope with one hand and was about to slide down to the girl.

The mountain gave a huge shake.

Gabe partially lost his grip on the rope. He fell. "Oh, Gabe!" cried Jan. The flames were commencing to flicker around the blackened place at the back of her blouse.

"Don't fret." Gabe got hold of the vine rope after falling a half-dozen feet. It rubbed a wide raw welt across his palms before he slowed himself. He was now hanging only a few feet above the girl. "We got to get you put out."

Jan was trying to reach over her shoulder to swat the burgeoning flames.

Meantime the Phantom had been climbing quickly down the rope. He was at Gabe's side now. "Hold tight," he told the black man. The Phantom swung out around Gabe, dropping down beside the blonde girl. Holding on with one hand, he slapped a palm against her back.

The flames died. "I feel as if I'm being congratulated for something," said Jan. "Thanks."

Karl was on the ground now. "You okay, Jan?"

"Yes." The girl let go of the rope, dropping the few remaining feet to earth. "Thanks to the Phantom and Gabe."

"It wasn't anything," said Gabe. "All I did was. . . ." His voice faded; his hands went limp on the rope.

The Phantom was on the ground next to Jan by now. "Look out," he said.

"It's his leg again. It's bleeding."

Unconscious, Gabe came plummeting down the mountainside from twenty-five feet up.

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His feet firmly planted, the Phantom caught him in his arms. "There we go."

Jan said, "Let me look at his leg and-"

"The first thing we've got to do," said Karl, "is get away from here. Lava's starting to come over the rim up there." He gestured upward. "We've got to put distance between us and ."

"The Llongo River is down this way," the Phantom told them. "We should be safe on its other side."

The three of them began to run, the masked man carrying Gabe.

From the woods nearby came the neighing of a horse.

The Phantom halted. "Hero?"

There was an answering neigh and the great stallion trotted out to greet him. Close behind padded Devil, the Phantom's gray wolf.

"They must have broken away from the Llongo chief to come looking for me," said the Phantom.

"Here, Doctor Love. Get up in the saddle, then I'll put Gabe there with you."

Gabe was coming to. "I don't need a pony ride," he mumbled.

Jan's foot hit the stirrup and she swung expertly up onto Hero's back. "No time for quibbling, Gabe.

Get on board."

The Phantom helped the wounded pilot up forward of Jan. "Hold onto the pommel if you can, Gabe."

"Yeah, I can do that okay," said Gabe in a weak voice. "I can do that."

The Phantom patted his stallion on the neck. "Take them to the Llongo River and wait, Hero."

The powerful horse galloped off.

"You and I will run," said the Phantom to Karl. "I hear jogging is good for you," replied Karl. At the edge of the wide river, the air was not nearly as bad. There had not been an explosion from for several minutes.

"Maybe the old girl has quit showing off," Karl panted as he stopped beside the clear water.

"Hey!" Jan called to the Phantom. "We've rim into some friends of yours."

She and Gabe had dismounted. Beached near them was a dugout canoe and in it were several of the Bandar pygmies.

Guran was on the shore, treating Gabe's wound. "This is a very ancient remedy," he was telling his patient.

Devil had been watching the little man at work. He turned now, and came loping up to the Phantom.

"Well, Guran," said the Phantom as he approached his old friend. "How do you come to be here?"

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The little gray-brown man looked up at the Phantom. "I had what you call a hunch," he said. "A feeling that I should return here at this time. We had to slip by the Jungle Patrol, which was not too difficult, to get here, Phantom. They seem determined that all should leave this place."

"A good idea," said the Phantom. "Guran, can you take Doctor Love and her friends down to the nearest Jungle Patrol post?"

"If that is what you wish," answered the pygmy. To Gabe, he said, "Your leg will soon be well.

Please climb aboard our craft now."

Gabe hesitated. "I don't know if I want to go back to civilization or not," he said finally.

Jan said, "Don't be afraid, Gabe."

"Yeah, but I was supposed to be working for Tinn and Silvera and those guys," said Gabe. "I ought to be turned in."

"No," said Karl, "you were working for us."

"Anyone who says otherwise," Jan told him, "Will have to argue with us."

With Guran's help, Gabe rose to his feet. "Well, okay then. I'll come along with you."

Jan moved near the Phantom. "Are you going to be traveling with us?"

The masked man shook his head. "No," he said. "You'll be all right from here on."

The blonde girl bounded forward and kissed him on the cheek. "I'm glad at least one legend turned out to be true." She took a few steps back. "Will we ever see you again?"

The Phantom smiled at her. "Perhaps," he answered. Karl reached out to shake his hand. "We can never thank you enough."

While they were climbing into the pygmy bark,

Guran came up beside the Phantom. "We will meet again in the Deep Woods?"

"Yes, soon."

"I am happy you have returned to us."

"As I told you I would."

Guran removed his thatch hat and rubbed at his head. "But I see you have discarded the magic spear I presented you with. Did you not need it?"

