Doc
Savage Meets the Master of Sinistry
Part 2 (Part
1)
by Dan Herbeck
Chapter Three
Doc awoke from his gas-induced slumber exactly 72 minutes
after it had taken effect. Apparently he had been carted off to von Sinister's
hideout where the man of bronze found himself hanging high above a pool of
deadly piranha. Doc had been tied tightly, restricting movement of his arms
and legs to a virtual standstill. Then he heard the mocking, cackling laughter
of Dr. Otto von Sinister.
"Ha-hah, Savage. What's the matter? Are the ropes
too tight? You needn't worry. Soon Zulu will cut those ropes and Doc Savage
will be taking a little swim."
A chorus of chuckles bellowed from Zulu, von Sinister's
henchman. Doc's intense gaze focused on the 9-foot, 640-pound servant, who in
reality was a shaven gorilla.
"The only ones that are going to swim are you and
that overgrown laughing hyena of yours," taunted Doctor Clark Savage.
Zulu, angered by Doc's biting insult, made an attempt to
jump up and punch the bronze man in the mouth. The attempt was futile,
however, and the slovenly ape fell head over heels into the pool filled with
the killer fish.
"Nice dive, Zulu. How's the water?" quipped our
tan hero.
Doc chuckled. Dr.
Von Sinister chortled.
Zulu grinned sheepishly as the fish tore his body to
shreds.
"Savage, you tricked him into killing himself, you
murderer!" howled the evil little doctor of sinistry, while trying hard
to suppress his inappropriate laughter at Doc's clever banter. Otto von
Sinister scurried out of the room in search of another of the many henchmen he
kept on staff.
Doc decided to make good use of the time von Sinister had
given him when he left the room. Our hero fashioned a crude little ray gun out
of bits of hair, mucous and the wax from Doc's large, deeply tanned ears. This
feat in itself is rather astounding in the light of the fact that Doc was
unable to make use of his tightly bound hands. But those who knew Doc realized
that his ability to use his long, brown tongue as a third hand was only one of
his many talents.
Doc's timing was perfect as he applied the finishing
touches to his new weapon just as von Sinister and another of his gruesome
assistants strode into the musty, damp chamber. Before von Sinister could
utter a syllable, he was dead on the floor with a huge hole in his chests
caused by Doc Savage's deadly accuracy with the ray gun. The replacement
henchman, another mammoth, was next to fall prey to Doc's vengeance. But
before the disgusting visage had crumpled into a giant heap, Doc got off one
last shot, which sheared the rope that held him aloft above the deadly pool.
Doc went hurdling into the water, but even as he fell, he was planning an
escape route. The fish, heavily laden by their earlier feast of the hapless
Zulu, were no match for Doc's speed, as our hero leapt out of the cool water
in a blur of bronze.
It was then a simple matter for Doc to find the evil ship
and pilot it back to Cosmopolitan City. Doctor Clark Savage was met by Mayor
Herlak and a teeming mass of his admirers, as well as his loyal crew. Even
Monk had shortened his beloved bee-watching to be there to greet Doc. Once
again, the people could rest at ease, knowing that Doc Savage was on the job.
Stay tuned to HFH
for more adventures of The Man of Bronze.
Doc Savage -- Part 1
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