, as the Green Man and the girl in Grey approached. They had travelled in the Green Man's Rolls-Royce (which was painted green, of course), which was parked off the road, but travelled the last couple of miles on foot. As was only right, for otherwise the agents of the blackmailer might have heard the engine. They trod carefully, keeping an ear out for any sign of suspicious activity. With the weather the way it was, it was probable that they'd hear any trouble before seeing it."Well," the girl in Grey whispered, "the pay-off should arrive in about half an hour. What do we do till then?"
"We try to find the blackmailer or his agents," the Green Man replied softly. "If the blackmailer's on hand, we could end this now. But if he's only sent agents, we have to track them. Remember, we don't know exactly how this man's planning to kill everyone in Carmarthen."
"Man?" the girl in Grey smiled. "How can you be sure?" There are female super-villains, too, you know."
"But I'm a gentleman," the Green Man replied gallantly. "Ms. Madison has to knock out the girls."
"But now you've got me," the Girl in Grey laughed, "and I can do that, too."
"Of course," the Green man laughed softly. "Now, we need to be quiet, or someone might hear." By this time, they were close to the stone wall which encircled the chapel graveyard.
"Split up," the Green Man whispered. "Stay low, and use the gravestones for cover." He sprang over the wall. The Girl in Grey followed close behind.
While the Green Man went to the right, the Girl in Grey headed to the left, keeping low behind the gravestones. Some dull, others shining black marble, they spoke of the life and death of a tiny community. But the Girl in Grey did not have time to read the inscriptions, no matter how pious the sentiments expressed. She was too busy looking out for the people detailed to pick up the money. At last, she saw a figure who was clearly not the Green Man standing by the chapel walls. She stealthily made her way towards him, careful to keep low. Indeed, she was almsot upon him when she became aware of a presence behind her.
Turning, she saw three large men who looked decidedly unfriendly.
"Uh-oh," she sighed, "gorrilas in the mist."
"The lead man only smiled, as he drew a long-barrelled revolver from his coat.
"So, someone decided to take a hand..." he bared his teeth viciously. "Pharaoh doesn't like people who poke their noses into his business. "Especially not girls in grey." He cocked the gun.
And that was as far as he got. A blow from a cane in the hands of the Green Man sent the pistol flying across the graveyard. Before any of the men could react, a blow from the Green Man's fist had sent another of the men flying over a gravestone. He hit his head on a particularly unyielding piece of marble and did not rise.
A high-kick from the girl in Grey sent the third man stumbling back into a freshly dug grave. The two remaining men stood no chance. The man who had drawn the gun was thrown over the wall, while the man by the chapel, having entered the contest too late, found himself pinned to the wall of the chapel by the Green Man.
"And now," the Green Man told him soberly, "you're going to tell me anything I want to hear.
Who are you working for?"The man's eyes suddenly widened, as he looked beyond the Green Man and the girl in Grey.
"Him!" he pointed. There, on the barren hillside, stood a man in Bedouin dress. And around him, although at a distance, were twelve men, all armed with assault rifles.
"Kill them!" the figure declared imeriously.
Before either the Green Man or the Girl in Grey could react, the men opened fire.
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