El Dragón de Fuego, Episodio 8: El Gran Sacerdote Mogol

About this issue

This Spanish-language adventure serial follows Professor Karus and his servant Regis as they traverse the Tibetan highlands seeking a mysterious treasure. Having killed two Buddhist lamas and assumed their identities, they intercept a sealed letter addressed to Wang-Cheng, leader of "The Dragon of Fire" secret society. Using clever heating techniques, Regis opens the wax seals without detection and reads the message, written in Chinese, which reveals that the renegade Meng-Wu—expelled from the sect—is traveling to Lhassa for the Dalai Lama's proclamation while also pursuing the same treasure, competing with Wang-Cheng's faction and foreign treasure-hunters. Karus decides they should infiltrate the monastery at Chenlan by posing as the lamas Yang and Tseng (a silent novice), hoping to gain protection and information. After establishing camp, Regis discovers someone has stolen provisions; later that night, he catches and nearly kills a starving Chinese thief named Kao before recognizing his human desperation.