The Spider Sapphire Mystery Page 4

  In her repertoire were several delightful songs in Swahili. She announced that she was singing these in honor of the Emerson student safari to Africa. When she finished, the applause was thunderous.

  “Isn’t she lovely?” Nancy said. “I’m so glad we’ll have a chance to meet her later.”

  When the concert was over, there was a long reception line. On it were Professor and Mrs. Stanley who were to head the safari.

  While Nancy stood in line waiting, she began to hum one of the Swahili songs. When she was introduced to Madame Bulawaya, the woman’s eyes sparkled. “Didn’t I hear you humming one of the songs I sang?”

  Nancy nodded. “It is lovely. What do the words mean?”

  “It’s a lullaby. My mother used to sing it to us children. Would you like to learn the words?”

  “Indeed I would,” Nancy answered.

  “Then as soon as I have met everyone, I will teach them to you,” the singer said. “I’ll meet you at that table where the bouquet of carnations is.”

  She turned to shake hands with the next person in line and Nancy moved off. She was thrilled by Madame Bulawaya’s offer and waited for the singer to come. It was not long.

  “Shall we first hum the melody together?” the woman asked.

  Nancy was embarrassed but followed the suggestion.

  “You have a very sweet voice and well-suited to singing in Swahili,” Madame Bulawaya said. “You probably noticed that the language has a soft, musical quality.”

  It did not take long to learn the strange words of the lullaby. Nancy sang it softly phrase by phrase after Madame Bulawaya. Then the artist asked her to try it all the way through alone.

  Nancy did so and the woman smiled. “You are an apt pupil,” she said. “Now let us sing it together.”

  Nancy looked at Madame Bulawaya in astonishment. She was to sing the song with this great artist!

  As she demurred, George spoke up. “Go ahead, Nancy. You can do it.”

  Madame Bulawaya smiled. “Of course you can.”

  She began singing and nodded for Nancy to make a duet of it. Finally she did and this time the voices were loud enough to be heard throughout the reception room. At the end everyone clapped and Nancy’s face turned red with embarrassment.

  Ned came dashing across the room. “That was great,” he said. “Thank you so much, Madame Bulawaya, for teaching the song to Nancy. Now when we go to Africa, we’ll get her to sing it once in a while.”

  Nancy laughed. “You’ll do nothing of the kind,” she told him. “I might just sing it for the six of us, but don’t you ever dare ask me to do it in public!”

  Ned merely grinned and made no comment. Bess spoke up and told the singer that Nancy had many talents. “She’s a marvelous detective along with other things.”

  Madame Bulawaya looked amazed. “A detective? Then maybe you would do something for me while you’re in Africa.”

  “I’ll do anything I can,” Nancy replied. “What is it you wish?”

  Sadly the woman said that the song Nancy had learned was a favorite of a brother of hers named Tizam. “Once in a while he acted as a guide on a safari. About a year ago he took some white tourists from the United States into lion country. Tizam suddenly disappeared and the others thought he had been attacked and killed by a lioness.”

  “How dreadful!” said Nancy.

  “Recently,” Madame Bulawaya went on, “I had a dream that my brother is still alive. I’m making this concert tour to get enough money to send an expedition out to find him.”

  She turned pleading eyes to Nancy and her friends. “Perhaps you can pick up a clue. I would be eternally grateful to you if you could find Tizam.”

  CHAPTER VII

  A Warning

  “I’LL do all I can to find your brother,” Nancy assured Madame Bulawaya.

  “Oh, thank you,” the singer replied.

  “Where did Tizam’s safari start from?” Nancy asked.

  “Nairobi.”

  Nancy told the woman this would be the first stop in her safari and she would make some inquiries. Madame Bulawaya gave a description of her brother. He was tall, slender, and very dark. The singer smiled. “He has a lovely smile. I miss him very much and wish you the best of luck in finding him for me.”

  In a short time the reception ended and good-bys were said to Madame Bulawaya. The boys escorted Nancy and her friends to the Longview Motel. Ned said that he had been in touch with the dean about the exam he had missed that morning. He had obtained permission to take it the following afternoon.

