m surprized you'd even suggest that, Chichester. But you've not only
suggested it--you've pled for it all night long! Do you get a cut from
Doctor Satan or something?"

"Gentlemen," soothed Gest, as Chichester half rose from his chair.
"We're in too serious a jam to indulge in petty quarrels. We've got to
decide what to do----"

"I move we call in the police," growled Kroner. "I still can't believe
that any human being could induce such a state of catalepsy, or living
death, or whatever you want to call it, in other human beings. Not
unless he's a wizard or something. Nevertheless, in view of this threat
note from Doctor Satan, there may be a definite criminal element here
that the cops should know about."

"Let's wait on the police," objected Gest. "We have already done better
than that in summoning this Ascott Keane to help us."

Chichester's dry skin flushed faintly.

"I still say that that was a stupid move!" he snapped. "Ascott Keane?
Who is he, anyhow? He has no reputation for detective work or any other
kind of work. A rich man's son--loafer--dilettante. What we should have
done was contact Doctor Satan after his first note, after Weems was
stricken. Then we would have saved the nine in the roulette room, and at
the same time saved our project here."

"You'd pay this crook our entire surplus?" snarled Kroner. "You'd give
him a million eight hundred thousand in cold cash, when you don't even
know that he has had a hand in what ails the ten?"

"It's worth a million eight hundred thousand to save our stake in Blue
Bay," said Chichester obstinately. "As for Doctor Satan's having a hand
in the horrible fate of Weems and the rest--he told you beforehand that
it would happen, didn't he?"

"Please," sighed Gest as for a second time the florid vice-president and
the wizened treasurer snarled at each other. "We----"

The door of the office suite banged open. The assistant manager of the
hotel staggered into the room. His blue eyes were blazing with
excitement. His youngish face was contorted with it.

"I've just found out something that I think is of vital importance!" he
gasped. "Something in the roulette room! I've been in there all night,
as you know, looking around to see if I could find poison needles
fastened to table or chairs, or anything like that, and quite by chance
I noticed something else. The maddest thing! The roulette wheel!
It's----"

He stopped.

"Go on, go on!" urged Kroner. "What about th