BIGGLES’ CHINESE PUZZLE

AND OTHER BIGGLES’ ADVENTURES

by Captain W. E. Johns

VII. THE CASE OF THE SECRET INQUISITORS (Pages 153 – 167)

This story was originally published in THE TREASURE BOOK OF COMICS in 1952 by Odhams Press Ltd.

“It was late one night when Biggles received an urgent phone call from his chief, Air Commodore Raymond, head of the Air Section at Scotland Yard. Entering the Yard in the unfamiliar company of its night workers he found the Air Commodore already in conference. The taller of his two companions was introduced as Sir Neville Baker, of the Diplomatic Corps; the other Biggles recognized as Major Charles of M.I.5, counter-espionage section. There was an atmosphere of gravity in the room”. Major Charles explains the concern. “For some time past there have been accidents and disappearances involving scientific and political experts of first-rate importance. We can no longer believe that these accidents are unrelated”. Two of the missing men were diplomats. The latest case is that of Maxwell Harrington, who knew more than any living man about the mineral deposits of Central and Eastern Europe, including uranium. He disappeared between his hotel and Victoria Station when he was about to take a boat to Germany. The men taken are comparatively unknown, but vital brains behind the security of this country. “The first was Pierre Lefebre, a brilliant young French-Canadian who was one of our confidential advisers on the Marshall Plan negotiations”. (The Marshall Plan (officially the European Recovery Program, ERP) was an American initiative enacted in 1948 to provide foreign aid to Western Europe. The U.S. transferred $13.3 billion (equivalent of $173 billion in 2023) in economic recovery programs to Western European economies after the end of World War II. The plan operated for four years beginning on 3^rd April 1948 and was to help prevent the spread of communism). Major Charles then says “But let us move to the more sinister part of the business. It puts abduction and murder in the shade”. A man called Adamson, who directed radio propaganda, had disappeared and was found wandering in Edinburgh. “He was completely out of his mind”. “The worst case so far was that of Peter Bard, Adamson’s assistant. He vanished, but turned up again in much the same way as Adamson. There was a difference, however. When we found Adamson his mind was an empty shell. When Bard turned up his mind has not only been emptied, it had been filled up again”. Major Charles paused, choosing his words carefully. “His whole scale of values and beliefs had been reversed. In other words, he now had a fixed belief in the very propaganda he was supposed to be combating”. Charles says there is money behind the organisation. Kim Yen, the young Chinese aerodynamic expert was developing a helicopter that was remarkably efficient. They now have secret information that a certain foreign power had under trial a prototype of the Yen Helicopter. The authorities believe that aircraft were being used in the kidnappings. Biggles voices the opinion that the villain in the case may be an individual, selling inventions to the highest bidder. He says “There may be a man at work who had a mania for power – a sort of second Hitler”. Biggles suggests planting a fake scientist and he would volunteer for that role. Biggles says to Raymond “I imagine you could give me a quick build-up in the Press, as the holder of a top secret? That should be enough to get me kidnapped”. Biggles suggests a hint that he has just escaped from behind the Iron Curtain with certain important information. An alias for Biggles of Mr. Holmes is agreed upon. “Somewhat uncomfortable in a suit of old-fashioned style and with some slight alteration to his personal appearance (such as shaving his moustache), Biggles took his breakfast two days later at a West End hotel in which he had booked accommodation”. (I find this paragraph surprising as it clearly states that Biggles had a moustache! I have never pictured him with one. Neither did Leslie Stead, the illustrator of the Hodder & Stoughton and Brockhampton Biggles books. From 1942 onwards until Stead’s retirement in 1966, Biggles is illustrated without a moustache. He certainly has no moustache in all the illustrations in BIGGLES’ CHINESE PUZZLE. If, however, one was to look at the illustrations in the original publication of this story in THE TREASURE BOOK OF COMICS in 1952, the illustrator must have read the story as Biggles starts off with a moustache and later does not have one). Evening finds Biggles glancing through the current issue of Flight (a real magazine) in the