JSA: Land Of The Thuggee
By Bruce Wayne
Justice Society of America created by Gardner Fox
Dedicated to ME, who has taught me more about being philosophical than anyone.
DISCLAIMER: Most of the characters portrayed in this story are copyright by DC Comics, an AOL/Time/Warner company. They are used without permission for entertainment without profit by the author.
Chapter 8
"Your tactics are most distressing, Hawkman," Colonel Sangh said with a sigh. "A battle in the middle of Bombay! You can't just run about beating up people this way!"
"Then how should we be beating up people?" the Atom asked with a sneer.
"Take it easy, Atom," Hawkman said. "You'll give poor Colonel Sangh a heart attack."
Hawkman, Atom and Hourman were meeting with Sangh in the CID man's office. Starman, Wonder Woman and Lieutenant Tagore were interrogating several captives from the Temple of Bhowani. Many of the Thuggees that fought in the battle were badly injured. Many had suffered shock. So the JSA concentrated on questioning the Thugs who were still in relatively good physical condition.
"The Bombay police are very upset about this incident," Sangh declared. "One doesn't raid a house of worship in India. Religion is very important here. Many of our people live only for their religion. The structure of our society is founded on faith. Launching an attack on a temple is most unseemly."
"It was unseemly when the Thugs started to strangle a guy as a sacrifice to Kali," Hourman said with a yawn. "Freedom of religion in India doesn't include ritual murder ... I hope."
"Of course not," Sangh replied. "But law enforcement in India must be concerned with public relations. Religious disputes have caused voilence in India before. Militant Sikhs want their own country, seperate from the rest of India. This has resulted in many acts of violence in recent years. Tales of more government action against religious sects could bring tempers to the boiling point again."
"We appreciate your situation, Colonel Sangh," Hawkman assured him. "But the Thuggee conspiracy might prove to be a far greater threat to India than you realize. In fact, it may be the beginning of a plot that could endanger the safety of the entire world."
"How melodramatic," Sangh commented. "And what proof have you of this theory, Hawkman?"
"Not enough to convince you, Colonel," the Justice Society chairman confessed. "At least not yet."
"Look, Colonel," Hourman began, "We didn't want to fight the Thugs. We intended to make it a recon mission, but we discovered they were about to sacrifice an innocent man to Kali, we had to stop them. Even then we tried to take them without much bloodshed, but they attacked us. There were more than thirty Thuggees in the temple, so we had to use force."
"This fellow the Thuggees were about the strangle," Sangh began. "You took him to the American Embassy, correct?"
"He had been choked unconscious before Atom stopped the man who was strangling him," Hawkman explained. "We revived him and discovered his name is Chad Stoner. Doctor Chad Stoner to be exact. He's attached to the U.S. Embassy, but he came to India to help treat people suffering from longterm respiratory damage to lungs and such. He's living in New Delhi, although he's been making house calls to homes and clinics in many parts of the country."
"We'll need a statement from Dr Stoner," Sangh declared.
"I contacted Bert Waldo," Hawkman continued. "He'll meet with Stoner. He'll get a statement from the doctor, and he'll check Stoner's personnel file to make certain he's not CIA in disguise."
"Does that make a difference?" Sangh inquired.
"It might," the crimefighter replied.
Starman and Lieutenant Tagore wearily entered the office. Hourman poured some black coffee into a cup and handed it to his American friend. Starman thanked him and gratefully gulped down some hot brew.
"Looks like you've had a hard day's night," Hourman said with a grin. "Wear yourself out swinging a rubber hose?"
"Funny," Starman said sourly. "You ought to go down there and help interrogate a bunch of psychos. Even with Wonder Woman's magical lasso, those guys don't make any sense."
"Sometimes the truth doesn't seem to make sense," Hawkman remarked. "What did you learn from our prisoners, Starman?"
"The Thugs chanted a lot," Starman said. "They ignored our questions and kept chanting and praying until Wonder Woman used her magical lasso on them. We questioned seven Thugs under the influence of the lariat. Might as well have talked to just one."
"They must have said something important," Sangh commented, frowning.
