“Max, we’ve only been on board a few seconds,” 99 pointed out.
“The statement still stands-so far, so good,” Max insisted.
99 peered along the line of passengers. “Do you see anyone who might be Dr. X?” she said.
He’s a scientist-he’ll be wearing a beard,” Max replied. “Do you see any beards?”
99 began counting. “Five… six… seven…”
“Let me put it another way-do you see any men with beards?”
“… thirteen… fourteen… fifteen…”
Max shrugged. “All right, knock it off. I’ll grant you-that may not be our best clue.”
A few minutes later, they reached the ship’s officer, who, seated at a desk, was inspecting tickets.
“Let’s see,” Max said, patting his pockets, “tickets… tickets
… I had the tickets right here just a second ago.”
“Rorff!” Fang barked.
“Yes, that’s right,” Max said, “I did put them in the attache case.”
He placed the case on the desk and opened it. “Let’s see now,” he muttered, “tickets… tickets…”
“You’re holding up the line,” the officer complained.
“What kind of a ‘welcome aboard’ is that?” Max grumbled. “I’ve got the tickets right here… tickets… tickets…”
“Could they be in that envelope?” 99 said, pointing.
Max picked up the envelope and read from the tag that was attached to it. “ ‘Envelope for mailing plea for HELP when all other means of communication destroyed.’ ” He turned to 99. “Research and Development thinks of everything,” he said. “It even has a Special Delivery stamp on it.”
“Rorff!” Fang barked.
“I guess you’re right,” Max said. “It isn’t such a good idea. Special Delivery does take longer.” He began pawing in the attache case again. “Tickets… tickets…”
“There they are, Max,” 99 said.
“Oh, yes! They slipped into this little opening here.”
“What is that, Max?”
“That’s the little place where you stick your finger in to open the secret compartment,” Max explained. “Without that little finger-hole, you’d never be able to find it.” He handed the tickets to the ship’s officer.
“There you are, Admiral. Two staterooms on Deck C.”
The officer counted Max and 99 and Fang. “One-two-three. That’s three,” he said.
“The mutt and I are bunking together,” Max explained. “We’re on a bit of an economy kick back at the office.”
The officer handed back the tickets and pointed. “Gangway that way,” he said.
“Gangway? We’re in no hurry,” Max said. “We’ll just toddle, if you don’t mind.”
“He means the stairway is that way,” 99 explained.
“Oh.” He scowled. “I thought the stairway was called the ladder on a ship.”
“It probably is,” the officer said. “I never learned much seafaring talk. I specialized in ticket-taking.”
Bumped from behind by an impatient passenger, the trio moved on.
“Gee, Deck C-that must be pretty close to the top,” 99 said enthusiastically. “I think there’s A Deck, then B Deck, then C Deck. That’s pretty luxurious-considering that Control is on an economy kick.”
“First Class, all the way,” Max said. “Control may not pay well, but the fringe benefits make up for it.”
“Oh… here’s the gangway… or ladder…” 99 said. “See, it says ‘stairway’ above it.”
They started the descent down the stairs, with Max leading and 99 and Fang following, in that order.
“We were on A Deck,” 99 said. “So B Deck must be the next one, and then C Deck will be next.”
But when they reached the next deck it was marked “A-1”.
“Well, the next deck must be B Deck,” 99 said.
But the next deck down was “A-2”.
“As I calculate it,” Max said, “C Deck will be three decks lower than a submarine.”
They continued downward, past decks A-3, A-4, A-5, B, B-1, B-2, B-3, B-4, B-5, until they finally reached C Deck.
“The breathing is a little touch-and-go down here,” Max panted. “I wonder how far below sea level we are?”
“I don’t know,” 99 said. “But one thing- don’t open a porthole!”
They walked along the corridor, checking stateroom numbers, until finally they found their own.
“Isn’t that cozy,” 99 said. “We’re side by side. You and Fang have Stateroom C-12, and I have Stateroom C- 13.” She pushed on the door of her stateroom. But it opened only a crack. “There must be something against it,” she said.
“Let me put this attache case in my own room, then I’ll help you,” Max said. He pushed open his own door and peered into the room. “I think I know what it is that’s against your door,” he said. “I think it’s the opposite wall.”
99 stood on tip-toe and looked over his shoulder. “It is little, isn’t it?” she said sadly.
“Well… it’s bigger than a breadbox-but that’s about all I can say for it,” Max replied. He stepped into the room. “Come on in.”
Fang trotted in after him.
“You, too, 99,” he said.
“If I do,” she said, “I’ll be riding Fang bareback.”
Max looked back over his shoulder. “Oh, yes, I see. With Fang and me in here, there isn’t any room for anyone else.”
“There isn’t even room for you and Fang,” 99 said. “His tail hangs out.”
“He can sleep in the corridor and keep watch,” Max said.
“Rorff!”
“All right, all right, we’ll take turns. But, right now, let’s see what we can do about getting 99’s door open.”
Fang backed out, and Max emerged behind him-or in front of him.
Max put his weight against the door of 99’s stateroom. But it refused to budge. “I think I see what the trouble is,” he said. “If your stateroom is like my stateroom, then the door to the bathroom is directly behind the entrance door. Except, of course, on the adjoining wall. Which means that when the bathroom door is open, it’s impossible to open the entrance door-because it strikes against the bathroom door. Do you see what I mean? In other words, if you’re in the bathroom and someone opens the entrance door, you’re stuck in the bathroom until whoever it is closes the entrance door so that you can open the bathroom door. Or, to put it another way-”
“I think I understand, Max,” 99 said. “But how will I get into my room?”
“Simple,” Max said. “Go in and close the bathroom door, then- Oh, yes, I see that does make it difficult, doesn’t it?”
“Rorff!” Fang barked.
“Excellent idea, Fang!” Max said. “Go to it!”
Fang squeezed in through the narrow opening. A moment later there was the sound of a door being closed inside the stateroom. Then the entrance door swung open, revealing Fang.
“Lucky you didn’t close yourself into the bathroom,” Max said to him. “If you had, we might have had to do without your valuable services on this mission. As I calculate it, once you go into a bathroom in one of these staterooms, there is no way out. Unless you escape by way of the drain.”
“My luggage is here, Max,” 99 reported from inside her room. “Is yours?”
“No, mine’s in my stateroom,” Max replied. “Why would it be in yours?”
“That’s what I meant.” She poked her head out. “I want to change. Then we better get started on our mission. What do we do first, Max?”
“According to the schedule the Chief acquired for me,” Max replied, “there is a ‘welcome aboard’ party for the touring scientists on A Deck in half an hour. I think we ought to attend. If we keep a sharp eye out, we may be able to identify the diabolical Dr. X.”
“See you in half an hour, Max,” 99 said, closing her door.
