take the consequences! Listen! Tippoo Tib buried the ivory. The
Sultan of Zanzibar claims it. The German government, for reasons of
its own, backs the Sultan's claim; ivory found in German East Africa
will be handed over to him in support of his claim to all the rest of
it. If you--Lord Montdidier and the rest of you--care to sign an
agreement with the Sultan of Zanzibar you can have facilities. You
shall be supplied with guides who can lead you to the right place to
start your search from--"

"Thought you wanted Lord Montdidier to say in London that you know
where it all is," Will objected.

She colored slightly, and glared.

"Perhaps I am one of the guides," she said darkly. "I know more than I
need tell for the sake of this argument! The point is, you can have
facilities if you sign an agreement with the Sultan. Otherwise, you
will be dogged wherever you go! Whatever you should find would be
claimed! Every difficulty will be made for you--every treachery
conceivable practised on you. Lord Montdidier can get influential
backing, but not influence among the natives! He can not get good men
and true information by pulling wires in London. The British
government once offered ten per cent. of the value of the ivory found.
The Sultan of Zanzibar offers twenty per cent.--"

"Twenty-five per cent.," corrected Hamed Ibrahim.

"Yes, but I should want five per cent. for my commission!"

"This sounds like a different yarn to the one you told on the stairs