The Secret of the Golden Pavillion (13 page)

After the group had gazed at it in awe awhile, walking around the unusual plant several times, Moki said they must be on their way. The car climbed up the mountainside. When it finally reached the top, Nancy and her friends walked to the rim, and stood breathless at the magnificent spectacle before them. Holding onto an iron railing, they gazed down into an enormous depression. Part of it was grassy with plants growing on the lava floor. But most amazing were the series of cinder cones, some as high as eight hundred feet, which Moki said were the result of volcanic eruptions. The whole scene was bathed in the glow of a brilliant red sunset.

For a long time, the group stood speechless as Moki explained that the crater was seven miles long and two miles wide. So interested were the sight-seers that they hardly noticed the clouds gathering over the crater. In a short time the area was filled with them and suddenly a complete rainbow surrounded the clouds.

“And look!” Bess cried out, pointing. “There’s my reflection in the center of them!”

“And you do look like a spook,” George remarked.

Every one of the visitors was clearly reflected among the clouds.

Nancy and George were particularly intrigued. Trying to see more from another vantage point, they walked a distance out on the cliff beyond the railing.

George went a few steps ahead of Nancy. Gazing into the clouds and not watching where she was going, she suddenly lost her balance.

Nancy, seeing this, made a wild grab for her and caught hold of George’s blouse. But the weight of George’s body dragged the two of them over the side of the cliff!

THE INSTANT the two girls started tumbling down the cliffside, the three boys jumped to the rescue. They were beside Nancy and George in a moment, bracing themselves against the steep slope, and asking if the girls had been injured.

“Only my pride,” George replied. “What a dumb thing to do!”

Since both she and Nancy felt shaken up and had suffered a few bruises, it was decided that the group would leave at once and go to the ranch motel outside of Hana where they had reservations. It was nearly dusk when they arrived at the attractive mountainside inn with its low, rustic buildings.

Bess was glad that dinner was ready. “I’m starving,” she said, as they all sat down at a long table.

The table was very attractive with a centerpiece of gardenias floating in a bowl of monkeypod wood. At each setting was a large slice of papaya, covered with chunks of pineapple, banana, and mango, and sprinkled with shredded coconut.

“I’m sure going to miss these tropical fruits when I get back to Emerson,” Burt said with a laugh. “Fellows, can you imagine our dinners at college starting with a course like this?”

Ned and Dave grinned. “Bean soup is usually what they start with,” Dave told the others.

There was a great deal of banter and teasing during the meal. But directly afterward, Nancy became serious. She told her friends that she had been doing some thinking about the drawing found in the chest. It had occurred to her that possibly there were two men—perhaps twins—in Hana, who were interested in some specific way in silversword plants.

Excusing herself, she left the others and asked the hotel clerk at the desk if he knew of anyone who was particularly interested in the plant. He replied that he did not, but that perhaps the manager, Mr. Blake, might know. He ushered Nancy into an inner office and introduced her to the manager.

Nancy again asked her question. Mr. Blake did not hesitate a moment. “Yes, there are two such men here in town. They’re twins, and professors. The Anderson brothers have made a special study of the silversword plant.”

A surge of excitement swept over Nancy. Her clue was about to bring results!

“The Anderson brothers retired from teaching some time ago,” Mr. Blake went on. “Since studying our silversword plant and finding that it grows nowhere else in the world, they have come up with a very interesting theory.”

Mr. Blake said the professors believed that the original seeds had been shot from space when the planet earth was being formed, and that they had lain dormant in this locale until the Hawaiian Island group was erupted.

Nancy was astounded at this theory, and eager to talk to the professors about it.

“Are the Andersons willing to have visitors?” she asked Mr. Blake.

“Oh, yes, indeed,” the manager answered.

“If they have a phone,” said Nancy, “perhaps I could call them and make an appointment.”

The hotel manager reached for a copy of the telephone directory, found the number, and put in the call for Nancy. A deep voice at the other end of the wire said, “Nils Anderson speaking.”

“This is Mr. Blake at the motel,” the manager told him. “We have a guest here, Miss Nancy Drew, who would like to speak to you.”