"We asked them where the headquarters of the cult of Kali is located," Starman replied. "Every one of the Thugs told us it was at something called mountain of Kali. Okay, so where is the mountain of Kali? The answer from every Thug was that they were blindfolded and handcuffed before being taken to the site of the 'mother goddess.' They arrived at the foot of the mountain where the 'Man without a name' leads the services."
"The man without a name?" Hourman asked. "Sounds like a character from an Italian Western."
"The translation is exactly 'the Nameless One,'" Lieutenant Tagore explained. "The Thugs were referring to their supreme high priest. He is nameless because he speaks for the goddess Kali."
"Yeah," Starman said. "But here's the fun part. The Thugs all claim they actually saw Kali in the flesh. Well, flesh isn't exactly accurate. They described her as resembling a statue that had been brought to life. They claim they saw Kali's arms move and her head turn from side to side."
"Interesting," Hawkman mused. "One of the Thugs from the Peacock's Plume told the same story."
"But he didn't claim he saw Kali kill without shedding blood," Starman remarked.
"What?" Hourman stared at Starman. "They said they actually saw Kali strangle someone?"
"Why not?" the Atom snorted. "With eight arms she ought to be able to hold a victim and strangle him while she's combing her hair and talking to a friend on the telephone all at the same time."
"The Thugs said Kali destroyed a 'British monster' with a fiery beam of holy light," Tagore explained. "The light supposedly dissolved bones and flesh. Of course it did not shed a drop of blood."
"This is beginning to make sense," Hawkman commented.
"I'm glad you think so," Tagore sighed. "It's all silly rubbish from opium addicts if you ask me."
"A goddess who shoots a fiery light that dissolves human beings?" Colonel Sangh remarked, shaking his head. "The whole thing sounds like a legend that the Thugs had convinced themselves is the truth."
"But there is a kind of concentrated light that can burn through solid steel," Hawkman declared. "Or human flesh for that matter."
"A laser," Starman supplied. "I thought of that, too, but this business about an eight-armed living goddess ..."
"That resembled a statue," Hawkman reminded him. "A statue that moves and sounds like a stop-action animated figure in a movie, correct? Standard special effects. But in this case, someone is probably using a mechanical device."
"The goddess Kali is a robot?" Tagore asked with astonishment.
"Something like that," Hawkman replied. "A mechanical figure with a built- in laser cannon."
"But could they fit all those gears and circuits into a robot and still have room for a laser gun?" Starman wondered aloud.
"Witnesses said Kali moved her arms and head," Hawkman said. "What's complicated about that? Clockwork figures do the same thing. That sort of technology has been around since the eighteenth century. Hmmm. Doing the same thing with an electric motor would be child's play to a modern engineer."
"Wait a moment," Sangh urged. "You gentlemen believe someone is responsible for the Thuggees?"
"Let's say our old arch-enemy Vandal Savage," Hawkman replied. "This is beginning to sound more and more like his modus operandi. Even down to using the combination of old and new technology."
"A Westerner plot with a mechanical goddess?" Sangh shook his head. "It's too incredible. How are you going to convince anyone such a thing has happened?"
"Not HAS happened," Hourman corrected. "It's happening NOW. We've put a small group of Thugs out of business, but that won't be enough to make Vandal Savage close up shop in India. He's kept tight security. None of the Thugs know where the mountain of Kali is located. Their claims of magic and mystical orders from a legendary goddess would be laughed out of any serious investigation. Savage doesn't have anything to worry about yet."
"The problem is," Hawkman went on, "when Vandal Savage realizes we're getting close to exposing his scheme, he'll disappear fast."
"We're not close enough to worry him yet," Starman remarked. "Frankly I don't see how we're going to get much closer. Sure as hell won't get any more information from the Thuggees."
"Maybe we should try a different angle," Hawkman announced.
^J^ ^S^ ^A^
The following morning Hawkman, Starman and Hourman joined Bert Waldo in a conference room inside the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi. The lights were off as the Central Intelligence Agency case officer ran a slide projector, consulting his notes as magnified pictures appeared on the screen.
A thin face with sunken cheeks and deep-set dark eyes appeared on the screen. He wore a straw hat, but a fringe of white hair poked from under the headgear. The man's nose was hooked with a small trim mustache on his upper lip.
