Part 34 (1/2)
”We picked hi The barber paid hi from the fourth floor That's all He didn't knohy”
Joe Blake ca, Steve Shall we take the prisoners to the landing?”
”Yes, Joe Please”
Barby looked at Steve speculatively ”How about the houseboat?”
”Well, how about it? Haven't you seen enough of it?”
Barby smiled ”It would be very nice, if it were only another color
What will happen to it?”
”A coastguardman will be after it tomorrow It will be impounded for a while After that it may be sold for public auction, or it may revert to the owner's estate It depends on the court”
Barby looked a little disappointed ”Oh, well, we don't really need a houseboat, anyway”
The group broke up as Joe and his partner walked the prisoners across the island to the landing In a short ti to the horizon where a cutter waited
Rick took a last look That just about closed the case The re details probably would never be known to the Spindrift group
”Can't anything be done for Dr Marks and the other scientists?” he asked Parnell Winston
Winston shook his head ”No, Rick We're afraid to talected to tell you one very i rational again, or at least we hope so Yesterday he asked for food A short tian to work out an equation, one connected with the project Apparently the equation was the last thing he had been working on when the mind reader struck So we hope and believe that nature is healing the dae There is no evidence of tissue destruction, so perhaps co and watching”
Within teeks Rick had an opportunity to see for hiton joined the Spindrift group They were fully recovered, with only vagueAnd Dr Marks was reported well on the way to normalcy
The project was almost at an end, with only a few final checks needed on the critical equations The Morrisons had already set a day for their departure--to Barby's great unhappiness
As Barby said at dinner one night, ”I didn't realize how lonely it gets soirl on the island Until Jan ca, and I wish she weren't”
”I'd love to stay,” Jan said ”Really I would”
Hartson Brant arrived in tie He had left the table briefly to take a phone call ”I'reed ”It looks as though we'll be losing Rick and Scotty for a while!”
Barby wailed, ”Not again! Why can't they stay home for a while?”
Rick and Scotty had looked up with quick interest at the scientist's words
”We've been home for weeks,” Rick replied His eyes were on the slip of paper in his father's hand ”Dad, what is it? Where are we going?”
”Read it aloud,” Hartson Brant suggested He handed Rick the slip
Rick scanned it quickly It was a telegram that his father had taken over the phone Rick's pulse quickened Dr Gordon, who had been at work on a secret rocket project in the far west, had wired:
ARRIVING TOMORROW NEED RICK AND SCOTTY FOR SPECIAL WORK