Part 39 (1/2)

It hadn't taken him more than half a second to realize what, whoever it was who struggled in his arms, it wasn't a boy.

”Shut up!” Malone hissed in her ear. ”I won't hurt you.”

The struggle stopped immediately. Malone gently eased his hand off the girl's mouth. She turned and looked at him.

”Kenneth Malone,” she said, ”you look like a man from Mars.”

”Dorothea!” Malone gasped. ”What are you doing here? Looking for your brother?”

”Never mind that,” she said. ”You play too rough. I'm going home to Mother.”

”Answer me!” Malone said.

”All right,” Dorothea said. ”You must know anyhow, since you're here.... Yes, I'm looking for that fatheaded brother of mine. But now I suppose it's too late. He'll--he'll go to prison.”

Her voice broke. Malone found his shoulder suddenly occupied by a crying face.

”No,” he said quickly. ”No. Please. He won't.”

”Really?”

Boyd whispered: ”Malone, what is this? It's a h.e.l.l of a place for a date. And I--”

”Oh, shut up,” Malone told him in a kindly fas.h.i.+on. He turned back to Dorothea. ”I promise he won't,” he said. ”If I can just talk to your brother, make him listen to reason, I think we can get him and the others off. Believe me.”

”But you--”

”Please,” Malone said. ”Believe me.”

”Oh, Ken,” Dorothea said, raising her head. ”Do you mean it?”

”Sure I mean it,” Malone said. ”What have I been saying? The Government needs these kids.”

”The Government?”

”It's nothing to worry about,” Malone said. ”Just go on home now, and I'll call you tomorrow. Late tonight, if I can. All right?”

”No,” Dorothea said. ”It's not all right. Not at all.”

”But--”

Boyd hissed, ”Malone!”

Malone ignored him. He had a bigger fight on his hands. ”I'm not going home,” Dorothea announced. ”I'm going in there with you. After all,”

she added, ”I can talk more sense into Mike's head than you can.”

”Now look,” Malone began.

Dorothea grinned in the darkness. ”If you don't take me along,” she said quietly, ”I'll scream and warn them.”

Malone surrendered at once. He had no doubt at all that Dorothea meant what she said. And, after all, the girl might really be some use to them. And there probably wouldn't be much danger.