  “In the meantime I’ll have to catch a little shut-eye and do some heavy studying.”

  Nancy told him that the three girls would leave early the next morning. “We’ll meet you boys at Kennedy Airport in New York two hours before take-off time.”

  “Perfect! We’ll be seeing you day after tomorrow!”

  Ned, Burt, and Dave departed and the girls went to bed. They were up early the following day and were among the first diners in the restaurant. Before leaving for River Heights, Nancy telephoned State Police headquarters near Landsdowne again.

  “I want to find out if there is any news of Jahan and Dhan.”

  The report was discouraging. The two kidnappers had not returned to the hunting lodge and the man called Swahili Joe had not been there either.

  When Nancy told this to her friends, Bess burst out, “That horrible Joe! He left Ned there to starve!”

  “Maybe not,” George spoke up. “Swahili Joe may have been coming back when he discovered Ned had been rescued. In fact, he could have been the one to tell Jahan and Dhan that they’d better flee.”

  A little while later the three girls were on their way to River Heights. They discussed the problem of what clothes to take to Africa so they would have enough but not be overweight in their baggage.

  Later Nancy talked it over with Hannah Gruen. “I don’t want to pay a big charge for excess pounds going overseas.”

  The housekeeper smiled. “I’ll help you avoid it. You put out everything you want to take and I’ll weigh them on the bathroom scale.”

  Nearly all the next day was spent sorting, picking out, discarding. As the afternoon wore on, Nancy, tired of this job, began to talk about the two mysteries she was going to try solving in Africa.

  “They both sound dangerous,” Mrs. Gruen remarked. “But if I had to make a choice, I’d take the spider sapphire. Going into lion country after Mr. Tizam sounds really scary to me.”

  Nancy’s eyes twinkled. “It might be exciting.”

  “Too exciting,” the housekeeper said. Then she shrugged and put an arm around Nancy. “All I can say for the millionth time is, ‘Please be careful.’ ”

  At last the packing was finished. Late in the afternoon Mr. Drew drove Nancy, Bess, and George to the River Heights Airport where they were to board a plane for New York. He smiled fondly at them. “You know, I’m really envious. Your trip sounds like a lot more fun than staying in my law office working on briefs.”

  Nancy hugged him. “If I hit a snag, I’ll cable you to come and join us.” She gave him a wink. “Shall I make the opportunity?”

  “I’ll let you know,” he countered.

  The plane to New York was announced over the loudspeaker and the girls climbed aboard. An hour later they reached Kennedy Airport in New York. Ned, Burt, and Dave were already there with the Stanleys. The professor was of medium height and had graying hair. He was very serious-looking in contrast to his plump, smiling wife.

  “Madame Bulawaya told me, Nancy, that you’re going to try locating her brother,” Aunt Millie said. “I love mysteries.” She chuckled. “Call on me if you need any help.”

  “I surely will.”

  Other members of the safari group arrived in twos and fours. Nancy and her friends knew all the boys but had never met any of the girls who were going along.

  One tall, slender blond stood out in the group. She was overdressed for traveling, and it was quite evident that
she wore a blond wig. Gwen Taylor met the others in a rather supercilious way and almost at once nobody seemed to care for her.

  “She looks like a freak!” George whispered.

  Bess came to Gwen’s defense. “Maybe she’s just shy and underneath it she’s a nice person.”

  Her cousin did not agree. “She’s too artificial.”

  There was a long wait before plane take-off, so Nancy and Ned walked around the airport building, looking for Jahan and Dhan. It was possible that if the men had not left the country, they had followed the young people and would try to cause them harm again. The couple saw nothing of the Indians, however, and returned to their group in the main lobby.

  At that moment a voice came over the loudspeaker “Message for Miss Nancy Drew. Please come to your airline ticket office.”

  Nancy had jumped from her seat. She hoped that the message was not bad news from home. Ned went with her to the ticket office.

