Chapter 5 Conspiracy exposed

For a whole month Tarzan is the "shrine" of the beautiful Countess de Cauder A popular, loyal "believer" who comes and goes frequently.Often he would meet friends from the circle of friends whom Olga had carefully chosen for an afternoon cup of tea.But Olga would always find a way to spend an hour or so with Tarzan. There were days when Nicholas' insinuations frightened her enough. She never had any unreasonable thoughts about this big young man before, and only regarded him as an ordinary friend.It was her brother's venomous words that made her look at the matter again, wondering what kind of force was pulling her towards this gray-eyed stranger.She didn't want herself to fall in love with him, and she didn't want him to love her.

She is much younger than her husband.Perhaps without realizing it herself, she was always looking for friendship among her peers.Because a 20-year-old is ashamed to talk to a 40-year-old.Taishan was only two years older than her.She felt that he understood her, and that he was so respectable, so righteous, so chivalrous.She wasn't afraid of him at all.She felt subconsciously from the beginning that he could be trusted. Peeping secretly, Zhukov saw that the two of them were getting closer, and couldn't help but feel a little joy in his vicious heart.Ever since he knew that Taishan knew that he was a Russian spy, he hated him even more, for fear that one day Taishan would denounce him.

Now he can only wait for the "finishing touch" of the god of fate.He wanted to get rid of Mount Tai forever, and avenge the old and the new. Tarzan had not been so contented since Potter and his party, who had been banished to the beach, broke the comfort and tranquility of the jungle. His pleasant association with Olga's friends brought him joy, and his friendship with the beautiful count was a source of infinite joy.This friendship dispelled his depression and comforted his broken heart. Sometimes D'Arnot accompanied him at the house of de Cauder, since he had heard of Olga and the count.De Cauder sat with them now and then, but he was very busy in his position, and he was often late at home.

Zhukov's tracking of Mount Tai has almost never stopped.He waited for Tarzan's late-night visits to de Cawd's house, but was always disappointed.Several times after the opera, Tarzan accompanied the countess home, but he always left at the door, leaving the conscientious brother in a rage. Zhukov and Balvich found that it was difficult to lure Taishan to take the bait automatically, so they set up another trap with "conclusive evidence" that made him completely fall into passiveness. For several days they kept tabs on de Cauder's whereabouts with the newspapers, while they continued to monitor Tarzan's every move.It finally came true: a simple piece of news was reported in a morning paper.It was reported that the German ambassador was to hold an informal party only for men the following evening, and de Cauder was one of the invited guests.If he's at the party, it means he won't be home until after midnight.

On the evening of the banquet, Balvich waited on the side of the road in front of the German ambassador's residence, from where everyone at the banquet could be seen. He did not wait long when he saw Count de Cauder get out of the car and walk past him.that's enough.Balvich hurried back to his lodgings, where Zhukov was waiting.They waited until 11, then Balvich picked up the handset and asked for a number. "Is it Lieutenant D'Arnot's house?" He asked after the call was connected. "Look for Mr. Taishan, please ask him to pick it up." For a while there was silence in the cabin.

"Mr. Tarzan? "Ah, hello, sir, I'm Francis... the servant of the Countess de Caud, sir, you may think of Francis, ah, it's a great honor. "Of course, sir, I have something to tell you, urgently. My lord count please come here at once, she is not well, sir. "I don't know, sir, I don't know what's wrong with her. I can tell madam. Will you be here soon, sir?" "Thank you, sir! God bless you." Balvich hung up the phone, turned around, and smiled funnyly at Zhukov. "It takes him half an hour to get there. If you get to the German ambassador's residence in 15 minutes, de Cauder can be home in 45 minutes. Now the point is that the fool found out that he was caught in the trap." After that, we have to stay there for at least another 15 minutes before we are done. But Olga will not let him go in such a short time, unless my judgment is completely wrong.

