Daimon and Patsy Hellstrom are riding in a taxi driven by the eccentric Rufus T. Hackstabber, who looks a lot like Groucho Marx. Hackstabber brings them to the mansion of wealthy Captain Van Vliet, who has hired the Hellstroms in their capacity as occult investigators. Van Vliet asked Daimon to also call in the Beast and the Gargoyle because they are the only other remaining Defenders who fought the Six-Fingered Hand. Van Vliet explains that he is a collector of occult antiquities and has recently discovered that a statue called the Lesser Grey God has surfaced somewhere in San Francisco. Before he can explain further, they are interrupted by Detective Henry Crun, who says that he has a warrant to search the place. Suddenly, import/export expediter Oliver Cutlass—whom the Gargoyle has encountered before—comes flying through the window, along with a grenade. Cutlass tosses the grenade to Van Vliet, who tosses it to the Beast, who tosses it to Hackstabber, who knocks it out of the window with a tennis racket. Detective Crun claims that he has a complaint from Minerva Bannister that the Lesser Grey God was stolen from her and is somewhere on the premises. Cutlass points out the person who threw the grenade is getting away, so the Detective leaves to pursue him. Cutlass explains that he and his wife, Kwan Tai Fung a.k.a. “Typhoon,” are searching for a missing shipment that was addressed to Miss Bannister and listed on the manifest as “Kickshaws.”

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