He handed the phone to Nancy, who said, “Hello. This is Nancy Drew from River Heights on the mainland.” Then she asked, “Professor Anderson, did you know a man in Honolulu named Nikkio Sakamaki who lived at Kaluakua?”

“My brother and I knew him well,” came the reply.

“Then may I please come to see you?” the young sleuth inquired. “My father is attorney for Mr. Sakamaki’s grandson. A mystery has arisen in connection with his grandfather’s estate and perhaps you can help in solving it.”

Professor Anderson chuckled. “I love mysteries and I should be very happy to see you. Can you come here about nine-thirty tomorrow morning?”

Nancy said she could and later asked Ned to go with her. They arrived at the Anderson cottage promptly and were admitted by the brothers, who were identical twins. The white-haired men were about seventy years old, tall and straight, with ruddy complexions and twinkling blue eyes.

Nancy and Ned introduced themselves, and Ned revealed that Nancy was doing some detective work for her father in connection with the Sakamaki case.”

“That’s very interesting,” one of the men said.

The professors then introduced themselves. Nils was a botanist, Stephen a zoologist. “We came from California originally,” said Stephen, “but we lived in Honolulu for many years and lectured occasionally at the University.”

His twin took up the story. “We became acquainted with Mr. Sakamaki of Kaluakua because of his interest in science. He was a very well-informed man, especially on the subject of botany. We three became great friends and saw a good deal of one another until Stephen and and I decided to come to Hana and make a study of the silversword plant.”

“Mr. Blake told us about your theory as to the way the seeds got to this earth,” Nancy spoke up.

Nils nodded. “It seems like the only logical explanation,” he said, “but we have a great deal more studying to do and it is possible we’ll change our minds.”

Nancy now told the professors further details of her father’s connection with the Sakamaki case, and also about her own interest in the puzzle.

“We’ve been trying hard to clear up the mystery,” she said, “and just came upon a new clue.” She explained about the discovery of the chest with the drawing of the silversword plant and the symbols meaning men. “Are you the men indicated?” she asked, smiling.

Neither of the twins replied at once. Instead, they gazed at each other for several moments as if trying to decide how to answer. But finally Nils spoke up.

“Old Nikkio Sakamaki was full of fun and incidentally full of sage Oriental sayings. He took great pleasure in thinking up clues to the solution of the Kaluakua mystery. He always said he wanted his heir to work to unfathom it.”

As the elderly man stopped speaking, Nancy asked again, “And did one of the clues lead to you people because you can tell us something?”

Stephen smiled. “You have guessed correctly, Miss Drew. Mr. Sakamaki said if anyone should ever ask questions similar to the ones which you have put that we were to answer, ‘Watch the angel birds over Mauna Loa.’ ”

“ ‘Watch the angel birds over Mauna Loa,’ ” Nancy repeated. “Does that mean the volcano Mauna Loa?”

The professors grinned delightedly. Then Nils answered, “We were instructed to say no more.”

It was clear to Nancy that they had no intention of breaking any promise they had given old Mr. Sakamaki. Tactfully she changed the subject and asked the Andersons if they knew whether Nikkio Sakamaki had ever mentioned having a wife and child in California.

“No, he never did,” Nils replied. “In fact, I believe he was in California only a few days before coming to Honolulu.”

Nancy was so excited to hear this that she almost jumped out of her chair. “This is very important news,” she said. “A brother and sister from California have arrived in Honolulu to claim two-thirds of the estate. They say they are grandchildren of Grandfather Sakamaki.”

Once more the brothers looked at each other for several moments before speaking. Then Nils said, “I am amazed to hear this and doubt the story very much. I believe I may be able to help you prove that these people are impostors.”

“Oh, if you only could!” Nancy cried out.

Nils Anderson went on to say that old Mr. Sakamaki had given him several letters containing data about rare Japanese flowers. These letters had been written to Mr. Sakamaki while he was still in Japan.

“He had no further use for them,” the professor explained, “and since he knew I would like to study the letters and could read Japanese, he gave them to me. If my memory serves me correctly, the dates on those letters might prove that Mr. Sakamaki was in Japan at the time these people claim he was married and living in California.”

