[The Shadow 109] • The Golden Masks

THE GOLDEN MASKS was originally published in the September 1, 1936 issue of The Shadow Magazine. The Golden Masks hid the faces of the most evil crew of killers The Shadow had ever opposed! Concealed under cover of black cloak and hat, the Master of Darkness worked feverishly to unmask the menace behind the gilded faces! If you want an exciting Shadow novel that typifies what is best remembered about this pulp hero, read "The Golden Masks." This is The Shadow the way you want to remember him. His athletic prowess is amazing. His skill with his .45 caliber automatics is unerring. His technique in escaping from an escape-proof trap is unparalleled. He's mysterious; he's relentless; he's tireless... he's The Shadow! Read this story, and you are guaranteed an exciting ride that will leave you breathless and ultimately very satisfied. This is the story of The Shadow's battle against a secret society composed of robed and hooded members who sear thin gold masks over their faces. Each is clad in a robe of dull gold, with cowl-like headpiece that encircles their cheeks and forehead. Each wears thin gauntlets of the same material. Their faces, amazingly lifelike, are also of gold. Their membership names are assigned from the Greek alphabet: Alpha, Omega, Epsilon, Mu... Together, they are comprised of some of the highest and wealthiest men in society. Yet they conspire to wring millions from the pockets of innocent men. It's the story of The Shadow's capture, his eventual escape and his retribution. The source of all this gold used in the masks is from Africa. And these nefarious society not only brought back plenty of it from Africa, but they also brought back a large number of gigantic African warriors to guard their secret headquarters. These towering guards listen for the secret password "Ashanti" to which they give the countersign "Kumasi." These guys are muscular, fast and big... really big! You don't want to mess with them! The story all starts with James Lengerton, President of the Oceanic Steamship Company. He is threatened with blackmail if he doesn't hand over a cool half-million in cash. He refuses to pay extortion from this mysterious group, and is gassed, kidnapped and promptly whisked away secretly by hooded men. He's held prisoner in a strange underground headquarters along with other wealthy businessmen who have also been abducted. The police are unaware of the rash of kidnappings; the secret group has covered the missing men with plausible tales, hence there was no suspicion of any foul play. Luckily, The Shadow is close on the trail. Can The Shadow now stop the future schemes of this evil menace? Can he avoid the mysterious gas that robs men of all strength? Can he escape from the prison cell deep below ground in a hidden headquarters? Can he unmask the leaders of the strange clan known as the Golden Masks? Yes, he can! And reading how he does these things makes for exciting reading that you won't want to miss. The best part of this story is the section in the middle, between chapters ten and sixteen. This is where The Shadow is trapped behind bulletproof glass and given a dose of that yellowish gas that paralyzes its victims. He's taken to one of the dungeon cells in the underground headquarters. This place is about as escape-proof as it can get. That's what makes it so exciting to read, to see how The Shadow can thwart even the most impenetrable defenses. First, The Shadow figures out a way to contact his agents and send a message for help. It's something quite clever and mathematical. I never would have figured it out for myself, but once it's explained it astounds me with its ingenuity. This brings Jericho Druke in to infiltrate the group as one of the African guards. But it turns out that The Shadow doesn't need Jericho's help after all. He figures out a way to escape all on his own. And again, the method is impressive in its cunning. Nothing so simple as just pulling powders from the hem of his cloak, mixing them into a powerful explosive and blasting his way out. No, this is much more subtle. And a real treat to read! This story brings in nearly all of The Shadow's agents. Here we find Harry Vincent, Hawkeye, Cliff Marsland, Moe Shrevnitz, Burbank, Jericho Druke and Tapper. Jericho and Tapper were two of The Shadow's lesser agents. Author Walter Gibson admits as much when he describes Tapper: "... the other was 'Tapper,' a man whom The Shadow seldom used." Technically, Tapper still worked for Slade Farrow, the criminologist, not for The Shadow. But after his first few appearances, it was rarely mentioned. So, yes, the gang's all here! It's nice to see the husky Jericho Druke, one of The Shadow's lesser agents, in a featured role in this story. He goes undercover where he not only blends in with the other African guards, but is one of the few people who could physically compete with them in hand-to-hand combat. One interesting thing we learn about Jericho is that he speaks French. And it does come in handy, here. You'll have to read the story to find out why. Druke is one of the few Shadow agents that has a "real" job. He runs an employment agency in Harlem. But occasionally, he is called upon by The Shadow to render aid in various situations. Thirty-two times, to be exact. He first appeared in the 1934 story "The Chinese Disks" and shows up sporadically until the 1946 tale "Crime Out Of Mind." This story marks his eighth appearance. Of course Druke wasn't the only agent to have a real job. Clyde Burke was a reporter for the New York Classic. And Rutledge Mann was an investment broker. But both used their occupations to assist The Shadow. Burke used information gathered as a reporter in helping The Shadow. Mann used information gathered in the investment game to also help. Druke, on the other hand, never seemed to use his occupation to assist The Shadow. He just closed the firm for a few days when called upon by The Shadow. Other familiar characters in this story include lawmen Inspector Joe Cardona and Detective Sergeant Markham. No mention is made of their boss, Commissioner Weston, however. The Shadow appears in disguise as Fritz, the police headquarters janitor. Of course there is a real Fritz, but he hasn't shown up for work, yet. The Shadow takes his place to listen in on a conversation between Markham and Cardona, and picks up a vital clue in the form of a strange city map. Usually Fritz, as played by The Shadow, only gets dialogue limited to a single word: "Yah." But in this story, he doesn't even get that. Not a single word does he speak. But his appearance is necessary, and is appreciated, regardless. One final note is about The Shadow's girasol ring. We are often given a detailed description of the stone, but rarely the setting. According to this story, the stone is set in a simple gold band. That's all. Nothing ornate to match the rest of the ring. Just a simple gold band. At least, that's the description given in this story. In many of the early Shadow stories, the reader was told that there were two powders hidden in the lining of his cloak. When removed and mixed together, they formed a powerful explosive which The Shadow would often use to extricate himself from some perilous situation. It's good to see it mentioned again in this story, although in this particular case, The Shadow doesn't use them. He has a much better way to escape from his prison. A way which I'm sure you'll approve, when you read this story. There was one slight annoyance, for me, in this story. After Jericho Druke is brought on as a guard in the headquarter of the secret society, we read that: "These men, so Jericho had been told, were the leaders of the Golden Masks." Wait a minute! Who told him? Up until this point, all the agents were unaware of the identities of the leaders. The only person who knew was The Shadow, and when the statement was made, The Shadow was still imprisoned and had not been able to communicate with Jericho. I think Walter Gibson slipped up, there. He used it as motivation for why Jericho decided to continue to play his part, and not try to rescue his chief, yet. But Gibson should have found some other reason for Druke's actions. The knowledge he ascribes to Druke would not yet have been his. A minor slip, and one that I can forgive, considering how terrific the story is. Yet, a slip, nonetheless. This is a top-notch Shadow mystery. It's one which just seemed to eat up hours before I noticed it. The characterization of The Shadow is the powerful one that we all prefer. The story has some great twists and turns. The action comes fast and furious. And that terrific escape from the underground dungeon is one that makes the story worth reading just for its own, if for no other reason. This is a good one! You'll like it.