hotel lobby and a page-boy calls for Mr. Holmes. Responding, Biggles is given an unsigned written message in an envelope that says “You are in danger. Do not use the telephone. Report at once to the office”. He goes outside to call for a taxi and almost at once a taxi pulls in besides him. As Biggles gets in the back and his seat takes his full weight, he is gassed with an anaesthetic. Semi-conscious, he wakes to see a nurse and realise that he is in an ambulance. Biggles is told he has been in an accident and he is on his way to a private sanatorium. He is given an injection and he closes his eyes. Waking later, Biggles sees an airport control-tower. He is introduced to a Doctor Kahn and told that the doctor flies his own ambulance plane. An aircraft takes off with Biggles on board and in due course it lands. Biggles can hear the sea and thinks he is somewhere off the coast of Scotland. Biggles is taken to an old, dilapidated castle and they pass a man. “Looking at him, Biggles saw a round, expressionless face with slanting eyes. He recognized the missing inventor, Kin Yen”. Taken into the castle by the doctor, the door slams closed behind them. “A necessary precaution for a private asylum” Biggles is told. “Are you one of the patients?” inquires Biggles. “Ah! So you have a warped sense of humour. We shall have to correct that,” murmured the doctor, walking on. Biggles is taken into a room with what appears to be a desk and a dentist’s chair. “What is all this about?” he demanded. (“What is this all about? Biggles demanded” - is the illustration opposite page 160). Biggles is told “I arranged for you to be brought here because I am interested in the same subject as you, notably the mineral deposits of Eastern Europe”. Biggles says he doesn’t know which power the man represents, but everybody needs money and he will co-operate for a consideration. The doctor tells Biggles “The organisation I represent is not a nation. I stand for a master-group that is interested in revolution in this country. But don’t underestimate our strength. It is the strength of supreme intelligence. We do not normally pay for our information”. He continues “Already we can empty a man’s brain and fill it with ideas of our own choosing. Imagine the possibilities. Certain powers are of course interested in our enterprise”. “Such as the one that bought the plans of the Yen helicopter,” suggested Biggles. The doctor says that is a mere side-line; a necessity to keep them in funds. Kin Yen is used as an aircraft mechanic and is rewarded with opium. They have other means of persuasion and the doctor offers to let Biggles see for himself. In one room, he is shown a man called Harrington. “The secrets he will give us will provide us with enough money to run this establishment for a further twelve months. “Biggles was cold with suppressed anger”. He realises that the doctor is a man who, if not mad, was on the borderline of insanity. Returning to their original room, Biggles asks for a drink and is provided with water. “Aren’t you afraid of being left alone with me?” queries Biggles. The doctor frowned. “Afraid? Control, my dear sir, is always a matter of superior intelligence”. He took from a drawer of his desk what appeared to be a fountain-pen. “One spot of the chemical contained in this cylinder and you would know nothing for a long time,” he boasted. Biggles takes a gulp of his water and gasps, his hands fly to his throat and he pants “You devil! You’ve poisoned me!” The doctor tries to catch Biggles as he falls and in a flash Biggles has him in a stranglehold and twists the doctor’s wrist until he drops the weapon. Biggles then snatches it up and depresses the switch. The doctor collapses and Biggles put him in the chair. Biggles puts on the doctor’s dark glasses and then, from a cupboard, the doctor’s flying kit. Biggles walks out to the air ambulance unmolested and seeing the mechanic, Yen, he tells him to get in. “The Chinaman obeyed without question”. Three minutes later Biggles was in the air. “The sun was sinking into the Atlantic when the ambulance plane returned”. Biggles gets out and this time he has an automatic weapon. The aircraft disgorged a load of armed police officers. Air Commodore Raymond was among them. Everyone is arrested, including the doctor and the nurse. A police Auster lands. The Air Commodore tell Biggles it will take some time to clean the place up. “Well, if you can manage without me, I’ll get along,” answered Biggles. “That will be Ginger just landing in the Auster. He’ll take me home. I’ve had a pretty hectic day. I’ll let you have a full report to-morrow”.