99 nodded sadly. “I guess we’ll have to clean it up ourselves.”
It took only a few hours to clear away the mess in Max’s stateroom. By then it was time for dinner, but still too early to go stateroom-searching.
“Shall we eat now, Max?” 99 said.
“Mess,” Max replied.
“Max, why do we have to miss dinner?”
“Not ‘miss’, ‘mess.’ That’s what meals are called on board ship.”
99 looked at him dubiously. “Mess?”
“Yes. Mess.”
“Max, why do they call it that?”
“Well… you just saw what my breakfast looked like. Isn’t it obvious?”
“Oh… yes.”
“Rorff!” Fang barked.
“Yes, that’s right,” Max agreed. “The Chief did say that he wanted us to keep in touch. I think I’d better put in a call to Control before we go to mess.”
Max sat down on the edge of the lower bunk and took off his communicating shoe. He dialed, then waited, listening to the tone.
Operator: What number were you calling, please?
Max (surprised): Operator, this is a direct line. You’re not supposed to be on it.
Operator: This is an overseas call, sir. All overseas calls are handled by we operators.
Max: I think that should be ‘us’ operators, operator.
Operator: Oh? Are you one of we?
Max: Us.
Operator: Is that you, Mabel? What happened to your voice?
Max: Operator, this is not Mabel. This is Max.
Operator: Oh… Maxine! Gee, honey, you sounded just like Mabel. Golly, dearie, no wonder I didn’t recognize your voice. I haven’t seen you in ages. Not since you told that Night Supervisor what she could do with her trunk line. Did she resent that, Maxine? Is that why I haven’t seen you around?
Max (testily): Operator, this is not Maxine. This is Max. M-a-x-Max. I am Maxwell Smart, Secret Agent 86, and I am trying to place a call to Control. Now, may I have your cooperation, please?
Operator: I’m sorry, sir. But, you know, you sure do sound like Mabel. Or Maxine, as the case may be. But, if you say you’re not… if you say you’re some kind of secret agent… I guess you have a right to that opinion. After all, it’s a free country, isn’t it, six? Now, what number do you want, sir?
Max: I can’t tell you that, operator. Control is a secret organization. Consequently, its number is classified information.
Operator: But can’t you even tell me, sir? I won’t tell anybody, honest.
Max: I’m afraid not, operator. That would be a violation of my oath. You’ll have to look it up yourself. It’s right there in the book.
Operator: Yes, sir. And what did you say the name was?
Max: Control. C-o-n-t-r-o-l.
(sound of Operator leafing through pages)
Operator: I have the page, sir. Now, what is the first name?
Max: There isn’t any first name, operator. It’s just plain old Control.
Operator (to herself): Gee… let’s see… here’s Frank Control… Algernon Control… Pest Control… oh, here’s a P. O. Control. Could that be it, sir?
Max: Yes, I suppose it is. P. O. Control. Plain Old Control. Let’s try that number, anyway.
Operator: Yes, sir. I’m ringing that number, sir.
(ringing sound)
Chief: Control. Chief speaking.
Max: Chief, this is Max. I’m calling from the “Queen Edward.” Just giving you a buzz to let you know that the mission is rolling right along on schedule.
Chief: Max, have you spotted the diabolical Dr. X yet?
Max: I’m almost positive we have, Chief. In our wanderings about the ship we’ve seen practically everybody on board. One of those persons must have been the diabolical Dr. X. Now, all we have to do is narrow it down to the one.
Chief: Well, I suppose that’s better than nothing. What else have you accomplished?
Max: For one thing, Chief, I think I’ve found a new pitcher for the New York Mets. That is, if they’re interested in an underhanded lefty. Oh, yes, and I’ve experience-tested a couple of those gadgets that R and D sent along. One thing, Chief: I think a warning should be attached to those boxes of instant oatmeal. It probably should say something like this: Do Not Open in Flooded Stateroom.
Chief: I’ll make a note of that, Max. R and D is very anxious to get your reaction to those new gadgets.
Max: I have one little disappointment for them, Chief. I won’t be bringing back that nozzle. I have an excellent reason for it. But it’s a long, wet story, so I won’t bore you with it.
Chief: They will be disappointed. That nozzle was one of their prize gadgets.
Max: Tell them I’m sorry about that, Chief.
Chief: What are your plans now, Max?
Max: Right now, Chief, we’re going to mess.
Chief: Mess, Max?
Max: That’s what meals are called on board ship, Chief.
Chief: Why is that?
Max: If you’d been here in my stateroom a few minutes ago, you wouldn’t have to ask. But, I suppose it’s because the ship’s crew is an untidy lot, and they mess around a lot at meals.
Operator (breaking in): Your three minutes are up. Deposit another seventy-six dollars and twenty-five cents, please.
Chief: Operator, this isn’t a pay phone. The charge goes on our regular bill.
Operator: Pardon my impudence, sir, but that’s what they all say.
Chief: Max-I don’t have that kind of change handy, so I guess we’ll have to ring off now. But keep in touch.
Max: So long, Chief.
Operator: So long from me, too, Chief. And so long to you, Maxine.
The line went dead.
4
Max, 99 and Fang dined in the main dining room, then went out on the deck to wait for night to fall, at which time they intended to begin searching the scientists’ staterooms.
As they stood at the rail, the sound of soft music floated in the air, wafted by a cooling, caressing, sea-scented breeze.
99 sighed dreamily. “Somewhere, Max, they’re dancing,” she murmured romantically.
“I hope so,” Max replied. “It would be a shame to waste that music.”
“Max-look. The stars are peeping through the clouds.”
“Technically, that isn’t correct, 99,” Max said. “Those stars are just sitting there, and the clouds are passing in front of them. Stars don’t peep. They’re not interested in that sort of thing.”
“Max, do you have to be so literal!”
“I’m not so literal,” Max replied gruffly. “I’m five-foot-eleven. There are a lot of guys that are literal than that.”
“Rorff!”
“Fang is right,” Max said. “I just look literal to you because you’re a tall girl.”
“What I mean is, Max, don’t you ever have any romantic thoughts? Look-the stars are out, the moon is a yellow gondola in the sky, the-”
“99,” Max broke in, “if you think the moon looks like a gondola, you’ve got a lot of gondola research to do.”
“Max, I was speaking poetically. The stars… the moon… the night… doesn’t that mean something to you?”
“99, you’re right. I’ve been a blind fool. Now, I understand what you’ve been trying to tell me. It’s night-time to start searching those staterooms. Come on!”
99 groaned-then obediently trotted after Max and Fang, who were striding down the deck.
“We’re going to do this alphabetically-from Z to A,” Max said when 99 caught up.
“Isn’t alphabetically the other way around, from A to Z?” 99 said.
“Not if you’re in a hurry, and you’re looking for a Dr. X,” Max replied.
They entered a corridor that was lined with the doors to staterooms. Max, leading the way, began checking the numbers on the doors.
“Whose stateroom are we looking for, Max?” 99 asked.
“The stateroom of a Dr. Zee,” Max replied. “Dr. Ludwig Zee.”
“Zee,” 99 mused. “Dr. Zee… that is suspicious, isn’t it, Max?”
Max halted. “How’s that?”
“Well… Dr. Zee… Dr. X… they’re so close together. You know, X, Y, Z.”