Vulture is a Patient Bird

"Perhaps he needs the money," Gaye said. "You have more than enough. Perhaps you would be like Mr. Shalik if you had no money."

Kahlenberg crushed out his cigarette. She could see he was controlling his temper only with an effort.

"You are a spirited woman, Miss Desmond. I am sure Mr. Shalik would be flattered to hear you defending him."

"I am not defending him. I am just saying I see no difference between you and him," Gaye said quietly.

At this moment the double doors swung open and Garry and Fennel walked in.

The four Zulus paused in the doorway, looking towards

Kahlenberg who dismissed them with a wave of his hand. They stepped back and the doors closed.

"Come in, gentlemen and sit down," Kahlenberg said, waving to chairs opposite his desk. "As you see, Miss Desmond has already joined me."

Garry went to a chair and folded himself down into it, but Fennel remained standing, glaring at Kahlenberg.

"Please sit down, Mr. Fennel," Kahlenberg said quietly. "Let me congratulate you. I didn't believe it was possible for anyone to open the door to my museum and yet you have done it. It is an achievement."

"You can cut out the soft soap!" Fennel snarled. We came for the ring and we haven't got it so now we're getting the hell out of here and you're not stopping us!"

"Certainly you shall leave," Kahlenberg said, "but we have something to discuss first."

"I'm not discussing anything with you!" Fennel snapped. He was livid with rage and disappointment. He looked at Gaye and Garry. "Come on . . . he daren't stop us." And he started towards the door, grabbed the handle but found the door locked. He spun around, glaring at Kahlenberg. "Open this door or I'll break your goddamn neck!"

Kahlenberg raised his eyebrows.

"That could be dangerous for you, Mr. Fennel," he said and made a soft clicking sound with his tongue against his teeth. Immediately, Hindenburg stood up and began to move slowly forward, his eyes on Fennel, his lips off his teeth in a ferocious snarl that made Fennel back away. "I assure you," Kahlenberg went on, "my pet would tear you to pieces if I give him another signal. Sit down!"

Cowed by the cheetah, Fennel sat down abruptly by Garry. "Thank you," Kahlenberg said, then went on, "I don't want the effort you three have made to get the Borgia ring to be wasted. As Miss Desmond has rightly pointed out, the ring doesn't legally belong to me. Since you all have shown so much initiative in getting as far as you have, I have decided to give you the ring on certain conditions." He opened the drawer in his desk and took out the glass box, containing the ring. He placed the box on his desk where the three could see it.

Fennel glared at the ring and then looked at Garry.

"Is that it?" and when Garry nodded, Fennel turned to Kahlenberg. "What do you mean . . . conditions?"

Kahlenberg addressed himself to Gaye.

"Miss Desmond, although I live in considerable luxury, although I am an exceedingly busy man, there are times when I get very bored with myself. As you see, I am a cripple. I am chained to this chair. One of my ambitions when young was to be a hunter. Nothing would have given me more satisfaction than to go on safari. But being a cripple, this has been impossible and I admit to a certain frustration. Any form of frustration to a man of my power and wealth is intolerable."

"What the hell is this?" Fennel demanded impatiently. "What are these conditions you are talking about?"

Kahlenberg ignored him.

"Here is the Borgia ring." He picked up the glass box and handed it to Gaye. "I understand each of you will be paid nine thousand dollars when you hand the ring to Shalik." He smiled bleakly. "You see, I have an excellent spy system. Nine thousand dollars to you is important money and naturally it will give you incentive to deliver the ring to Shalik."

"You mean you are giving us the ring?" Fennel demanded.

"Miss Desmond already has it. I am now going to give you a further incentive . . . a much more important one . . . to deliver the ring to Shalik. But in spite of these two incentives, you still have to get the ring out of my estate."

"So that's it," Fennel's eyes narrowed. "Your savages are going to stop us . . . is that it?"

"If they can they will. I am going to arrange a hunt. You three and Mr. Jones who is waiting for you will be the hunted and my Zulus will be the hunters. You must regard it as exciting a game as I shall. You will have a reasonable chance to escape the hunters because I am going to give you a three hour start. You will leave here at 04.00 hrs. when it will be light enough for you to make good speed and you will need good speed. At 07.00 hrs. my Zulus will come after you. It will be entirely up to your speed and ingenuity to avoid them."

"Are you serious?" Garry asked.

"Certainly I am very serious as you will discover should you be unfortunate enough to be captured."

"Suppose we are captured? What happens?"

Kahlenberg inclined his head.