ces
of butterscotch pie, did you? I wanted her to blame it on Rick."

Rick asked unbelievingly, "An electronic mind reader? All right, Dad,
what am I working on?"

"A device to penetrate the darkness."

Rick stared. His father had scored a hit. He demanded, "How did you
know?"

"My new invention," Hartson Brant said seriously. "Oh, and one other
clue. Yesterday morning the mail brought me a bill for a thousand feet
of 16-millimeter infrared motion-picture film."

So that was it. Rick grinned. "I hope your new invention told you I
asked the film company to send the bill to me and not to you."

"It did. The bill actually was addressed to the Spindrift Foundation,
attention Mr. Brant. Since I didn't know which Mr. Brant was meant, I
opened it. Don't worry, Rick. I'll let you pay it."

"Thanks, Dad," Rick said. "But don't make any sacrifices. You can pay
it if you want to."

"Don't want to," Hartson Brant replied. "I haven't the slightest use
for motion-picture film."

"Because Rick has the only motion-picture camera on the island,"
Scotty finished. He frowned at his friend. "Keeping secrets, huh?"

"I'm not sure it will work," Rick explained. He hated to brag about an
idea and then have it turn out to be a dud. Consequently, he seldom
mentioned that he was working on anything until he knew it would be
successful.

"What does the film have to do with penetrating the darkness?" Jerry
Webster inquired.

Rick caught the look of interest on his father's face. "Ask Dad," he
said. "The electronic mind reader probably has told him all about it."

"Of course." The scientist chuckled. "Rick is planning to take movies
at night without lights."

Jerry looked skeptical. "How?"

Rick stood up. "Long as we've started talking about it, I may as well
show you."

The others rose, too. As they did so, a shaggy little dog crawled from
under Rick's chair where he had been napping.

"Dismal and I will put the cake away," Mrs. Brant said.

At the sound of his name the pup rolled over on his back and played
dead, his only trick. Rick bent and scratched his ribs in the way the
pup liked best. "Go with Mom," he commanded. "Come on, the rest of
you. Maybe I can get some free advice from the director of the
Spindrift Foundation."

Hartson Brant smiled. "If you're looking for a technical consultant,
Rick, my price is very reasonable."

"It would have to be," Rick admitted ruefully. "I've spent my entire
fortune on this thin