"Sam Tikken," Waldo announced. "Professor Tikken, to be exact. Probably the leading authority on laser research in Europe. Helped build the first industrial laser last year. However, lately, Tikken has been working on laser weaponry. He'll go to whoever will pay him."
"And he's in India?" Starman inquired.
"He was," Waldo explained. "This photograph was taken in April. Tikken was in India for about six months, spending most of the time in Calcutta. The professor was reported in Bulgaria just last month."
"Any information about what Tikken was doing in Calcutta?" Hawkman asked.
"We couldn't turn up anything definite," Waldo answered, changing slides. "However, we know a number of other European personnel were in Calcutta and the Bengal region at the time. Including this interesting character."
Another face appeared on the screen. It was the face of a proud man with a heavy beard and sky-blue eyes. His dark brown hair was trimmed short and was gray at the temples. Even in the photograph, the face expressed determination and strong-willed ambition."
Waldo began, "He is known as ..."
The three JSA members each rose out of their seats and said in unison, "Vandal Savage!"
Waldo looked at the heroes.
"We are well acquainted with Mister Savage. He is an arch-villain who we have tangled with many times in the past," Hawkman explained.
"The records don't have much on his personal details," Waldo replied.
"Doesn't matter, we know who we're dealing with," Starman said. "He was seen with the laser expert? Do we know if Savage is still in India?"
"I hate to admit it," Waldo sighed, "but we're not sure. He may have slipped out of the country without our knowledge. We really have very little information on Savage. Little more than a few photographs."
"What about the other European personnel you mentioned? Anything on them?" Hourman asked.
"Most of them were young," Waldo answered. "To be honest, we have little record about them, as well. They entered the country and listed their occupation as construction workers and engineers. Others were supposedly electrictians and radio personnel. However, one of these engineers was indeed someone special."
Waldo worked his projector again. A new face appeared on the screen. A middle-aged man with wide smile and plump cheeks gazed down at them. His nose was wide and dark with broken blood vessels. He looked like a good- natured peasant who was a bit too fond of vodka.
"Professor Nicholas Stringhofer," Waldo said. "One of the top designers and engineers in Germany. This fellow has helped design robots. He's supposed to be pretty clever and specializes in robotic arms."
"Sounds like he wouldn't have any trouble at all building a statue of Kali with mechanical arms," Starman commented.
"Stringhofer flew back to Germany months ago," Waldo said. "But he was in India long enough to complete construction of something like that -- assuming your theory is accurate. The other engineers and technicians who can't be accounted for could certainly carry on without Stringhofer after the thing was constructed."
"All right," Hawkman said. "We don't have any solid details of what Vandal Savage is doing in India, but we all feel fairly certain that Savage is the villain we are dealing with. I assume you know where the engineers and technicians stayed in Calcutta."
"They rented a building," Waldo answered as he switched on the lights. "Calcutta is pretty much the business center of India. Nothing illegal about renting a building."
"Does your file tell us what company rented the building?" Starman asked.
"Let's see," the CIA man began, checking his files. "Oh, God. It wasn't a company. Rajput Ram Sonoka owns the place."
"Who is he?" Hourman asked. "Somebody important?"
"A rajput is the son of a maharaja," Waldo explained. "The guy is Indian royalty. Prince Ram is heir to the position of the third largest maharaja clan in West Bengal."
"I thought the mahrajas fell from grace even before the British pulled out of India," Hourman remarked.
"They don't have any political authority," Waldo answered. "But they still have influence. Royal birth is royal birth, and the government tries to get along with the mahrajas and rajputs."
"We'll try to be diplomatic when we talk to Prince Ram," Hawkman assured him.
"Oh, no," Waldo groaned. "I don't think you should ..."
"We'll head to Calcutta as soon as possible, Mister Waldo," Hawkman told him. "Can you arrange a CIA contact in the city if we need one?"
"Yeah," Waldo said, misery in his tone. "I just hope you costumed guys know what you're doing."
"We try," Hourman said cheerfully. "Oh, any messages you'd like us to give the prince?"
"The United States government is not responsible for anything the JSA breaks," Waldo muttered.
