In a
word, the servant of Dr. Fu-Manchu who attempted the life of Karamaneh
is either in hiding in the ship, or if visible, is disguised."
With his usual clarity, Nayland Smith had visualized the facts of the
case; I passed in mental survey each one of the passengers, and those
of the crew whose appearances were familiar to me, with the result
that I had to admit the justice of my friend's conclusions. Smith
began to pace the narrow strip of carpet between the dressing-table
and the door. Suddenly he began again.
"From our knowledge of Fu-Manchu--and of the group surrounding him
(and, don't forget, _surviving_ him)--we may further assume that the
wireless message was no gratuitous piece of melodrama, but that it was
directed to a definite end. Let us endeavour to link up the chain a
little. You occupy an upper-berth; so do I. Experience of the Chinaman
has formed a habit in both of us: that of sleeping with closed
windows. Your port was fastened and so was my own. Karamaneh is
quartered on the main deck, and her brother's stateroom opens into the
same alleyway. Since the ship is in the Straits of Messina, and the
glass set fair, the stewards have not closed the port-holes nightly
at present. We know that that of Karamaneh's stateroom was open.
Therefore, in any attempt upon our quarter, Karamaneh would
automatically be selected for the victim, since failing you or myself
she may be regarded as being the most obnoxious to Dr.
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