oke, I assure you."

Rick smiled. "No, it isn't very funny. But neither is Dr. Briotti's
disappearance. You'd better tell us where he is."

"What makes you think Mr. Nast knows?" Lazada asked.

Rick considered. They had no proof. No one had seen Nast in the sedan
that had taken Tony from the airport. The boys saw movement at the
entrance to the dining room and realized that two Filipinos were
watching them like hawks, and that the hands in their pockets certainly
held pistols.

Rick shifted tactics. "Do you have much faith in your bodyguards?"

Lazada raised his eyebrows. "Faith? Of course. They are loyal to me. If
anyone tries to get close to me without my permission, they step in and
remove that person. Or, if anyone should try violence...."

Rick smiled. "How good do you think they would be against a sniper with
a rifle five hundred yards away?"

"Obviously, they would be ineffective."

"Just the point I wanted to make," Rick agreed. "You realize, of course,
that there is no protection against assassination, except to take refuge
in a fortress of some kind and stay there. That's impossible for a
public figure like yourself."

"True. Your point, then, is what?"

"That Dr. Briotti has friends with rifles. It would distress us to find
that he had been harmed."

"It would distress me," Lazada assured them. "I was very much impressed
by Dr. Briotti's knowledge and enthusiasm. I assume that you think I
have some knowledge about his disappearance. I do not."

"Me either," Nast added hastily.

Lazada's round face glistened with perspiration. "I will control my
anger, Mr. Brant. I take your age into account. Allow me to remind you,
however, that I am an official of the Philippine Government and that you
are an alien. You are here on sufferance, and you have only such rights
as you can persuade us to give you. Oh, I know there are agreements. But
let us be realistic. Do not force me to lose my temper and do something
for which I would be sorry."

"All right." Rick rose. "I'm not as enthusiastic about this expedition
as I used to be, but we're going through with it, anyway, starting
tomorrow. The sooner we finish, the better for everybody." He looked at
Nast. "Except you. I can only promise you that your pal Lazada will
never be able to give you the golden skull to smuggle into China."

The boys walked back to their own table and left Nast and Lazada staring
after them. That would give them something to chew o