"
"Speculation, old chap." Bruce smiled faintly. "Keep away from doping
out the future and stick to facts."
"So you want facts? All right: She is planning a revolution; she has
the mad idea that she can rip Lower California away from the government
and make of it a separate empire, herself its queen!"
"Why not? Wilder things have been done. And where would you find a
more likely queen?"
"When I first saw her she came, disguised as a man, into Ortega's
gaming hell, Rios with her. She played dice with me for twenty
thousand dollars."
Bruce's eye brightened.
"She's wonderful!" he said eagerly.
"She's hand and fist with Rios and Escobar and a lot of other riff-raff
I don't know. She is instrumental in Betty Gordon's being held for
ransom----"
"How do you _know_? Or are you just guessing again? Betty Gordon!
How do you _know_ she isn't what I called her, the infamous dancing
woman with an evil record a mile long?"
"Haven't I talked with her?" Kendric grew impatient. "Haven't I seen
her terror? Haven't I looked into her eyes?"
"Haven't I talked with Zoraida?" countered Bruce. "Haven't I heard her
explanations? Haven't I seen her terror of Rios? Haven't I looked
into her eyes?"
"You were burned out tonight. Have you forgotten that? Your herds
were raided. Even old Twisty Barlow, once a square man, followed
Zoraida Castelmar into that! And Zoraida, herself, was one of the
raiders!"
"How do you _know_?" demanded Bruce.
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