fine," Malone said. "We need the kids to get the data, and we need
the data to get the kids." He sighed. "Hooray for our side," he added.

"There does appear to be something of a dilemma here," Dr. O'Connor
admitted sadly.

"Dilemma is putting it mildly," Malone said.

Dr. O'Connor opened his mouth, shut it, opened it again and said: "I
agree."

"Well," Malone said, "maybe one of us will think of something. If
anything does occur to you, let me know at once."

"I certainly will," Dr. O'Connor said. "Believe me, Mr. Malone, I want
you to capture those--kids--just as badly as you want to capture them
yourself."

"I'll try," Malone said at random. He flipped off and turned with a
sense of relief back to Boyd. But it looked as if Henry VIII had been
hit on the head with a cow, or something equally weighty. Boyd looked
glassy-eyed and slightly stunned.

* * * * *

"What's the matter with you?" Malone said. "Sick?"

"I'm not sick," Boyd said carefully. "At least I don't think I'm sick.
It's hard to tell."

"What's wrong?"

"Teleporting?" Boyd said. "Juvenile delinquents?"

Malone felt a sudden twinge in the area of his conscience. He realized
that he had told Boyd nothing at all about what had been going on since
the discovery of the notebook two nights ago. He filled his partner in
rapidly while Boyd stood in front of the mirror and rather shakily
attempted to trim his beard.

"That's why I had the car search continue," Malone said. "I was fairly
sure the fault wasn't in the cars, but the boys. But I had to make
absolutely sure."

Boyd said: "Oh," chopped a small section out of the center of his beard
and added: "My hand's shaky."

"Well," Malone said, "that's the story."

"It sure is quite a story," Boyd said. "And I don't want you to think I
don't believe it. Because I don't."

"It's true," Malone said.

"That doesn't affect me," Boyd said. "I'll go along with the gag. But
enough is enough. Vanishing teen-agers. Ridiculous."

"Just so you go along with me," Malone said.

"Oh, I'll go along," Boyd said. "This is my vacation, too, isn't it?
What's the next move, Mastermind?"

"We're going down to that warehouse," Malone said decisively. "I've got
a hunch the kids have been hiding there ever since they left their homes
yesterday."

"Malone," Boyd said.

"What?"

"You mean we're going down to the warehouse _tonight_?" Boyd said.

Malone nodded.

"I might have