"I'll tell you about that back at Skull Cave," the Phantom said, laughing.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Colonel Weeks was squatting on the dusty ground. Beside him sat the plump chief of the Llongo tribe. The chief's face was smeared with ash; his plumed headdress was bedraggled and singed. Late-afternoon shadows fell across the two men as they talked beside the Llongo country Jungle Patrol

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outpost building.

"You know nothing of Doctor Love then?" the colonel asked.

The chief said, "I know only this, Colonel. She will return to you and her people."

The colonel's gray eyebrows lifted. "Why do you say that, Chief?"

"She will be delivered out of the flames of ," answered the plump chief. "Indeed, that is why the volcano has exploded."

Controlling his temper, the colonel said, "What do you mean?"

"The great Ghost Who Walks could not get out any other way," explained the chief, "So he forced the mountain to explode, and blew himself out. Though I might wish he had arranged it so the lava did not flow across one hundred of my best acres of-"

"The Ghost Who Walks? You mean the Phantom?" "None other," said the chief, "The Man Who Cannot Die."

The colonel glanced toward the post landing field. He was waiting for Sandy to return in his copter, so that he could get a firsthand account of things. "What makes you think the Phantom was in the volcano?"

Touching his fingertips to his plump cheeks, the Llongo chief replied, "Did I not see him with my own eyes?"

"Did you?"

"Yes. I stood as close to him as you are to me. I watched as he ascended the mountain and entered it."

"You mean to tell me," said the colonel, "that the Phantom climbed up the side of and he then went down inside her? That's impossible."

The big chief smiled. "For any but the Phantom." Colonel Weeks stood up and began pacing in the long stripes of shadow. He drummed his blunt fingers against the side of his leg. "So the Phantom was in there, too?" he said. "Then he's probably dead, too."

"Oh, no," said the still-seated chief. "The Phantom can never die,"

The colonel gestured at the blackened afternoon sky. "No man, ghost or otherwise, can possibly have survived what happened."

All at once the Llongo chieftain hefted himself up. "Listen," he said.

Drums were sounding, coming from some distance beyond the Jungle Patrol post.

"What are they saying?" asked the colonel.

Nodding, beaming, the Llongo chief interpreted the drum message. "The Ghost Who Walks has returned from his visit with ," he said. "He has brought with him Doctor Love and two others."

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"Where are they now?"

"No one knows where the Phantom is," answered the chief. "The lady doctor, however, and her two companions are coming here. They travel the Llongo River at this very moment."

"Sergeant Barnum," the colonel called, "did you hear that?"

The stocky sergeant came running out of the post building. "What is it, sir?"

"They're alive, Sergeant," said the colonel. "Alive and headed for here. Let's get down to the riverside."

"Yes, sir," said Sergeant Barnum.

Guran handed Gabe a small leather pouch. "Apply this powder twice a day," he instructed, "morning and night."

Doctor Love, Karl, and Gabe were standing on the shore of the river. Behind them stretched a wide trail leading uphill. "The Jungle Patrol post is just up there then?" asked Jan.

The pygmy hopped back into his dugout. "Yes. You will be made welcome there," he said. "Now, farewell."

"Won't you wait and-?" began the blonde girl. But the pygmy paddles were already knifing into the waters of the river. Soon the dugout was racing away into the fading afternoon.

"Well," said Karl, putting an arm around Jan's shoulders, "we're almost at the end of our journey."

"Yes," said Jan. "And it's too bad..."

"Too bad?"

"Oh, I just mean-well, golly, in a way I'm sorry it's over. There was so much down there to study, so much to learn," Jan said. "Now it's all gone, finished and gone forever."

"I know how you feel," said Karl. "But remember, Jan, we were almost finished down there, too. If it hadn't been for-"

"Doctor Love, Karl!" called a familiar voice. "Are we glad to see you!"

"I guess," said Gabe, starting to drop back, "nobody's glad to see me."

"Wait now, Gabe." Jan caught his sleeve. Colonel Weeks slowed, hesitating. "It's good to see you again, Doctor Love."

Jan smiled, ran ahead, and gave the colonel a hug. "Same here."

His face reddening, the colonel disengaged himself from the girl. "How in the world did you get out of the volcano?"

"You should have seen him the last couple of days," said Sergeant Barnum, "He's been worried silly.

You see, he figured-"

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"That's enough for the moment, Sergeant," ordered the colonel. "Let the lady talk. How did you get here, Doctor Love?"

"It's a long story, Colonel," the girl said. "In fact, you might even say it was a legend."

"Yeah?" said Barnum. "We heard it was the Phan-"

"Let's wait until we're all seated around a cool drink back in Mawitaan," suggested Karl. "There'll be plenty of time then for talking and explaining."

"Though even then," reflected Jan, "you aren't going to believe us."

After clearing his throat, the colonel said, "Doctor Love, I'm afraid I'll have to turn your pilot over to the Mawitaan police."

"No, I don't think so," said Jan.

"You don't understand," the gray-haired colonel told her. "He was hired by men back in Mawitaan to spy on your expedition, possibly even to kill both you and Karl."

