y in Singapore and borrowed a copy of _The World Almanac_. Chahda
already had decided he would cable the boys, and how he would do it. He
knew, because of what they had told him, that they would be able to
figure out a book code and that they would realize his choice naturally
would be the _Almanac_. Knowing the annual by heart, he naturally also
knew the table that converted Roman numerals to Arabic numbers and had
used the letter L as a clue to the right volume.

"But how did you know about nulls?" Rick asked.

"Oh, that was very lucky. I learned how to put Sahib Bradley's messages
in code, and there were many nulls." He grinned impishly. "Of course I
did not know if you also knew what are nulls. I was thinking, they are
two who are good with science. But are they also good with code? Maybe
not. But, anyway, they are plenty smart to read a book. That will tell
them about nulls."

"We didn't have to read a book," Scotty said. "Dad told us about them."

"Scientist father also plenty smart even without books," Chahda agreed.
"Anyway, I make the message and I send cable."

Rick interrupted again. "How did you know Ko had a glass eye?"

Chahda smiled. "When they capture me, I fight like maybe ten wild
elephants. I kick honorable Mr. Ko in the face. And what happens? His
glasses fall off and one of his eyes falls out! Also, it breaks when it
falls and I see it is glass. I am so surprised I forget to fight and
someone hits me from the back of my neck, and then all is dark. I did
not know Mr. Ko's name then. My boss tells me it later."

"No more questions for the moment," Zircon ordered. "I want to hear the
rest of this. Go ahead, Chahda."

The Hindu boy had used his friend as a go-between and had arranged for
the consul general to advance him funds. Since the official knew he
worked for Bradley, that was not difficult. Then he had arranged for
their baggage to be shipped and held at the airport in Hong Kong, and
had taken a plane there himself.

At the Golden Mouse, Canton Charlie had given him quarters. In another
day, Bradley showed up. The scientist had been caught in the Singapore
hotel room by Ko and company, but had fought his way clear. There wasn't
time to leave a note for Chahda at the hotel and he didn't dare return
to the room for fear of having the enemy locate him again. So he had
depended on Chahda's wits to tell him the next step and had gone ahead
to Hong Kong, hoping to find more information about t