"Maxwell Grant - The Shadow - 081 - The Fate Joss" - читать интересную книгу автора (Grant Maxwell)

Roucard. Perhaps for both."

Yat Soon became silent. He folded the letter and solemnly returned it to The Shadow. The visitor arose
and spoke parting words in Chinese; to which Yat Soon, in courtesy, made response in English. A panel
opened; The Shadow made his departure from the arbiter's hidden abode.

TWELVE minutes later, the chauffeur of a big limousine heard a voice speak from the interior of the car.
Acknowledging the order, the chauffeur started the motor and drove away from the parking spot that he
had chosen near the outskirts of Chinatown.

The chauffeur's name was Stanley; the car was owned by a wealthy globetrotter named Lamont
Cranston. The quiet tones that Stanley had heard were those of his master, ordering him to drive to the
Phoenix Hotel. Stanley was puzzled, wondering why Lamont Cranston had chosen to visit such an old
and out-of-the-way hostelry.

Perhaps Stanley's perplexity would have been lessened had he known the true identity of his passenger.
It was not Lamont Cranston who was in the car; but another, who frequently donned the globe-trotter's
identity when the real Cranston was absent from New York.

The passenger was The Shadow. Returned from his visit to Yat Soon, he was following the arbiter's
suggestion. Choosing between Chichester Laudring and Raymond Roucard, The Shadow had decided to
seek the latter, whose address was known.

The Shadow's quest was on. Stimulated by the stir in Chinatown; crystallized by the letter from China;
approved by Yat Soon, the enterprise would not cease until the goal had been reached. The Shadow
was determined to regain the missing Fate Joss for the temple of Je Ho.

CHAPTER II. SEEKERS OF THE JOSS
YAT SOON had spoken wisely when he had told The Shadow that there were others who sought the
Fate Joss. As arbiter of Chinatown, Yat Soon was well acquainted with the devious motives that
actuated those within the boundaries of the Oriental district. In fact, Yat Soon's status was unique; his
own appointed duties brought him into frequent contact with representatives of many minor Chinese
factions.

His position, however, was that of judge rather than investigator. Those with grievances came to Yat
Soon, bringing facts and statements concerning their wrongs. The arbiter's decisions were invariably wise
onesтАФoften dependent upon his own knowledge of Chinatown affairs. As a one-man supreme court,
Yat Soon found it good policy to acquaint himself with conditions that might later develop into arguments
that would be brought before him.

Yat Soon had heard the rumors concerning the Fate Joss. He knew that if trouble followed, he would be
forced to render a verdict that would satisfy those who believed in the idol's mystic power. With the
wisdom of a Solomon, Yat Soon had already planned to meet such contingency. He had decided that the
Fate Joss could never be classed as stolen property, because of its own reputed ability to control its
destiny.

Yat Soon, himself, did not believe in the power of the Fate Joss. Tradition stated that it had previously
vanished from the temple of Je Ho, in China, always to return. Yat Soon doubted such legends;
nevertheless, he never disputed the beliefs of others. His fame as arbiter was grounded upon his policy of
recognizing the viewpoints and privileges of all classes.