Nancy was almost beside herself with elation. “Do you have these letters here?” she said eagerly.

“Not in Hana,” Nils Anderson replied. “When we moved here, I put them in the bank vault in Honolulu.” Seeing the excitement on Nancy’s face, he smiled and added, “I’ll be very happy to fly to Honolulu and look at the letters. If I am right in my assumption, I’ll turn the letters over to the executors of Mr. Sakamaki’s estate.”

“That’s very kind, and certainly wonderful news,” said Nancy.

Professor Anderson smiled. “Before getting in touch with the executor, I’ll call you on the phone. Will you be at Kaluakua?”

For an instant Nancy toyed with the idea of returning immediately to Honolulu and awaiting his call. But she decided to postpone the trip back until she had gone to the island of Hawaii and watched the angel birds flying over Mauna Loa. She must figure out the next clue to the secret of Kaluakua! She told her plan to the professor, who said he would put off his flight to Honolulu a day.

The following morning Nancy decided to telephone Kiyabu and tell him of the trip to Hawaii and also find out what had been going on at the estate. The caretaker told her that no messages had come from anyone, including Mr. Drew.

“We are having bad luck here,” Kiyabu reported. “Mr. Jerral was taken ill soon after dinner the day you left. He has been confined to his bed ever since. Mr. Chatley had a doctor for him.”

“Then that means he has not been able to keep watch on Roy Chatley and his sister,” Nancy remarked.

“I am afraid not,” Kiyabu replied, “but I have been guarding the place the best I could. Emma has been helping me, too.”

“Are your guests enjoying themselves?” Nancy asked.

An exclamation of disgust came from Kiyabu. “Miss Drew, those people are impossible. Always they are ordering me to go on errands. I am sure they want me to leave the estate for good. Then they have harsh words for Emma and me and they have threatened us several times.”

“How dreadful!” Nancy exclaimed.

“But that part is not so bad as the rest,” the caretaker went on. “Mrs. Lee and Mr. Chatley have had company here all the time. The people who come are very rough. They have broken much furniture. Emma and I have put away all the small pieces we could.”

Nancy tried to express her sympathy and say that she and her friends would return immediately, but she had no chance. Kiyabu talked fast and loud in his excitement.

“The men make jokes all the time. They say they want double of eggs and. double of coffee. One of them even ordered double cakes of soap for his bathroom. And every time one of them says this, the rest of them laugh so loud it hurts my ears.”

The distraught caretaker went on with his tale of woe, saying how sick poor Mr. Jerral was and what were he and Emma going to do? But Nancy did not answer. A sudden thought had come to her which made her instinctively clutch at her throat.

Were Janet Lee and Roy Chatley knowingly entertaining members of the Double Scorps at Kaluakua?

KIYABU continued to complain bitterly of the unseemly doings at Kaluakua. “Those visitors played some crazy game in the garden and ruined some of my rare plants!” he cried out in despair. “And Mr. Sakamaki was so proud of his flowers!”

Nancy was indignant. Her thoughts traveled to Mr. Jerral. Why had he permitted this? Was he too ill to object? Why had he not sent for a replacement ?

It occurred to her that possibly Mr. Jerral was not so ill as he seemed to be—that he was using this method to allay any suspicion on the part of the “guests” at Kaluakua, and actually was watching them very intently. Nevertheless, she offered to return to the estate at once.

“That will not be necessary, Miss Nancy,” Kiyabu said. “We will manage somehow.”

“Do you think,” Nancy questioned, “that Roy Chatley’s guests are searching for something?”

“No, I do not,” Kiyabu replied. “I just think they are here to have a good time. But they have very bad manners.”

“In any case, we’ll be home late tomorrow,” Nancy promised. “If things get too bad, I suggest you call the police.”

After the young sleuth hung up, she kept wondering whether or not she had made the right decision in not going directly home. When she discussed it with the others in her group, they urged Nancy to go to the island of Hawaii to see the angel birds. Moki and a friend of his drove them to the airport in two cars.