"I can tell you Bwana," replied Otobu. "This man was his father."
"What is he saying to the girl?" asked Tarzan.
"He is asking her if she knew that the body of his father was under
the couch. And she is saying that she did not know it."
Tarzan repeated the conversation to Smith-Oldwick, who smiled. "If
the chap could have seen her removing all evidence of the crime and
arranging the hangings of the couch so that the body was concealed
after she had helped me drag it across the room, he wouldn't have
very much doubt as to her knowledge of the affair. The rug you see
draped over the bench in the corner was arranged to hide the blood
stain--in some ways they are not so loony after all."
The black man had now removed the outer garments from the dead
man, and Smith-Oldwick was hastily drawing them on over his own
clothing. "And now," said Tarzan, "we will sit down and eat. One
accomplishes little on an empty stomach." As they ate the ape-man
attempted to carry on a conversation with the two natives through
Otobu. He learned that they were in the palace which had belonged
to the dead man lying upon the floor beside them. He had held an
official position of some nature, and he and his family were of
the ruling class but were not members of the court.
When Tarzan questioned them about Bertha Kircher, the young man
said that she had been taken to the king's palace; and when asked
why replied: "For the king, of course.
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