The Maltese Cat is officially a business consultant. In actuality, he has been involved in corporate espionage for most of his career. He targets corrupt politicians and dishonest businessmen, and he makes a handsome living out of correcting their inequities. His home base is his native San Francisco. He is assisted by Zapp, Inc., a collective of young and brilliant computer wizards. The Maltese Cat is a world traveler, a passionate polo and tennis player, an excellent cook, and an avid individualist who knows how to spread the wealth.In Oriental Rumours, the internet in India is under a massive cyber attack. Since servers in the USA and in Europe outsource much of their work to India, this translates into a global crisis. The Zapp Kids answer an appeal from one of their Indian friends to help uncover who is behind the onslaught. The Kids enlist the help of the Maltese Cat, who travels to India for a closer look. The investigation is pretty cut and dried, revealing that a notorious renegade hacker group is the cause. But even as this group denies complicity, more evidence is turning up which seems to indict them more. Someone is manipulating the media with misinformation, and the problem is spreading across Asia. A second suspect arises, but the attacks continue. Only someone with immense clout and prodigious finances could be the culprit. The Zapp Kids find an unlikely ally in their search. They will need all the help they can find to take on this adversary. If not, the entire worldwide internet will no longer be safe, in the hands of unseen forces.