The Devil—With Wings by L. Ron Hubbard Read Free Book Online

desk and papers of Colonel Shimizu, commanding the Amur River Patrol.
    The colonel, neat until it appeared that he must change his clothes every five minutes, sniffed daintily into his handkerchief and curled his thin lips into a feline grimace of distaste for noise and dust and activity. A mustard-colored greatcoat bulked through the door and the colonel glanced up with annoyance which quickly faded into welcome.
    Intelligence Captain Ito Shinohari was too important in his field to have to stand on courtesy with mere line colonels. His greeting was curt—for a Japanese.
    â€œI trust you have been well, Colonel,” said Shinohari.
    â€œExcept for the noise and confusion, yes. And your own sacred health, Captain?”
    â€œExcellent.”
    â€œMay the Divine Beings favor you as they always have, Captain.”
    â€œMay the Military Gods smile upon you, Colonel.”
    That finished, Shinohari pulled off his flying helmet and began to strip the gloves from his thin, nervous hands. He lifted his pockmarked face and looked earnestly at Shimizu.
    â€œIs there any news,” said the captain, “of he who is called Akuma-no-Hané ?”
    The colonel’s face lighted with surprised admiration. “Captain Shinohari, you amaze me! Yesterday I knew definitely that you were in Port Arthur. Today I have tidings of the white renegade and instantly you appear like a magician upon the scene.”
    â€œMy business requires something more powerful than magic, Colonel.”
    â€œIndeed! Indeed so, Captain. If you wish to keep trace of your Akuma-no-Hané. ”
    â€œAnd the news…?”
    â€œA runner,” said the colonel, “reports that Akuma-no-Hané landed last evening near the river, some fifty kilometers to the northwest. He was in company with the young Chinese with whom he associates and a young white woman. But tell me, Captain, why did I receive orders not to follow up such information? I could have taken a patrol…”
    â€œOf course. I am sorry for the orders, Colonel. They were necessary. This time, it is imperative that he does not escape us. By the end of this week we’ll have the pleasure of hanging his head by its ear in the main street of Port Arthur.”
    â€œGood! Good!”
    â€œBefore he has played his hand alone, Colonel. But this time he is encumbered with a young white woman, a Miss Patricia Weston.”
    â€œRobert Weston’s sister?”
    â€œYes.”
    The colonel looked thoughtful and patted his stubby nose with the handkerchief. “Then you have spread the net of your entire intelligence force?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œAnd you have a ring of steel around him even now, I presume?”
    â€œIf,” said Shinohari, “your information about his landing is correct, he cannot escape by sky, land or water. The Gods of Destiny have ordained that his ruthless existence shall end in a matter of days, perhaps hours. You have my quarters ready for me?”
    The colonel slapped his hands together and a short, smart orderly bounced like a jujitsu fighter into the room, to leap out of his final bounce into unbending attention.
    â€œTake the Honorable Captain Shinohari to his quarters,” said the colonel.
    Shinohari followed the brisk orderly from the room. They emerged into the gathering softness of dusk and made their way down a street painted with the nervous light of guttering lanterns. The jostling soldiery made swift way for Shinohari and followed him with whispers and pointing fingers.
    The orderly came to a clicking stop outside a low house which stood back from the busy street as though hiding itself in the purple gloom in fear of the military bustle of activity which stirred the town of Aigun on the Amur.
    â€œIf the Captain wishes me to remain…” began the orderly.
    â€œI want nothing. Return to Colonel Shimizu.”
    The orderly saluted and Shinohari opened the door to step inside. He fumbled