“Let him approach,” commanded Doctor Q.

Long Fang beckoned, and the Strangler came forward.  His eyes had been fixed on the Chinese, but now they roved to the figure of Doctor Q, and he fell back in consternation, clutching the other Madagascan by the shoulder and gasping in awestruck tones.

“In our country his magic is supreme!”

With difficulty he controlled himself and bowed low, his forehead almost touching the floor.  Then he looked away, cringing.

“I see that you recognize me,” Doctor Q chuckled, fiendishly.  “Good!  You will not be so foolish as to fail me.”

“No, no, master, I swear it by—­”

“Never mind your oath.  My power is my guaranty.  Go—­follow Long Fang.  He will direct you to the torture-chamber.”

Doctor Q turned on his heel and hobbled out of the room.

Long Fang and the Strangler were about to proceed to the torture-chamber when footsteps were heard on the stairway that led to the curio-shop below.  Long Fang and the Madagascan stopped and listened.

Another moment and De Luxe Dora and Paul Balcom stepped into the room.  With a curt command Paul called Long Fang to him and the Chinaman, important as he was, hastened to obey.

What was this strange power that Paul, at will, could exercise throughout the underworld?

With a few terse questions Paul ascertained the exact condition of affairs.

“You say, Long Fang, that all is ready?”

“All, master.  We only awaited your coming.”

Then with a graceful gesture he asked, “Will you so far honor your humble servant?” as he indicated the way into another room.

Dora, followed by Paul and the Chinese, stepped through the portal and came to a Chinese temple.

It was a large room and the decorations, although equally well executed as those in the room they had just left, were actually terrifying.  Flying dragons and serpents done in bronze hung from the ceiling, while on a raised dais at the farther end of the room was an enormous squatting figure of the seven-handed god.  Before it, in braziers, fire gleamed, giving off a heavy, pungent odor that was almost overpowering to Occidental nostrils.

On either side of the huge image hung silken curtains, in all probability covering doorways into yet other chambers.

For the first time Dora showed signs of interest.  With the shop and the first chamber she was already familiar, but this was something new, something to give the spur to her satiated, blase nature.  She moved about the place, fingering the rare tapestries, contemplating probably what gorgeous hangings they would make for her own apartment.

Dora’s preoccupation gave Long Fang his opportunity to confer with Paul alone and he moved closer to him.

“Master,” he nodded, “why not use the beautiful lady to lure the other one into our power?”

Paul shook his head negatively.  He knew that Eva was aware that Dora was her enemy.