“Max, that’s fabulous!” 99 enthused. “I can hardly believe it.”
“I’m not finished, 99.”
“Oh. . sorry. What then, Max?”
“The bullet will strike the cement sidewalk and ricochet once more. It will hit that lamp post, then that U.S. Army recruiting sign, then the brass knob on the door of that shop on this side of the street. Meanwhile, the limousine will arrive. And at that juncture, the bullet will ricochet off that mail box, and then crash through the windshield of the limousine and hit the driver square between the eyes, thereby eliminating the last of the kidnappers and saving the life of Professor Wormser von BOOM-not to mention, as a bonus, ensuring victory for our glorious nation in the space race.”
“Max. . you better shoot,” 99 warned. “That truck is almost on us!”
“Just a second, 99. I think the gun is jammed.”
“Max! Do something! Hurry!”
Max got down on his knees. “Maybe if I bang it on the cement,” he said. He rapped the butt of the gun against the street. There was the sound of a shot.
“Maybe we better get out of here,” Max said. “I think they’re shooting at us, 99.”
“Max, that was your gun! Look!”
The bullet from Max’s pistol hit the left front fender of the truck and ricocheted. It bounced off the post office building, returned, and smashed through a window of an antique shop, where it rang a set of Indian temple bells, then struck a tarnished tea kettle and ricocheted again. After emerging from the antique shop, the bullet hit, in rapid succession, the door handle of a passing automobile, a glass paperweight inside a box being carried by a department store delivery boy, a Coca Cola sign, Dick Tracy’s two-way radio wristwatch, a half-dollar being flipped by an old-timey motion picture actor, and the pure gold collar on a fat lady’s French poodle. Speeding merrily on its way, it then steered toward the antique shop once again.
Meanwhile, a crowd was gathering. And, fortunately, the mail truck that had been bearing down on Max and 99 had screeched to a halt. The KAOS agent at the wheel was leaning out the window, fascinated by the erratic progress of the bullet.
Max and 99 were watching, too. But they were becoming restless.
“Shouldn’t we go, Max?” 99 said. “We still have that packing to do.”
“All right, 99. I suppose there’s no real reason to stick around.”
“Oh, look, Max-there’s the limousine.”
“Mmmmm, yes. Nice looking car.”
The limousine had pulled up near where the two KAOS agents and Professor von BOOM were standing, following the antics of the bullet. The driver got out and approached them. The trio of KAOS men held a brief discussion, during which one of them pointed toward the antique shop, into which the bullet had disappeared. A moment later, the bullet emerged, and the third KAOS man joined the first two in observing it as it headed in the direction of the halted truck.
“Max. .”
“All right, 99, let’s go.”
They crossed the street. The bullet hit the badge on the truck driver’s cap, knocking him unconscious, then ricocheted again, shooting straight upward.
Max and 99 reached the KAOS men and Professor von BOOM. They were shielding their eyes against the sun, watching the fastly disappearing bullet. Max got out a notepad and tore out three sheets of paper. On each one, he printed: “I am a KAOS agent. Take me to Control headquarters.” He then pinned the notes to the KAOS agents’ jackets.
“Done and done,” Max said, pleased. “Ready, 99?”
“Any time you are, Max.”
Max got Professor von BOOM by the arm and he and 99 escorted him away. The Professor shook his head, coming out of the daze.
“Back to normal?” Max asked.
“Yes. . fine. .” von BOOM said fuzzily.
“That was pretty close,” Max said. “We almost lost you.”
“Only Max’s quick thinking saved you,” 99 said.
Max smiled. “Thank you for the compliment, 99. I hope you learned something back there about dealing with KAOS.”
“I hope so, too, Max. But, I’m not sure-it all happened so fast.”
“Magnificent shooting,” von BOOM said. “Absolutely stupendous. How did you do it?”
“Modus operandi,” Max replied.
3
Later that day, with bags packed, Max, 99 and Professor Wormser von BOOM reached the pier and boarded the ship that would take them to Africa. Max and the Professor had a stateroom together, and 99 was alone. As Max and von BOOM were unpacking, Max said, “If you’ve never sailed on an ocean liner before, Professor, I can give you a few tips on some of the strange shipboard customs.” There was no reply. Looking around, Max discovered that von BOOM was gone. He thought back over what he had said, then left the stateroom and went to the mess, where he found von BOOM seated alone in the huge empty room waiting to be served dinner. Max led him back to the stateroom and the unpacking continued.
On the first day at sea, von BOOM wandered off and was eventually found a total of six times. Disgusted, Max decided that he and the Professor would remain in their cabin during the rest of the trip. But one whole day in seclusion was too much. So, on the third day, Max and von BOOM left the cabin and joined 99 on deck, where, disguised in dark glasses, they reclined in deckchairs, staring out at the ocean.
“Big deal,” Max complained. “We had the same view from the cabin porthole-only it was smaller and rounder.”
“Isn’t this sea air wonderful, though, Max?” 99 said.
Max sniffed. “It smells like the inside of a salt shaker.”
99 turned her attention to von BOOM. “Incidentally, Professor,” she said, “while we were in the secret passageways below headquarters, what was the key word that Max used that sent you out looking for the post office?”
“Line,” von BOOM replied.
“Oh, yes, I mentioned the line on my hand,” Max said. He frowned. “Line? What’s the connection with post office?”
“Whenever I’m in a hurry, there’s always a line at the stamp window,” von BOOM explained.
“That makes-” Max began.
“Look!” 99 interrupted, pointing into the sky. “Isn’t that the most interesting bird you’ve ever seen! It’s so big. And such odd wings.”
Von BOOM leaned forward, squinting. “As a scientist, I’d say that’s a phenomenon,” he said.
“It’s the wrong color for a phenomenon,” Max said. “I know a little bit about birds myself. And that is nothing more than a fat black seagull.”
“It’s getting closer,” 99 said. “It looks as if it’s flying straight toward the ship.”
“Those are not wings,” von BOOM said. “That’s a propeller.”
Max hooted. “Your memory is worse than I thought, Professor,” he said. “If you can remember ever seeing a seagull with a propeller-”
“It’s a phenomenon!” von BOOM insisted.
“Seagull!”
“Phenomenon!”
“Seagull!”
“Phenomenon!”
“Helicopter!”
Max and von BOOM turned to 99. “Helicopter?” they said in unison.
“Just look!” she replied.
The helicopter was settling down to the deck only a few yards away. Two men were peering out from the glass, bubble-type cockpit.
“Or. . it could be a passenger pigeon,” Max. said limply.
The helicopter touched down. The hatch opened, and, leaving the engine running, the two men jumped down and approached Max, 99 and von BOOM.
“This looks like them,” the first man said.
The second man got a slip of paper from his pocket and studied it, then looked closely at Max, 99 and von BOOM. “Could be,” he said. “Let’s just check it out-one Agent 86, one Agent 99, and one old guy who looks like he needs a keeper. Check?”
“Check,” the first man replied.
The second man put the piece of paper away, then drew a pistol. “Agent 86 and Agent 99, you stay,” he said. “Von BOOM, you come with us.”
“KAOS!” 99 cried.
“Or. . very large baby seagulls,” Max suggested.