To be continued ...
By Bruce Wayne
Justice Society of America created by Gardner Fox
Dedicated to ME, who has taught me more about being philosophical than anyone.
DISCLAIMER: Most of the characters portrayed in this story are copyright by DC Comics, an AOL/Time/Warner company. They are used without permission for entertainment without profit by the author.
Chapter 8
"Your tactics are most distressing, Hawkman," Colonel Sangh said with a sigh. "A battle in the middle of Bombay! You can't just run about beating up people this way!"
"Then how should we be beating up people?" the Atom asked with a sneer.
"Take it easy, Atom," Hawkman said. "You'll give poor Colonel Sangh a heart attack."
Hawkman, Atom and Hourman were meeting with Sangh in the CID man's office. Starman, Wonder Woman and Lieutenant Tagore were interrogating several captives from the Temple of Bhowani. Many of the Thuggees that fought in the battle were badly injured. Many had suffered shock. So the JSA concentrated on questioning the Thugs who were still in relatively good physical condition.
"The Bombay police are very upset about this incident," Sangh declared. "One doesn't raid a house of worship in India. Religion is very important here. Many of our people live only for their religion. The structure of our society is founded on faith. Launching an attack on a temple is most unseemly."
"It was unseemly when the Thugs started to strangle a guy as a sacrifice to Kali," Hourman said with a yawn. "Freedom of religion in India doesn't include ritual murder ... I hope."
"Of course not," Sangh replied. "But law enforcement in India must be concerned with public relations. Religious disputes have caused voilence in India before. Militant Sikhs want their own country, seperate from the rest of India. This has resulted in many acts of violence in recent years. Tales of more government action against religious sects could bring tempers to the boiling point again."
"We appreciate your situation, Colonel Sangh," Hawkman assured him. "But the Thuggee conspiracy might prove to be a far greater threat to India than you realize. In fact, it may be the beginning of a plot that could endanger the safety of the entire world."
"How melodramatic," Sangh commented. "And what proof have you of this theory, Hawkman?"
"Not enough to convince you, Colonel," the Justice Society chairman confessed. "At least not yet."
"Look, Colonel," Hourman began, "We didn't want to fight the Thugs. We intended to make it a recon mission, but we discovered they were about to sacrifice an innocent man to Kali, we had to stop them. Even then we tried to take them without much bloodshed, but they attacked us. There were more than thirty Thuggees in the temple, so we had to use force."
"This fellow the Thuggees were about the strangle," Sangh began. "You took him to the American Embassy, correct?"
"He had been choked unconscious before Atom stopped the man who was strangling him," Hawkman explained. "We revived him and discovered his name is Chad Stoner. Doctor Chad Stoner to be exact. He's attached to the U.S. Embassy, but he came to India to help treat people suffering from longterm respiratory damage to lungs and such. He's living in New Delhi, although he's been making house calls to homes and clinics in many parts of the country."
"We'll need a statement from Dr Stoner," Sangh declared.
"I contacted Bert Waldo," Hawkman continued. "He'll meet with Stoner. He'll get a statement from the doctor, and he'll check Stoner's personnel file to make certain he's not CIA in disguise."
"Does that make a difference?" Sangh inquired.
"It might," the crimefighter replied.
Starman and Lieutenant Tagore wearily entered the office. Hourman poured some black coffee into a cup and handed it to his American friend. Starman thanked him and gratefully gulped down some hot brew.
"Looks like you've had a hard day's night," Hourman said with a grin. "Wear yourself out swinging a rubber hose?"
"Funny," Starman said sourly. "You ought to go down there and help interrogate a bunch of psychos. Even with Wonder Woman's magical lasso, those guys don't make any sense."
"Sometimes the truth doesn't seem to make sense," Hawkman remarked. "What did you learn from our prisoners, Starman?"
"The Thugs chanted a lot," Starman said. "They ignored our questions and kept chanting and praying until Wonder Woman used her magical lasso on them. We questioned seven Thugs under the influence of the lariat. Might as well have talked to just one."
"They must have said something important," Sangh commented, frowning.
