BIGGLES - AIR DETECTIVE

 

by Captain W. E. Johns

 

 

THE CASE OF THE VISITING SULTAN  (Pages 17 - 28)

 

Biggles is testing an Auster aircraft and tells Flight-Sergeant Smyth (who hasn't appeared in a Biggles book for some considerable time!) that "She's still inclined to fly a bit left wing low".  He then goes to see Air Commodore Raymond in the Operations Room.  Raymond tells Biggles that a native ruler named Oba I'Mobi, Sultan of Lashanti in West Africa, is coming to London for the Colonial Conference and he insists on bringing his court regalia with him, consisting of some of the best diamonds in the world.  He is a pilot and intends to fly himself in his own Mosquito aircraft.  Meanwhile, Rocky Cordova, America's number one bad man, also collects rocks, diamonds, and he has gone on holiday, by air, to West Africa.  Rocky has a converted American war type of aeroplane.  A single-engined, four-seat attack plane called the Cobra.  He employs a Mexican ex-war pilot named Juan Laroula.  Biggles looks at the map and notes that the bulk of the journey from Lashanti to London is over jungle and the sea.  An area called Rio de Oro, Spanish territory, is the most likely place for any attack.  Biggles asks that Sir Milton Chambers, the Governor of the colony, starts a rumour that the Sultan is going to start off an hour early.  Biggles will fly an armed Mosquito and if Rocky attacks, it will be Biggles he meet.  Biggles will have Ginger in another plane in case he goes down and he will fly from an airfield called Kunali some 20 miles away from the airfield of Masdu that the Sultan will use.  Seven days later, Biggles set off at five to eight in the morning and flies for some three hours.  When Rocky's plane does attack, as anticipated, Biggles shoots it down in flames.  His Highness, the Sultan attends the conference not even knowing what has happened.