“I haven’t been out of this village all morning,” Tom said coldly. “If you’ll just sit down and stop shouting, we can talk this over sensibly.”
“Don’t gimme that soft soap!” Max threatened. “I know you snitched those treasures! Either hand ‘em over or I’ll tear you limb from limb!”
The two girls were thoroughly frightened by now, and Frenchy hastily got up to lend a strong arm, but Tom waved him aside.
“The same way you killed that jaguar with your bare hands?” Tom asked the giant, with a twinkle in his eyes.
The question seemed to deflate Magnificent Max’s blustering ego. “Okay, so you saved my life,” the longhaired giant admitted sulkily. “But don’t think that changes anything!”
“I believe I can convince you,” Tom said gently. “Come with me.”
He led the giant to the Swift hut and showed him the Mayan bowl, which had been carefully stored in a box lined with soft jungle grasses. “As you can see, the only thing of yours here is this bowl you lent us. Search the place yourself, if you don’t believe me.”
Max poked about halfheartedly, then turned back to Tom. “How do I know you don’t have the stuff hidden somewhere else?” he grumbled.
SIGHTSEER OVERBOARD! 131
Tom shrugged and handed him the bowl. “Since you don’t trust me, take the bowl along, although it may be safer here, with the thief still at large. That goes for your other treasures, too.”
Max blushed and fingered the bowl awkwardly, as if uncertain what to do with it. “Okay, maybe I was shooting off my mouth out of turn,” he admitted. “You keep it.”