BIGGLES AND THE LITTLE GREEN GOD

by Captain W. E. Johns

7. A WARNING AND A DECISION (Pages 66 – 75)

“Well, what do you make of all that? Asks Algy. Biggles says that has clarified the matter considerably. “The vital question now is, where is this troublesome little god? Was it on board the plane when it left Buenos Aires, or had Barrendo managed to get possession of it? He wants it, and now we know why”. “It looks more and more as if there was dirty work somewhere on the route,” opined Algy. Biggles agrees. “The man who finds Atu-Hua will have a bomb in his hands, and I must admit I’m beginning to hope it won’t be me”. Biggles says he wants to call on Pallimo and let him know that he, Biggles, now knows more than Pallimo told him. Algy argues that it would be a better plan to call on Barrendo. They return to their hotel and the receptionist calls “Senor Bigglesworth”. There is a message for Biggles that reads “Be advised by a well-wisher. Go home”. Biggles shows Algy the message and the envelope, which is addressed to Colonel Bigglesworth. Algy grinned. “So you’ve been promoted”. (Biggles correct rank was Major. He had been promoted to Major in World War I, just as it finished). Biggles makes enquiries about where the note has come from, but nothing is known. Biggles says that to give someone a higher rank than to the one to which he’s entitled is an old trick to flatter a man’s vanity. Biggles wonders who sent the note and rules out Pallimo as they are working with him. He says he suspects the note has come from Barrendo. Biggles says “There’s something about this whole business that doesn’t add up. Pallimo told me he didn’t particularly want the little green god himself, but he was anxious that no one else should have it. I can’t see, therefore, why he should have anything to do with the disappearance of the plane, if there was foul play. Why send the god here, anyway? If he didn’t want the thing it would have been a simple matter to dispose of it for good. All he had to do was go to London Bridge and sling it in the river. On the other hand, according to Thurburn, Barrendo would be glad to have the idol because of the power it would give him with the Indian population. If he wanted it, it’s hard to see how he could have had a hand in the disappearance of the Caravana, because that would defeat his object”. Biggles says they can only assume O’Higgins died in the crash, if in fact there was a crash. Biggles decides to go along to ‘The Castel Romello’ to see if Barrendo is there, and if so, to ask him if he wrote the letter. They get a taxi to that address and ask the driver to wait for them. An Indian guard is on duty beside a little sentry-box. Biggles asks to see Senor Barrendo and gives his name as “Bigglesworth, from London”. They are sent up to the house and the front door is opened by “another Indian-type, in the uniform of a house servant”. They are taken to see a man who introduces himself; “My name is Barrendo. Welcome to my humble home, gentlemen. This is indeed a pleasure. I am honoured”. “He was small, lean, clean shaven, with a skin darker than might have been expected, apparently inherited from his Indian mother if what Mr. Thurburn had told them was correct. At all events, thought Algy, his behaviour so far has been, liked his clothes, immaculate. He had prepared himself for quite a different reception”.