"We asked them where the headquarters of the cult of Kali is located," Starman replied. "Every one of the Thugs told us it was at something called mountain of Kali. Okay, so where is the mountain of Kali? The answer from every Thug was that they were blindfolded and handcuffed before being taken to the site of the 'mother goddess.' They arrived at the foot of the mountain where the 'Man without a name' leads the services."
"The man without a name?" Hourman asked. "Sounds like a character from an Italian Western."
"The translation is exactly 'the Nameless One,'" Lieutenant Tagore explained. "The Thugs were referring to their supreme high priest. He is nameless because he speaks for the goddess Kali."
"Yeah," Starman said. "But here's the fun part. The Thugs all claim they actually saw Kali in the flesh. Well, flesh isn't exactly accurate. They described her as resembling a statue that had been brought to life. They claim they saw Kali's arms move and her head turn from side to side."
"Interesting," Hawkman mused. "One of the Thugs from the Peacock's Plume told the same story."
"But he didn't claim he saw Kali kill without shedding blood," Starman remarked.
"What?" Hourman stared at Starman. "They said they actually saw Kali strangle someone?"
"Why not?" the Atom snorted. "With eight arms she ought to be able to hold a victim and strangle him while she's combing her hair and talking to a friend on the telephone all at the same time."
"The Thugs said Kali destroyed a 'British monster' with a fiery beam of holy light," Tagore explained. "The light supposedly dissolved bones and flesh. Of course it did not shed a drop of blood."
"This is beginning to make sense," Hawkman commented.
"I'm glad you think so," Tagore sighed. "It's all silly rubbish from opium addicts if you ask me."
"A goddess who shoots a fiery light that dissolves human beings?" Colonel Sangh remarked, shaking his head. "The whole thing sounds like a legend that the Thugs had convinced themselves is the truth."
"But there is a kind of concentrated light that can burn through solid steel," Hawkman declared. "Or human flesh for that matter."
"A laser," Starman supplied. "I thought of that, too, but this business about an eight-armed living goddess ..."
"That resembled a statue," Hawkman reminded him. "A statue that moves and sounds like a stop-action animated figure in a movie, correct? Standard special effects. But in this case, someone is probably using a mechanical device."
"The goddess Kali is a robot?" Tagore asked with astonishment.
"Something like that," Hawkman replied. "A mechanical figure with a built- in laser cannon."
"But could they fit all those gears and circuits into a robot and still have room for a laser gun?" Starman wondered aloud.
"Witnesses said Kali moved her arms and head," Hawkman said. "What's complicated about that? Clockwork figures do the same thing. That sort of technology has been around since the eighteenth century. Hmmm. Doing the same thing with an electric motor would be child's play to a modern engineer."
"Wait a moment," Sangh urged. "You gentlemen believe someone is responsible for the Thuggees?"
"Let's say our old arch-enemy Vandal Savage," Hawkman replied. "This is beginning to sound more and more like his modus operandi. Even down to using the combination of old and new technology."
"A Westerner plot with a mechanical goddess?" Sangh shook his head. "It's too incredible. How are you going to convince anyone such a thing has happened?"
"Not HAS happened," Hourman corrected. "It's happening NOW. We've put a small group of Thugs out of business, but that won't be enough to make Vandal Savage close up shop in India. He's kept tight security. None of the Thugs know where the mountain of Kali is located. Their claims of magic and mystical orders from a legendary goddess would be laughed out of any serious investigation. Savage doesn't have anything to worry about yet."
"The problem is," Hawkman went on, "when Vandal Savage realizes we're getting close to exposing his scheme, he'll disappear fast."
"We're not close enough to worry him yet," Starman remarked. "Frankly I don't see how we're going to get much closer. Sure as hell won't get any more information from the Thuggees."
"Maybe we should try a different angle," Hawkman announced.
^J^ ^S^ ^A^
The following morning Hawkman, Starman and Hourman joined Bert Waldo in a conference room inside the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi. The lights were off as the Central Intelligence Agency case officer ran a slide projector, consulting his notes as magnified pictures appeared on the screen.
A thin face with sunken cheeks and deep-set dark eyes appeared on the screen. He wore a straw hat, but a fringe of white hair poked from under the headgear. The man's nose was hooked with a small trim mustache on his upper lip.
