them in particular. He's old, set in his ways, and apparently something of a male chauvinist. He's been slow to respond to our over- lures about handling some of our merchandise in his country." *
"He's a slow, patient man," agreed the Phantom. "Though I'm sure I can persuade him to move faster than is usually the case."
"Yes," said Mara, "You do have interesting qualifications, Walker. I like your style. You manifested yourself to Sweeney Todd in an interesting, amusing, almost, way. I regret Beth's cutting your confrontation short. However, we had arrived to discuss something important with him. You would have been in the way."
'1 won't be in the way when we're working together, Mara."
"Frankly," she said, "I'd like very much to have you join us. I've thought about you since . . . but that's of no consequence at the moment You see, there's only one way you can be taken into the golden arrow circle."
"And that is?"
"You must be voted in by the entire membership," the girl told him. "Six of us make up the top echelon, the board of directors as it were. I think I can persuade most of them to vote for you."
"Even dear old Aunt Beth?"
"She'll be the tough one to sway. I can do it, however," said Mara. "There's no telling, though, how the rank and file will vote." A scowl touched her pretty face.
"If they vote against me, is that bad?"
"It may mean you will never leave this place alive." Mara moved nearer to him, put her free hand on his arm. "Now eat your breakfast, will you." She left the room and locked him in once more.
CHAPTER TWELVE
The Phantom was leaning in the corner of his cell, with arms folded across his chest, when the door opened again. It was about an hour and a. half since his last visitor.
"I brought you some breakfast," announced the brunette who stepped across the threshold carrying a tray.
"No gun this time," observed the masked man.
Mimi, the girl he'd met last night at the masquerade, raised her eyebrows. "What?" She noticed the other tray. "Oh, somebody beat me to it. Well, if I could just talk myself into rising at a decent hour things like this probably wouldn't happen." The dark girl had her hair pulled back and wore a pair of tan slacks and a dark pullover. "I cooked up these flapjacks for you myself. Which accounts for some of them being a little lopsided."
"As long as you're here," suggested the Phantom, "stay and talk a while."
Setting the tray aside, Mimi said, "Okay. First we can chat about who you are. I heard something last night about your name being Walker. What happened to the Devlin we all know and love?"
"You can keep thinking of me as Devlin if you'd like. For now I'm Walker, though."
The girl knelt beside the breakfast she'd brought, reaching for the top hotcake on the stack. "Sure you don't want any? Well, I might as well then." She rolled the flapjack into a cylinder and nibbled on it.
"There's something else we can discuss, Mimi," he said. "I'd like to know where I am. Mara never got around to explaining."
The dark girl frowned up at him. "Oh, so she's the one who beat me to the punch on your breakfast," she said. "What do you think of dear Mara?"
"She's very amiable," said the Phantom. "Dresses well, and is probably well-read. Now tell me where you folks have got me bottled up."
Mimi gestured at the half open metal door. "No big secret. We're on Long Island."
"Is that the Atlantic I hear out there?"
'It's Long Island Sound," replied Mimi. "We're on that side of the island, facing Bridgeport across the Sound and roughly an hour and a half out from New York City."
The Phantom raised his eyes toward the low ceiling. "What's on top of my little prison here?"
"A house, what else?" she said. "Big old rambling Victorian mansion sort of place."
"This is golden arrow headquarters?"
Mimi stood up, licking at her fingers. "One of them anyway," she answered. "I notice you haven't lost your curiosity, Walker-Devlin. Even though it's gotten you into quite a mess."
"Got me out of a lot of tight
"He's a slow, patient man," agreed the Phantom. "Though I'm sure I can persuade him to move faster than is usually the case."
"Yes," said Mara, "You do have interesting qualifications, Walker. I like your style. You manifested yourself to Sweeney Todd in an interesting, amusing, almost, way. I regret Beth's cutting your confrontation short. However, we had arrived to discuss something important with him. You would have been in the way."
'1 won't be in the way when we're working together, Mara."
"Frankly," she said, "I'd like very much to have you join us. I've thought about you since . . . but that's of no consequence at the moment You see, there's only one way you can be taken into the golden arrow circle."
"And that is?"
"You must be voted in by the entire membership," the girl told him. "Six of us make up the top echelon, the board of directors as it were. I think I can persuade most of them to vote for you."
"Even dear old Aunt Beth?"
"She'll be the tough one to sway. I can do it, however," said Mara. "There's no telling, though, how the rank and file will vote." A scowl touched her pretty face.
"If they vote against me, is that bad?"
"It may mean you will never leave this place alive." Mara moved nearer to him, put her free hand on his arm. "Now eat your breakfast, will you." She left the room and locked him in once more.
CHAPTER TWELVE
The Phantom was leaning in the corner of his cell, with arms folded across his chest, when the door opened again. It was about an hour and a. half since his last visitor.
"I brought you some breakfast," announced the brunette who stepped across the threshold carrying a tray.
"No gun this time," observed the masked man.
Mimi, the girl he'd met last night at the masquerade, raised her eyebrows. "What?" She noticed the other tray. "Oh, somebody beat me to it. Well, if I could just talk myself into rising at a decent hour things like this probably wouldn't happen." The dark girl had her hair pulled back and wore a pair of tan slacks and a dark pullover. "I cooked up these flapjacks for you myself. Which accounts for some of them being a little lopsided."
"As long as you're here," suggested the Phantom, "stay and talk a while."
Setting the tray aside, Mimi said, "Okay. First we can chat about who you are. I heard something last night about your name being Walker. What happened to the Devlin we all know and love?"
"You can keep thinking of me as Devlin if you'd like. For now I'm Walker, though."
The girl knelt beside the breakfast she'd brought, reaching for the top hotcake on the stack. "Sure you don't want any? Well, I might as well then." She rolled the flapjack into a cylinder and nibbled on it.
"There's something else we can discuss, Mimi," he said. "I'd like to know where I am. Mara never got around to explaining."
The dark girl frowned up at him. "Oh, so she's the one who beat me to the punch on your breakfast," she said. "What do you think of dear Mara?"
"She's very amiable," said the Phantom. "Dresses well, and is probably well-read. Now tell me where you folks have got me bottled up."
Mimi gestured at the half open metal door. "No big secret. We're on Long Island."
"Is that the Atlantic I hear out there?"
'It's Long Island Sound," replied Mimi. "We're on that side of the island, facing Bridgeport across the Sound and roughly an hour and a half out from New York City."
The Phantom raised his eyes toward the low ceiling. "What's on top of my little prison here?"
"A house, what else?" she said. "Big old rambling Victorian mansion sort of place."
"This is golden arrow headquarters?"
Mimi stood up, licking at her fingers. "One of them anyway," she answered. "I notice you haven't lost your curiosity, Walker-Devlin. Even though it's gotten you into quite a mess."
"Got me out of a lot of tight
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