  “Miss Drew?” a clerk asked.

  When she nodded, he said that Nancy was to telephone her father immediately. He himself put the call through and the lawyer came on the wire.

  “Nancy, don’t worry. Everything is all right here. But I’m not so sure it will be all right for you in Africa. I want you to watch your step very carefully. Our police got a tip that Jahan and Dhan took off for Africa. They haven’t been apprehended because apparently they were using passports under assumed names.”

  “Where did they go?” Nancy asked.

  “The police haven’t received a reply yet from the immigration authorities on this point. I thought I should warn you, though. I know it’s almost take-off time, so run along. Hannah sends her love and of course you have mine, and promise me you won’t go anywhere alone.”

  “I promise, Dad, and don’t worry. I aim to solve both mysteries without being kidnapped.” She laughed gaily to reassure her father, then said good-by.

  Before long, the chattering, laughing Emerson group hurried aboard the chartered plane. When they were airborne, small groups began singing songs, some of them college numbers, others from musical comedy hits. Once in a while someone would call out a wisecrack and set everyone laughing.

  “This is such fun,” said Bess to Nancy.

  The three girls were seated together. Ned, Burt, and Dave were across the aisle. Dinner was served and presently lights were turned low and everyone was expected to sleep. The young people were in too exuberant a mood for sleep and it was past midnight before they settled down.

  At three A.M. New York time the voices of the stewardesses could be heard saying, “Good morning! Would you care for some orange juice?”

  The Emersonians blinked open one eye, confused for the moment as to where they were. But presently they sat up and drank the juice. Rolls, scrambled eggs, and a beverage followed.

  “I’m still confused and sleepy,” said Bess. “What time is it?”

  George giggled. “Which country will you have it in? In London where we’re heading it’s eight A.M.”

  Nancy told Bess there would be time for a nap later. The safari schedule included a day’s stop at a motel near the airport. “You can sleep for a few hours, Bess.”

  Ned’s group arranged to meet in the lobby at lunchtime. Nancy arrived ahead of the others and decided to put a question to the desk clerk.

  “I’m sure you have many Indians from Africa stopping at your motel, but the group I’m with is looking for two special gentlemen. I wonder if by any chance they may have stopped here.”

  “What are their names?” the man asked.

  “Jahan and Dhan.”

  The clerk consulted his list of recent guests, then shook his head. “No men by those names have been here.”

  Nancy was about to walk off when it occurred to her that if the men were using passports with fictitious names, they naturally would have had to use these.

  She said to the clerk, “The men may be traveling incognito,” and gave a full description of the father and son.

  The clerk smiled. “I believe your friends have been here, but they’ve gone.”

  “To Nairobi?” Nancy queried.

  The man at the desk shrugged. “Or possibly Mombasa,” he said. “At least that is where the Prasads are from.”

  Nancy thanked him for the information and walked off. “So Prasad is the name Jahan and Dhan used on their passports!” she thought.

  Soon her friends came downstairs.

  “Boy, did I sleep!” Burt burst out.

  Everyone admitted having slept well and all had ravenous appetites. In the dining room they were seated at a table for six. Bess ordered two kinds of fruit, soup, baked fish, and a whipped cream dessert.

  “If all you do is sit in a plane and sleep and eat, they’re going to charge you for being overweight,” George teased her.

  Bess endeavored to defend herself and finally told the waitress she would skip dessert.

  As dusk came on, Professor and Mrs. Stanley gathered the members of the safari and engaged taxis to take them to the airport. Although the group was as merry as on the previous evening’s flight, the gaiety did not last so long. By ten-thirty everyone was sound asleep.

  Nancy did not know how much later it was when she was suddenly awakened by all the lights being turned on brightly.

  In a moment the captain’s voice came over the loudspeaker. “Please fasten your seat belts! Turbulence ahead! I repeat, please fasten your seat belts immediately!”

  The sleepy students did so almost automatically. They wondered why the order had been given because the plane seemed to be rushing through the night without trouble.

