whispered.
“Where are you going, Max?”
“I’m going to follow that man. I think, finally we’re on the trail of the diabolical Dr. X, 99.”
Max tiptoed toward the rail, with 99 and Fang following closely behind him. Then, together, they trailed the shadowy figure as it made its way stealthily along the deck.
“Subject proceeding South between deck chairs and lifeboats,” Max whispered. “Subject acting very suspicious.”
“What’s he doing, Max?”
“Subject glancing back, as if he thinks he’s being followed.”
“That is suspicious, Max.”
“Yes, it must be a result of his guilt. I’m sure he doesn’t know he’s being followed.”
“He couldn’t,” 99 agreed. “We’re too expert at it. The subject never knows.”
“Wait, 99-” Max said, halting. “Subject has stopped. Subject is bending down. Alert for a trick, 99.”
“Alerted, Max.”
There was a second of silence. Then Max said, “Scratch that trick, 99. Subject is tying his shoe,”
“Trick scratched, Max.”
Max moved on. “Subject proceeding again. Subject glancing back nervously. Hold it! Now, subject is running!”
“What’ll we do, Max!”
Max made a sound of annoyance. “I hate to run after him,” he said. “Subject is liable to get the idea that he was right when he got the idea that we were following him. And if subject knows that he’s being followed, it spoils the fun of it.”
“Still… if we don’t run after him, Max, he’ll get away.”
“Yes, there is that to consider.”
“Max, if we stand here debating, subject will get away altogether.”
“That’s a very valid point, too,” Max agreed.
“Rorff!”
Max looked back over his shoulder. “You’re right, Fang-here he comes from the other direction. Apparently he made a complete circle of the deck. All right, gang, let him pass, then we’ll pick up his trail again.”
The figure dashed past.
“Now!” Max shouted. And the trio took off in pursuit.
“Where is he now, Max?”
“Subject is scrambling into a lifeboat!”
“What’ll we do, Max?”
“We’ll scramble into the lifeboat behind his lifeboat, of course.”
They scrambled into the second lifeboat, then Max peaked out from under the cover. “Subject seems to be becalmed,” he reported. “Wait-subject is now peeking out from under the cover of his lifeboat. Subject’s eyes look terrified-as if subject has discovered that his trackers are watching him from the lifeboat behind.”
“Do you think he’s on to us, Max?”
“I wouldn’t be a bit surprised.”
“Max… here’s an idea,” 99 said. “Since he knows we’re following him, it seems a little silly for us to stay in hiding. Why don’t we climb out and confront him-tell him we know he’s Dr. X and demand the formula and the suitcase?”
“And give up the chase, 99? Now? Now, when it’s just getting thrilling?”
“Max, hiding in a lifeboat isn’t really my idea of thrilling.”
Max sighed. “All right. Everybody out. Approach subject and confront him with accusation ”
The trio scrambled out of the lifeboat
“He ducked under the cover,” Max reported. He snickered. “I used to do that when I was a kid I thought if I covered my head, I couldn’t be seen,” Reaching the lifeboat, he got hold of the cover. “Well, it didn’t work for me,” he said, “and it won’t work for him.”
With a sudden movement, Max raised the lifeboat cover. “There you are!” he said triumphantly.
But subject was nowhere in sight.
Max frowned. “Now, how did he do that? It never worked for me.”
“Max!” 99 cried. “There he goes! Out the other end of the lifeboat!”
“Tally-ho!” Max shouted, giving chase.
Subject dashed through a doorway.
The trio dashed after him.
“Stop!” Max called. “Stop in the name of all that’s civilized and decent!”
Subject plunged through another doorway.
“That’s the way it is with evil-doers,” Max grumbled. “They’re not at all interested in all that’s civilized and decent!”
“Where is he now, Max?”
“Subject has just entered ballroom, 99.”
Max stopped-and 99 and Fang pulled up behind him.
“Subject is doing the watusi with… with… well, the fact is, subject is doing the watusi alone.”
“What now, Max?”
“This calls for a counter maneuver, 99. To be more specific, an old-fashioned waltz. You and I will waltz over to subject and interrogate him on the dance floor.”
“All right, Max.”
Max took 99 in his arms and they began waltzing in the direction of subject.
A moment later, Max felt a nipping at his ankle. He looked down. “Yes, what is it, Fang?”
“Rorff!”
“No, you may not cut in!”
“Max,” 99 said, “subject is leaving us behind. He watusied right out the door.”
“Darn! And just when we were coming to the part where I whirl you around! Well… after him!”
The trio charged across the dance floor, then through the doorway.
“There subject goes!” Max pointed. “Down that dark corridor!”
They raced after subject.
“Can you see him, Max?”
“Yes, 99, he’s reached a dead end! He’s trapped!”
“Thank goodness. I’m winded.”
“Oops! Scratch that dead end, 99. He just ducked into a stateroom!”
“Dead end scratched, Max.”
They reached the end of the corridor. “In here,” Max said, indicating a stateroom door. “And, there’s no way out. This time, 99, we have him for sure!”
“Rorff!”
“No, Fang, I do not want to place any bets on it.”
Max slowly opened the stateroom door. He put his head in. Then he withdrew it, looking surprised.
“What is it, Max?”
“He’s in there,” Max replied.
“Yes…?”
“He’s in there, sitting on the bed, waiting for us,” Max said, dazed.
“What else, Max?”
“That’s all. That’s it.”
“But you look so surprised.”
“99, as far as I can remember this has never happened before. Evil-doers always fight to the last. This evil- doer is giving up without a last-ditch struggle.” His eyes narrowed. “It must be a trick.”
“What can we do, Max?”
“Nothing, 99. The only choice we have is to walk into the trap. That’s the only way we’ll find out what it