Here is a letter to De Cauder, go! " Balvich was at the German ambassador's residence in time to deliver the letter to one of the porter's valet. "It's for Count de Caud. It's urgent. You must deliver it to him yourself at once." He said as he threw a silver coin into the servant's hand, and walked away. After a while, de Cauder tore open the envelope, apologized to his master, and said he would go first.As he walked, he read the following letter, his face pale with anger, his hands trembling. Mr. Count de Cauder: A man who wants to save your reputation warns you that at this moment, you

The sanctity and dignity of the family are being defiled and violated. The one who used to go to your place when you weren't home for months Regulars are now with your wife.if you go to your The lady's dressing room would have seen them both together. a friend Twenty minutes after Balvich called Tarzan, Zhukov hung up on Olga's line.The telephone was installed in the Countess's dressing room, and it was her maid who answered. "Madame is in bed," said the maid, for he wanted to speak to her. "It is a matter of great urgency, and only the countess can take the call herself," replied Zhukov. "Tell her that she must get up and answer the call in any dress. I will ask you again in five minutes." Her phone." After speaking, he hung up the phone.After a while, Balvich walked in.

"Has the count received the letter?" asked Zhukov. "He's probably on his way home now!" said Balvich. "Good! Our lady must be sitting in the dressing-room at this very moment, probably in only her nightgown. Jacques, who will be faithful to us, will bring Mr. Tarzan to her in a moment, without prior notice." Tarzan and Olga will take a few minutes to explain this. Olga must be very attractive in that thin pajamas. If the tight waist bathrobe half hides her charming If so, the pajamas would reveal her allure. Olga would be surprised, but never angry. "If that Tarzan was a man, the Count will have a lovely love 'sketch' in fifteen minutes. Dear Alexei, we have a perfect arrangement. Come on, to Old Pollen Ken's Hotel is thirsty for a glass of incomparable absinthe, to the health and longevity of Mr. Tarzan. Don't forget, de ·

Caud is not only one of the best fencers in Paris, but also the best sharpshooter in all of France! " When Tarzan arrived at the Earl's mansion, Jacques was waiting for him at the door. "Go here, sir." He said as he led him up the wide marble steps, then opened a door, pulled aside a heavy velvet curtain, bowed his waist, and pointed to the dimly lit room very courteously. He pointed and slipped away. Tarzan saw Olga sitting at a small table across the room with a telephone on it.She was tapping the smooth tabletop impatiently with her fingers, but she didn't hear the sound of Taishan coming in.

