“Upward and onward!” Max cried.
The helicopter zoomed heavenward. A moment later it was safely out of range of the guards’ rifles.
“That was close!” Max breathed.
“Got the job done, though, eh?” Lance Chalfont said. “Planted that itty-bitty pea just like you was told to, right?”
“That we did,” Max smiled.
“Howja do it?” Lance Chalfont asked.
“Actually, it was very simple,” Max replied. “We-” He turned to 99. “How did we do it, 99?”
“Well, Max, you remember that necklace I presented to Dr. Yeh!?” 99 replied. “Did you notice anything familiar about it?”
“Familiar? No. Frankly, it wasn’t to my taste, though. It looked like a bunch of strung-together peas.”
“That’s it, Max. It was. I strung some pellets together, making a necklace of them.”
“Then-”
“Yes. Dr. Yeh! is wearing the explosives around his neck,” 99 said. “I imagine that as soon as he gets to his quarters, he’ll put the necklace in his jewel box, and… our pellets will be planted.”
Max turned back to Lance Chalfont. “See? I told you it was simple.”
“Max,” 99 said, “shouldn’t we check in with the Chief?”
“Right,” Max replied, removing his shoe and dialing.
Operator: One moment, please. I am ringing your helicopter.
Max: No, no, Operator. That emergency is over. I want to talk to the Chief, now.
Operator: One moment, please. I am ringing your Chief.
Chief: Control. Chief speaking.
Max: Chief, it’s me. I am happy to report that the first explosive has been planted. Anything new at Headquarters?
Chief: Only this, Max. The KAOS agent has also planted his first pellet. He was observed slipping away from our Science Lab. We’re making a search for the explosive, but we don’t have much hope of finding it.
Max: In other words, Chief, at this juncture, the race is a tie.
Chief: Yes, that’s the way it stands, Max. Haste is all important now. The fate of Control depends on it-and on you and 99, Max.
Max: We’re already speeding to the next KAOS installation, Chief. I’ll call you when I have something further to report.
Max hung up, then settled back in his seat. “I told the Chief that we’re speeding to our next destination,” he said to 99.
She nodded. “I heard you.”
“I heard that, too,” Lance Chalfont said. “Kinda confused me.”
“Oh? How so?” Max asked.
“Me and the helicopter, we’re just flyin’ around in circles,” Lance Chalfont replied. “Ain’t nobody told us where to go.”
“Tell him where to go, Max,” 99 said.
“For the sake of pleasant relations, I think, instead, I’ll just give him our next destination,” Max replied, opening the satchel and getting out a fact sheet. He studied the paper a moment, then said, “Head straight for the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, Lance. Our next destination is KAOS’s undersea weapons arsenal.”
“Which way’s that?” Lance Chalfont asked.
Max pointed. “Thataway.”
As the helicopter sped over the water, Max and 99 studied the fact sheet on the KAOS weapons arsenal. “This will be a tough one,” Max said. “The arsenal is commanded by the infamous Dr. Gill.”
“Haven’t I heard that name before?” 99 frowned.
“Yes, it’s infamous,” Max replied. “Dr. Gill, you know, is half man and half fish.”
“Which half is which?” 99 asked.
Max thought for a second. “The upper half must be a fish,” he replied. “It doesn’t say anything in the fact sheet about him having a tail. What he has done, you see, over a period of years, is conditioned himself to living under water. His lungs act as a storage tank for fresh air, allowing him to breathe without the assistance of an auxiliary air supply.”
“What’s that mean?” Lance Chalfont asked.
“He can breathe under water,” Max replied.
“Shucks, I can do that, too,” Lance Chalfont said. “Only trouble is, when I try it, I durn near drown.”
“That’s the difference,” Max pointed out. “Dr. Gill doesn’t drown.”
“Sakes alive!” Lance Chalfont said. “He must be half fish and half man.”
“But we’re not,” 99 said to Max. “How will we get inside the installation?”
“Headquarters has undoubtedly considered that,” Max replied. He opened the black satchel and began rummaging through it. “We will probably find equipment in here that will- Ah, yes!” He brought out two small packages. “Here we are. These packages are labeled ‘Diving Gear.’ ”
Max and 99 opened the packages.
“Here’s a wet suit,” Max said, “and here’s a- A clothespin?”
“You put that on your nose, so you can keep your hands free,” 99 said. “It explains that in the instructions.”
“Well, it’s probably not the latest thing, but it’ll have to do,” Max said.
“Thar she blows!” Lance Chalfont shouted.
“What?”
“The middle of the ocean,” Lance Chalfont replied, pointing.
Max and 99 looked out the window.
“Where?” 99 asked.
“Right there,” Max answered. “Right where that X is. See it?”
“Oh… yes.”
Max and 99 slipped into their wet suits and pinned the clothespins to their noses. Then the helicopter descended until it was hovering over the X.
“I’ll be waitin’ right here,” Lance Chalfont said, “keepin’ my meter runnin’. That’s a little silent birdman joke.”
“We know,” Max nodded. He turned to 99. “Ready?”
“Ready, Max.”
“Close your eyes,” Max said. Then, to Lance Chalfont, he called out, “Now!”
Lance Chalfont tipped the helicopter and Max and 99 tumbled out the open doorway.
A second later, they hit the water, then bobbed to the surface. After taking in a deep breath, they dived. And seconds after that they reached the installation’s exhaust outlet and crawled through it, reaching the inside, where fresh air was available again.
Max and 99 exhaled, then inhaled, taking in deep breaths.
“Safe!” 99 sighed.
“Doomed!” an unfamiliar voice boomed.
Max and 99 peered through the dimness of the compartment. In the doorway they saw a large figure. Then the figure moved, approaching them. It was a small man, who had cast a large shadow. He, too, was wearing a wet suit. He was smiling sinisterly. Otherwise, he looked completely normal, except that his ears appeared not to be ears, but gills.
“Dr. Gill, I presume,” Max said.
“Very good, for a wild guess,” Dr. Gill replied.
“Let me introduce myself,” Max said. “I am-”
“I know. You are Max Smart. And your companion is Agent 99. I recognized you the instant I saw you. I study the ‘Wanted’ posters sent out by KAOS. After all, there’s not much else to do down here.”
“Fine,” Max said. “Now that that’s settled, we can get down to business. And the first item on the agenda is a comment you made when we first entered your arsenal. ‘Doomed’ you said, I believe. Was there any particular
