When the patrol car stopped, Kit saw that he was in front of Khan Industries, where Dr. Abby Sinian worked. When he entered the lobby, it was so big that he felt like an ant. Then he saw Shere Khan, the owner of half of Cape Suzette.
Khan looked at him as if he were dirt on a thousand dollar suit, but his attitude changed when Dr. Sinian treated him with respect. Kit told the doctor what had happened, and she congratulated him for his quick thinking. Khan asked them to join him in his office for a hot meal.
After lunch, the doctor asked Kit to show her the box. He gave it to her, and a shock of recognition passed over her face.
"Mr. Khan," said the doctor, "you have heard of the snake, Klang, I suppose?"
Khan raised an eyebrow at the name. "Heard of him!" he cried. "Heard of him, you say! He was the most blood thirsty buccaneer that ever roamed the skies. The Red Lynx was a child compared to Klang!"
Kit could tell this snake Klang was evil, but he still needed to know one thing. "Was Klang very rich?" he asked.
"Was he rich!?" exclaimed Khan. "Why, he was the richest of them all, said to have hid all his treasure on a floating island."
The doctor and Khan knew that the box was a clue to Captain Klang's treasure. They asked Kit if he would give them the key to the box and Kit agreed, since he was now even more eager than they to see its contents.
When they opened the box, there was a ledger which recorded the exploits and the various amounts of money and jewels Captain Klang had collected in one way or another. But there was also a worn out piece of paper, which was sealed with wax. All three of them stood there; ready to see if this was the key to a fortune.
The doctor opened the seal with great care, and she saw a map of an island; an island in the sky! It included all the particulars that would be needed to bring an airship safely to its shores. The island was about sixteen miles long and ten miles across, and was shaped like a skull. It had a hill in the corner marked "Sniper spot." There were two crosses made with black ink, under which were written: TREASURE RIGHT HERE.
Kit saw what looked like directions on the back of the map that showed the exact location of the treasure.
Dr. Sinian and Khan turned the map over to read the directions, and were filled with excitement.
"Sinian," Khan said, with a smile on his face, "Tomorrow, you and young Kit here will meet me at Megakat City airport. In less than three weeks we will have the best airship and the best crew in the entire world. Kit will be our cabin boy. You, Sinian, will be the ship's doctor and I will be admiral. We will take some loyal friends I know of-Chance, Jake, Hotspur, Myra, and Dill.
"That's all very good, but there is just one man I am scared of," Sinian said with a frown.
"Name the dog!" Khan snapped in defense.
"You," she said, "you can't help but blab to everyone that we're going after treasure."
Khan looked at the doctor with a guilty smile. "I will be quiet as the dead," he said.
It took longer than they had expected to get ready for the trip. During the preparation, Kit stayed at Khan's penthouse and was under the charge of Hotspur, Khan's personal sea captain. After several weeks, they finally received a letter from Shere Khan.
His letter glowed with excitement. He had found an airship named the Iron Vulture, which he claimed was most airworthy. Then he explained that, quite by accident, he met a brown wolf. The wolf said he was once an airship's cook and wanted to return to the skies.
Sinian was very impressed by this wolf, whose name was Don Karnage. The wolf also owned a tavern in Megakat City, and had a small bank account.
The letter filled Kit with excitement and expectation. They were going to leave for Megakat City the very next day. Kit said goodbye to the Cunninghams and Baloo, who was managing Higher for Hire.
The flight to Megakat City was long and boring. When Kit finally arrived, Shere Khan was there to meet him. They walked together talking about the trip, and to Kit's great delight, he was able to see many planes of all shapes and sizes.
When the two of them got to the parking lot, Khan called for his limo to return to the hotel. He gave Kit the address to Don Karnage's tavern; he was to go there to deliver a message. Kit soon found the tavern; it was named "The Treasure Cave." The place was bright and freshly painted, the windows had neat blue curtains, and the sidewalk was clean as the morning sky.
As Kit entered the tavern, he saw that this place looked nice on the outside, but the inside was a different story.
The women wore very skimpy clothing, the men were drinking heavily and playing poker, and the second floor had armed men.
He needed to find Karnage, so he would have to ask one of the men if they could point him out. Kit saw a Great Dane, standing closest to him, with his back to wall, who seemed like the man that would know where Karnage was.
"Could you tell me where I can find Don Karnage?" Kit asked. The man turned his gaze on the young cub.
"Don Karnage," he said, raising his eyebrow at Kit's question. "He would be the one by the window, with his back to you."
"Thank you," Kit said, walking over to where Karnage was standing. As he drew closer to him, the wolf spoke up without making eye contact, causing Kit to freeze on the spot.
"I hear you have asked for me. Yes, no?" he said in a thick Spanish accent, turning slowly to face Kit.
"Yes, I have," Kit said in a shaky voice. "I came to tell you that you are to report to the Iron Vulture."
He stood there with his gaze fixed on the small bear cub, like a lion ready to pounce.
"We take off at dawn," Kit said, clearing his throat. Karnage then gave him a small smile. He was indeed a man of mystery.
"And what is your name, young one?" he asked, holding out his hand.
"Kit Cloudkicker," he answered, taking hold of his hand to shake it.
Karnage just smiled at Kit, as they shook hands. Turning his attention to the women in the tavern, he called out to them, "Ladies, pack up your stuff and go home." Without saying a word, the women left quickly. Kit could tell that Karnage was not only a man of mystery, he was man of authority.
"Kit, why don't you and I sit down and get a bite to eat," he said. Passing a pegboard, Kit saw him reach out and put on a blue captain's coat. Suddenly the memory of Captain Hal's warning ran through his mind as they headed for a table.