ise
yourself as?" he said. "A Piper Cub?"

"It's a military secret," Malone said hurriedly.

The pilot didn't say anything for what seemed a long time. "A military
secret?" he asked at last, in a hushed voice. "And you can't tell me?
You're a civilian, and I'm a colonel in the United States Air Force,
and you can't tell me a military secret?"

Malone didn't hesitate a second. "Well, Colonel," he said cheerfully,
"that's the way things are."

The pilot threw up his hands. "It's none of my business," he said
loudly. "I'm not even going to think about it. Because if I do, you'll
have a mad pilot on your hands, and you wouldn't like that, would
you?"

"I would hate it," Malone said sincerely, "like hell. Particularly
since I've got a sick woman aboard."

"Disguised," the pilot offered, "as Lenin, I suppose."

Malone shook his head. "I'm not kidding now," he said. "She is sick,
and I want a doctor for her."

"Why didn't you bring one with you?" the pilot said. "Or wasn't the
disguise big enough for three?"

"Four," Malone said. "We've got three now; me and Miss Garbitsch and
Miss Thompson. Lou--Miss Garbitsch is the one who's sick. But I want a
doctor from the American Embassy."

"I think we could all use one," the pilot said judiciously. "But you'd
better tell me what's the matter with the girl."

Malone gave him a brief and highly censored version of the melee at
Trotkin's, particularly omitting the details of the final escape from
the MVD men.

When he had finished, the pilot gave a long, low whistle. "You have
been having fun," he said. "Can I go on your next adventure, or is it
only for accredited Rover Boys?"

"You have to buy a pin and a special compass that works in the dark,"
Malone said. "I don't think you'd like it. How about that doctor?"

The pilot nodded wearily. "I'll send my navigator over to the airfield
phone," he said. "As a matter of fact, I'll tell him to tell the
doctor I'm the one who's sick, so the Russians don't get suspicious.
It may even be true."

"Just so he gets here," Malone said. The pilot was flagging his
navigator through the viewport as Malone went out, closing the door
gently behind him. He went back down the plane corridor to Her Majesty
and Lou.

Lou was still lying on the makeshift bed, her eyes closed. She looked
more beautiful and defenseless than ever, and Malone wanted to do
something big and terrible to all the Russians who had tried to take
her away or dope