Jan shook her head. "No, Colonel. Gabe was hired by us to help us get in and out of .

And he did that, and a lot more than that."

"But-" said the colonel.

"This is another one of those things we can talk about back in Mawitaan," said Karl. "For now, Colonel, let me assure you Gabe is one of us and not one of our enemies."

The colonel looked from Karl to Gabe. "Very well," he said. "I get the impression you and Doctor Love know what you're talking about. Come on then. We'll see about flying you all back to Mawitaan."

"See, Gabe," Jan said quietly to him, "things will be okay now."

He grinned weakly. "Looks like, maybe."

As they moved along the trail Colonel Weeks asked Jan, "Another thing, Doctor Love, that's been puzzling me."

"Yes,Colonel?"

"Yourlast radio message to us. You said, 'Why it's a giant b-! What did that b stand for?"

Jan smiled. "Just that," she said. "A giant bee. B-e-e."

"What?" said the colonel, blinking.

"That's another of the things we'll explain later," said Karl.

"Boy, that's going to be some get-together," said Sergeant Barnum.

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CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Sergeant Barnum's face brightened. He dropped the chain of paper clips he'd been fooling with back into his pocket. "Here they come," he said. Clutched in his right hand was a bouquet of white flowers.

"I see them," said the colonel. The two men started across the Mawitaan airport building.

"Here," said the sergeant, thrusting the blossoms toward Doctor Jan Love. "Sort of abon-voyage offering."

Jan took the flowers. She was wearing a simple tan suit. Her blonde hair was pulled back and ribbon-tied. She looked fresh and rested. It had been three days since they returned to the capital. "Why, thank you, Sergeant. They're very pretty."

"I thought you'd like them," explained the stocky sergeant, "because the blossoms are so big."

"Yes, I've gotten used to largeness," said the girl.

Colonel Weeks said, "We've respected your wishes, Doctor Love. We've told no one the details of what you and Karl encountered down inside ."

Jan watched his face for a few seconds. "I wonder if even you quite believe us, Colonel."

"Oh, yes," he assured her. "I believe you, but I'm wondering if-"

"The rest of the world would," said Karl. "Yes, Jan and I will have to think about this before we decide what to tell."

"Sometimes maybe," said Jan, "some discoveries are better kept quiet. I'm not sure yet."

Sergeant Barnum asked, "Where are you going next, Doctor Love?"

"Home," she replied, "just home to Boston. I feel the need of teaching a few very quiet, very simple, biology classes for a while."

Karl laughed. "She always says that. But I'll bet before another semester is over, she'll have plans drawn up for a brand-new excursion."

"I don't know about that, Karl. Maybe this time I'm really ready to settle down. I might even consider, well, we can discuss that when we get home."

"If you ever get back to Bangalla," said the sergeant, "come by and say hello."

"Of course," said Jan.

Karl cocked his head. "They're announcing our flight, Jan."

The lovely girl reached out her free hand, touched the colonel's hand, then the sergeant's. "Thank you both for being so considerate, and for worrying."

"By the way," said the colonel. "You needn't worry about Gabe McClennan. Lieutenant Kiwanda isn't going to charge him with anything, and the airfield is willing to take him back. After what you

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told us, Doctor Love, we're all willing to give him one more chance."

"I know," said Jan. "We talked to him in the hospital right before coming here."

In another moment, she and Karl were gone.

The pilot of the Bangalla Airways jet said, "Now, ladies and gentlemen, if you'll look to your right you will see the gal who gave everybody so much trouble a few days ago. They used to call her , but I don't know about that. She seems to have lost her veils."

The great mountain stood out stark and black far below.

Jan took Karl's hand. "She doesn't look very formidable from up here, does she?"

"Distance is like time," said the beardedKarl. "It gives you a different perspective."

"It's sad," said the girl, her eyes on the retreating volcano. "All those amazing life-forms gone forever. And those two poor foolish men, Silvera and Tinn, dying for nothing."

"A good many people do that."

"What did Colonel Weeks say the name of the man behind them was?"

"Barber," said Karl.

"Yes, Barber. Imagine, we never even saw him and yet he played such a large part in our lives."

"I wonder if there could have been any treasure down there."

"I don't think so," said Jan. "The Phantom told me there was no trace of gold or jewels around the place of sacrifice."

"The Phantom," said Karl. "He was quite a fellow."

"Yes," agreed Jan. "And he's down there someplace." Impulsively, she leaned across Karl to wave at the window. "Good-bye, Phantom, wherever you
are."

The jet roared through the sky.

Standing at the edge of the airfield was a tall stranger. He wore dark glasses, a wide-brimmed hat.

With him, on a leash, was a large gray dog which looked much like a wolf.

The stranger's head was turned skyward. He was watching the course of the Bangalla Airways jet that had recently taken off.

He kept his eyes on the plane until it was only a dot in the sky. Then, an instant before it left his sight, he raised his hand and waved.

"Good luck, Doctor Love," he said.

He reached down, patted the animal with him.

"Come on, Devil. It's back to the Deep Woods for us.

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The two of them walked away.

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