"Olga," he said, "what's the matter?" She turned to look at him with a cry of surprise. "John! What are you doing here? Who let you in? What do you mean?" Taishan turned pale with shock, and immediately guessed that there must be something strange. "So you didn't call me, Olga?" "Called you in the middle of the night? My God! John, do you think I'm crazy?" "Francis called and told me to come right away and said you were unwell and wanted to see me right away." "Francis? Which Francis?" "He said he was your servant, and listened to him as if I should think of him." "I don't even have a Francis in my employ. Who must be kidding you, John?" Olga said, laughing. "I'm afraid it's a very nasty joke, Olga," he replied, "and there's something to it besides humor!" "What do you mean? Are you saying..." "Is the count at home?" he interrupted her. "He went to the German ambassador." "It's your dear brother again. Tomorrow morning the count will hear about it. He will question the servants. The results of the inquiries will only lead the count to follow the trap set by Zhukov. Look at this thing." "The rascal!" cried Olga.She got up and went to Tarzan, and looked up into his handsome face, terrified, with eyes that shone with the bewilderment that a hunter sees in the eyes of a poor, frightened doe. , full of doubts.Trembling, she put both hands on her broad shoulders to calm herself down. "What are we going to do, John," she asked softly. "It's terrible. All Paris will read about it in the papers tomorrow. And he'll see—" Her look, her attitude, and what she said are the most contagious calls from ancient and modern defenseless women to their natural protectors—men.Tai Shan stretched out his big strong hand and held the warm little hand on his chest.This movement is almost automatic.Also, completely protective of her, he put an arm around her shoulders. The development of things is really a bit thrilling.He had never been this close to her before.They suddenly looked into each other's eyes with such eagerness that Olga De Cauder was so weak when he should have been strong.She cuddled closer and closer to Taishan's arms, wrapping her arms around his neck.Tarzan embraced the girl with a beating heart in two strong arms, and kissed her hot lips passionately. After reading the letter handed to him by the steward, Roel de Cauder found an excuse and hurried away from the residence of the German ambassador.After that, he never thought about what reason he made up at that time.Everything around him seemed to be in chaos until he stood on the threshold of his house.But then, he suddenly became very calm and tiptoed in.As soon as he climbed the stairs, Jacques opened the door of the dressing room for him.At the time he didn't see that it was any different than usual.In retrospect, I felt a little strange. He went upstairs silently on tiptoe, walked through the corridor, and touched the door of his wife's dressing room, holding a heavy handcuff in his hand, with murderous intentions buried in his heart. Olga saw him first.She screamed in fear and broke free from Taishan's arms.Tarzan turned his head just in time to block the blow of de Cauder's cane to his head with his arm.Once, twice, three times, the heavy cane hit him like lightning, and every time it seemed to drive Tarzan back to his original state. He finally let out the low growl of a giant ape, and swooped at the Frenchman. He snatched the sturdy cane, snapped it in half like a matchstick, and threw it aside like an angry beast to grab his adversary by the throat. Olga de Cauder stood dumbfounded by the dreadful sight, and then, throwing herself on Tarzan who was strangling her husband, shook him as hard as a dog shakes a tiger. She frantically opened those big hands. "My God!" she cried, "you're killing him! You're killing him! Oh, John, you're killing my husband!" Tai Shan was so angry that he couldn't hear what she was yelling at all.Suddenly he pushed the Count to the floor, put his foot on his chest, and threw up his head.Immediately, the dreadful cry of a great ape's defiance after killing its prey rang out from Count de Caud's mansion.From the underground to the top of the building, the scream of fear alarmed all the servants.They were all pale and trembling with fright.Olga knelt by her husband's side and prayed incessantly. Slowly, the red mist in front of Taishan disappeared, everything around him began to recover their "true colors", and he himself returned to a civilized person. "Olga," he said softly.She looked up, expecting to see the murderous frenzy in those eyes, but what she saw was sorrow and remorse. "Oh, John!" she said sadly, "look what you've done. He's my husband, and I love him, and you killed him." Tarzan picked up the limp Count de Cawdor, put him on a couch, and put his ear to his chest, listening. "Get some brandy, Olga," he said. She brought a bottle, and the two of them opened the earl's mouth and poured a little. After a while, his pale lips moved, and he let out a breath.De Cauder turned his head and groaned. "He won't die," said Tarzan, "thank God." "Why did you pinch him, John?" she asked. "I don't know, he beats me and I go mad. I've seen the apes of my tribe go mad like that. Oh, Olga, I've never told you about myself. If you Knowing, probably better, at least for now it won't happen. I've never met my father, and the only mother I've ever known was an ugly female ape. I didn't see a human for the first time