The Scorpia Menace Read Online Free Page B

ransacked the library shelves in her search for little -known, obscure works, and she even sent to the State Archive Offices for sixteenth century journals, newspapers and trade reports that spoke of piracy on the high seas. In her research one name recurred again and again. This was a reference to a band known as the Scorpia.
At first they were mentioned as legends but then as documentation became less scanty, they began to emerge as a well-trained body of lawless adventurers who pillaged honest merchant ships in the early fifteen hundreds. They were encountered on the Spanish main, in the West Indies and even off the coast of Africa. Diana's pencilled notes assumed sizeable proportions and as her studies gained in depth and scope, the activities of the Scorpia gradually became the entire topic of her thesis.
One entry caused her heart to pump faster when she came across it. A report by an agent of Governor Wicks of Jamaica spoke of the Scorpia pirate band in the seventeenth century and said that they had been destroyed by the legendary Phantom. Diana's hand faltered with surprise and she put the book down on the desk. She felt slightly giddy and her heart seemed to be beating with unaccustomed vigor. She looked at the photostat entry of the ancient, faded writing again.
There was no possible doubt about it. It said "The Phantom" clearly enough. The date of the disbandment of the Scorpia band was given as 1612. Diana was master of herself again now. She was conscious that Miss Welch was at her elbow.
"You're still concentrating on the Scorpia, I see, Diana," the teacher said, a faint smile on her face. "I cannot quite understand why you have chosen such a bizarre topic. After all, an unknown pirate band of the seventeenth century will hardly generate much excitement . . ."
She broke oS as Diana looked up, interrupting her with a flow of words.
"I can't imagine a more exciting topic, Miss Welch," the girl said. "You see, The Phantom destroyed the band in 1612."
She paused and then went on.
"I put that badly, Miss Welch. I mean The Phantom's ancestor. Not my Phantom."
She stopped, conscious that Miss Welch was staring at her with incredulity in her eyes.
"Your Phantom, Diana?" she stammered. "I'm not at all sure I know what you mean."
"No, as I said, I put it badly," Diana replied. "I'm getting so absorbed in the subject of the Scorpia, I hardly know what I'm saying tonight. It's all so interesting and it's fascinating digging up all the little pieces of information from so many different sources."
Miss Welch smiled again.
"Oh, well, Diana, if you put it like that," she said. "But I wouldn't overwork if I were you. The thesis isn't so important."
"I won't, Miss Welch," Diana said, relaxing. She got up with the others as the session came to an end, and gathered up the books. She would have to guard her tongue a little more carefully. She knew that Kit would not approve of her talking of such secret matters to an outsider. But the subject had not stopped nagging at her mind and when she arrived home she went straight to the big drawing room where she spread out the books again on a table near the window.
It was here Mrs. Palmer found her at two a.m., a steaming mug of coffee at her elbow, when she came down to investigate the light streaming out across the lawn.
"Really, Diana," she said crossly. "You shouldn't keep these hours. You'll never be up in the morning."
She crossed over to the table and picked up one of the books.
"Still this Scorpia business. Don't you get enough of this at night classes?"
"Sorry, Mama," Diana said. Her eyes were bright with excitement and she was completely oblivious of the hour.
"I'll be coming up soon."
"Just make sure you do," said her mother in a stern voice. Then her expression softened and she bent to plant a kiss on her daughter's forehead.
"Just drink the coffee and then up to bed!"
"Sure," said Diana grinning.
She waited until she heard her mother's door close and then went back to her