  The stillness was abruptly shattered by Gwen Taylor exclaiming, “I hate seat belts! They make me positively ill! I’m not going to put mine on!”

  She was defiantly standing in the aisle when the plane made a sickening drop. Gwen grabbed the back of the seat and eased herself down.

  A few moments later the plane began to roll sharply to left and right. The craft sank again as if it had suddenly lost all of its lift. This time the plane seemed to be going completely out of control. Tensely the passengers clutched the armrests of their seats.

  CHAPTER VIII

  The Lemur Cage

  ALTHOUGH everyone became more alarmed as the plane continued to lose altitude, they all managed to remain quiet except Gwen Taylor.

  Again she stood up in the aisle. Her friend Hal Harper tried his best to make her sit down but she refused.

  “If I’m going to be killed,” she exclaimed, “it’s going to be standing up, not tied to a seat!”

  She pitched forward and almost fell. Hal grabbed her and pushed the hysterical girl into her own seat.

  At the same moment the pilot’s voice came clearly over the loudspeaker. “Will the young lady who is standing up please stay in her seat and put on her belt? This is an order from your captain.”

  Gwen did not adjust the seat belt, but she was quiet for several seconds. Then suddenly she got up again and lurched forward. “I’m going to have my father sue this airline!” she cried out.

  Within seconds she had yanked open the door to the pilot’s compartment, bolted inside, and slammed the door. Hal Harper unfastened his own belt and started after her.

  From the rear of the cabin the steward yelled frantically, “Sit down! Put on your belt!”

  As Hal obeyed, there came a scream from the pilot’s compartment. The next moment the plane went into a dive!

  Those in the cabin held their breath, but the pilot seemed to be a magician. No matter how violently his craft was tossed about, he seemed able to get it back under control.

  The plane climbed rapidly and in a few moments leveled out in smooth air. Everyone uttered groans of relief, then turned their eyes toward the door of the pilot’s cabin. What was going on inside?

  Presently the door flew open. Gwen came out, looking very disheveled. Her wig was awry, giving her a comical look.

  As Gwen half stumbled toward her own seat, Bess calle
d out, “What made you scream, Gwen?”

  The unruly girl stopped short and said haughtily, “If you must know, the flight engineer grabbed me.”

  Bess’s eyes lighted up. “How exciting!”

  “Well—uh—I screamed because I didn’t think this was quite fair to Hal,” Gwen said lamely,

  George burst into laughter. “Better straighten your wig, Gwen, or Hal won’t love you any more.”

  In disdain Gwen quickly pulled her false hair into place and went to her seat.

  “For Pete’s sake,” said Hal, “what were you up to?”

  “I was trying to put some sense into that pilot’s head,” Gwen answered defiantly.

  Nancy, Bess, and George exchanged glances and George remarked, “Do we have to put up with that pain on this whole trip?”

  Nancy grinned. “How would you like to try changing her?”

  “No thanks. I’ll leave that to you and Bess. You’re better at that sort of thing than I am.”

  Aunt Millie Stanley came forward and stood beside Gwen. “I’m terribly sorry you were so frightened,” she said. “I guess everyone was. Do you feel all right now?”

  “Yes, thank you. I lost my head. Sorry.”

  The Emerson students and their friends went back to sleep. A few hours later the pilot announced that they were approaching Nairobi.

  When the group entered the airport building, Nancy looked around to see if Jahan and Dhan might be spying on them. As she and Ned waited in line to go through Immigration and Customs, she said, “I have a feeling we’re being followed.”

  Ned grinned. “Don’t let your imagination run away with you.” Then he said seriously, “I guess you and I had better be on our guard at all times.”

  There was no sign of the two Indians here or at the attractive hotel where the group was to stay. The Stanleys announced that they were all to meet in an hour for a bus tour of the city.

  Nancy found the trip fascinating. The Emerson group was divided among three buses that were painted with black and white zebra-like stripes. The buses were camouflaged so that when traveling in wild animal country, from a distance they would look like a small herd of zebras.