until I was 15, to Saw my first white man at 20. A little over a year ago I was a naked beast in the African bush. "Don't be too demanding on me. The evolution that the white people have completed in a long period of time, trying to let me complete it in less than two years, this period is undoubtedly too short." "I never demanded anything from you, John. It's all my fault. You must go now.He must not see you still here when he regains consciousness.goodbye. " Tarzan came out of Lord de Cawd's mansion, with his head bowed, looking pitiful. But after a while, his thoughts became clear again. Twenty minutes later, he had walked into the police station not far from Moore Street and found a police officer who had fought with him a few weeks ago during the riots on Moore Street.The officer was genuinely pleased to see the friend who had treated him rudely.The two chatted for a while, and Tarzan asked him if he had heard of Nicholas Zhukov and Alexey Balvich. "To tell you the truth, I often hear it mentioned, sir. Although no one is suing them now, these two guys have been registered at the police station. Therefore, we know where they are haunted. Once a crime is discovered, we will Can be caught in time. Of course, we take the same cautious attitude with other habitual offenders. Why do you want to ask about these two people, sir?" "I know these two men," replied Tarzan. "I have a little business to see Mr. Rukov. I would be most obliged if you would tell me where he lives." A few minutes later, he bid farewell to the officer, and with the address of a not-so-respectable neighborhood in his pocket, he walked briskly to the nearest taxi stand. At this time, Balvich and Zhukov had already returned to their residence, and were sitting there discussing with relish how the events of this big night would end.They had already telephoned the two morning papers, hoping that they would send someone to hear the first-hand account of the scandal that was going to shake up Paris at dawn. Heavy footsteps sounded on the stairs. "Ah, these journalists are very swift and decisive," Zhukov said happily, and when he heard a knock at the door, he shouted, "Come in, sir!" But the smile on the Russian's face seemed to froze when he saw the stern gray eyes of his visitor. "Grandma's!" he yelled, jumping up, "how did you come here?" "Sit down!" said Tarzan, his voice was so low that he could hardly hear what he was saying, but Zhukov was so calm that he sat down hastily, and Balvich was too frightened to sit still in his chair. "You know why I came here," said Tarzan in the same low voice, "I should have killed you, but since you are Olga de Cauder's brother, I don't want to kill you now. you. "I'm giving you both a chance to save your life. Balvich is nothing, he's just a stupid tool. So, as long as I keep you alive, I'll keep you alive. Before I leave this cabin, You have to do two things. The first thing is to write out all the relationship between the two of you and what happened tonight, and then sign it. "Second, swear to me that this matter will be kept secret from the press. If you say a word, I will kill you. If you can't do these two things, I will step into this threshold again, you guys Neither of them wants to live. Do you understand?" Before they could answer, he said, "Write quickly! Don't you have ink, pen and paper in front of you?" Rukov bluffed and put on a look of fighting, as if he was not afraid of Tarzan's threat at all.Taishan's hand was like a pair of iron tongs, grabbing his throat at once.Balvich ran away, but before he reached the door, Taishan grabbed him, threw him to the corner, and lost consciousness.Rukov's face was bruised, Tarzan let go of his fingers, and shoved him into the chair.Zhukov coughed for a while, and sat there with a sullen face, staring straight at Taishan standing opposite him.After a while, Balvich woke up, and according to Tarzan's order, he limped to the chair with pain and sat down. "Write it!" said Tarzan the ape. "If you still want me to clean up, I won't be so merciful with my hands and feet." Zhukov quickly picked up the pen and began to write. "Not a single detail should be missed. Write down the names of everyone involved in this matter." Taishan warned. After a while, there was another knock on the door, "Please come in!" Taishan said. A well-dressed young man walked into the meter. "I am a reporter for the Morning Post," he introduced himself, "and I know Mr. Zhukov has an interesting story to tell me." "You must be mistaken, sir," replied Tarzan. "He has no anecdote at all to be published, have you, dear Nicholas?" Zhukov stopped writing and raised his head with a bitter look on his face. "No," he said angrily, "I don't have a story for the newspapers right now." "Not in the future, dear Nicholas." The reporter did not see the fierce light in Tarzan's eyes, but Nicholas Zhukov saw it clearly. "Yes, not in the future." He said quickly. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Trouble, it's a waste of time." Tarzan turned his eyes to the reporter and said, "Good night, sir." He bowed to the reporter, escorted him out of the hut, and slammed the room shut. Door. An hour later, Tarzan turned away from the door of Rukov's hut with a thick stack of written statements in his coat pocket, and said: "If I were you, I would leave France as soon as possible. Because sooner or later I will find an excuse to kill you that will never involve your sister."