Part 13 (1/2)

”Straight ahead” Rick glanced at Dodd

Marks stalked off, but his step was too careful to be convincing He just wasn't norot on the train,” Dodd said in a low voice ”Let's get going I' lot, Rick ran to open the trunk so Scotty could stow the bags Then he beckoned to Marks, as staring straight ahead, his eyes glassy ”This is the car, sir”

Marks started for the open door But instead of bending down to get in, he walked straight ahead, rigid as a robot, and his face slaht him as he fell

Rick jumped to the scientist's side, afraid he had been knocked out, and afraid, too, that so

Marks was not unconscious, but his stare was fixed ”Are you all right, sir?” the boy asked anxiously

The reply was unintelligible

Scotty bent over the scientist, too ”Are you all right, sir?” he repeated urgently

Marks' fixed stare never wavered A spate of words poured frole word eed clearly

Once it was ”July,” then ”soup kettle” and ”Planck's constant”

”Just like the others,” Tom Dodd said helplessly

Rick listened with horror He had no doubt, no doubt at all Steve had described it accurately, and here it was Marks was a victim of the identical ailment that had stricken the other teaer of the Mind

Toet hiot in after the scientist while the boys got into the front ”Scotty, start driving We have to shake off any tail that picks us up Try to find a stretch where there isn'tthe sedan into the traffic strea behind them A few minutes later Scotty slipped into an alley and stepped on the gas At the end of the alley he turned the wrong way down a one-way street, found another alley, and slipped into it He eed under a railroad trestle andcarefully, he moved with the traffic until he saw an opportunity to cross a ed froh the intersection, Rick saw, before traffic started through the cross street Scotty took another turn, doubled back, and went through another alley As he eed onto a street where traffic was sparse, he slowed

”That should do it,” Tom Dodd said ”Nice work”

”How is he?” Rick asked anxiously

”Just like the others,” Toent is in Whiteside I don't think it's wise to take Marks to Spindrift in this condition, but I don't want to take him far, either

Have you any contacts here?”

Rick tried to remember His father had associates in Newark, he was sure, including a doctor or two But he couldn't reested ”Dad will have some ideas”