"Sam Tikken," Waldo announced. "Professor Tikken, to be exact. Probably the leading authority on laser research in Europe. Helped build the first industrial laser last year. However, lately, Tikken has been working on laser weaponry. He'll go to whoever will pay him."
"And he's in India?" Starman inquired.
"He was," Waldo explained. "This photograph was taken in April. Tikken was in India for about six months, spending most of the time in Calcutta. The professor was reported in Bulgaria just last month."
"Any information about what Tikken was doing in Calcutta?" Hawkman asked.
"We couldn't turn up anything definite," Waldo answered, changing slides. "However, we know a number of other European personnel were in Calcutta and the Bengal region at the time. Including this interesting character."
Another face appeared on the screen. It was the face of a proud man with a heavy beard and sky-blue eyes. His dark brown hair was trimmed short and was gray at the temples. Even in the photograph, the face expressed determination and strong-willed ambition."
Waldo began, "He is known as ..."
The three JSA members each rose out of their seats and said in unison, "Vandal Savage!"
Waldo looked at the heroes.
"We are well acquainted with Mister Savage. He is an arch-villain who we have tangled with many times in the past," Hawkman explained.
"The records don't have much on his personal details," Waldo replied.
"Doesn't matter, we know who we're dealing with," Starman said. "He was seen with the laser expert? Do we know if Savage is still in India?"
"I hate to admit it," Waldo sighed, "but we're not sure. He may have slipped out of the country without our knowledge. We really have very little information on Savage. Little more than a few photographs."
"What about the other European personnel you mentioned? Anything on them?" Hourman asked.
"Most of them were young," Waldo answered. "To be honest, we have little record about them, as well. They entered the country and listed their occupation as construction workers and engineers. Others were supposedly electrictians and radio personnel. However, one of these engineers was indeed someone special."
Waldo worked his projector again. A new face appeared on the screen. A middle-aged man with wide smile and plump cheeks gazed down at them. His nose was wide and dark with broken blood vessels. He looked like a good- natured peasant who was a bit too fond of vodka.
"Professor Nicholas Stringhofer," Waldo said. "One of the top designers and engineers in Germany. This fellow has helped design robots. He's supposed to be pretty clever and specializes in robotic arms."
"Sounds like he wouldn't have any trouble at all building a statue of Kali with mechanical arms," Starman commented.
"Stringhofer flew back to Germany months ago," Waldo said. "But he was in India long enough to complete construction of something like that -- assuming your theory is accurate. The other engineers and technicians who can't be accounted for could certainly carry on without Stringhofer after the thing was constructed."
"All right," Hawkman said. "We don't have any solid details of what Vandal Savage is doing in India, but we all feel fairly certain that Savage is the villain we are dealing with. I assume you know where the engineers and technicians stayed in Calcutta."
"They rented a building," Waldo answered as he switched on the lights. "Calcutta is pretty much the business center of India. Nothing illegal about renting a building."
"Does your file tell us what company rented the building?" Starman asked.
"Let's see," the CIA man began, checking his files. "Oh, God. It wasn't a company. Rajput Ram Sonoka owns the place."
"Who is he?" Hourman asked. "Somebody important?"
"A rajput is the son of a maharaja," Waldo explained. "The guy is Indian royalty. Prince Ram is heir to the position of the third largest maharaja clan in West Bengal."
"I thought the mahrajas fell from grace even before the British pulled out of India," Hourman remarked.
"They don't have any political authority," Waldo answered. "But they still have influence. Royal birth is royal birth, and the government tries to get along with the mahrajas and rajputs."
"We'll try to be diplomatic when we talk to Prince Ram," Hawkman assured him.
"Oh, no," Waldo groaned. "I don't think you should ..."
"We'll head to Calcutta as soon as possible, Mister Waldo," Hawkman told him. "Can you arrange a CIA contact in the city if we need one?"
"Yeah," Waldo said, misery in his tone. "I just hope you costumed guys know what you're doing."
"We try," Hourman said cheerfully. "Oh, any messages you'd like us to give the prince?"
"The United States government is not responsible for anything the JSA breaks," Waldo muttered.
To be continued ...