"Try and be patient, Mr. Malone," O'Connor said calmly. "Please. As I
was saying, the subject is limited by his own physical strength. In
other words, he cannot move psionically any subject larger than he can
lift physically. This appears to be a psychological limitation
which--"
"Oh," Malone said. "You mean he couldn't carry off a building, or
anything like that?"
"Of course not," Dr. O'Connor said. "Nor, as a matter of fact, could
he carry off anything that was securely bolted down. I hope you follow
me."
"I think so," Malone said. "But look here. Suppose you handcuffed him
to, say, a radiator, or a jail cell bar."
"Yes?"
"Could he get _away_?"
Dr. O'Connor appeared to consider this with some care. "Well," he said
at last, "he certainly couldn't take the radiator with him, or the
cell bar. If that's what you mean." He hesitated, looked slightly
shamefaced, and then went on: "But you must realize that we lack any
really extensive data on this phenomenon."
"Of course," Malone said.
"That's why I'm so very anxious to get those subjects," Dr. O'Connor
said.
"Dr. O'Connor," Malone said earnestly, "that's just what I had in mind
from the start. I've been going to a lot of extra trouble to make sure
that those kids don't get killed or end up in reform schools or
something, just so you could work with them."
"I appreciate that, Mr. Malone," O'Connor said gravely.
Malone felt as if someone had given him a gold star. Fighting down the
emotion, he went on: "I know right now that I can catch one or two of
them. But I don't know for sure that I can hold one for more than a
fraction of a second."
"I see your problem," Dr. O'Connor said. "Believe me, Mr. Malone. I do
see your problem."
"And is there a way out?" Malone said. "I mean a way I can hold on to
them for--"
"At present," Dr. O'Connor said heavily, "I have no suggestions. I
lack data."
"Oh, 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, "Damn. My hand's shaky."
"Well," Malone said, "that's the story."
"It's a hell of 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 teenagers. 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 known," Boyd said. "I might have known!"
"Tom," Malone said. "What's wrong?"
"Oh, nothing," Boyd said. "Nothing at all. Everything's fine and
dandy. I think I'm going to commit suicide, but don't let that bother
you."
"What happened?" Malone said.
Boyd stared at him. "You happened," he said. "You and the teen-agers
and the bloody damn warehouse happened. Three days' work--ruined."
Malone scratched his head, found out that his head still hurt and put
his hand down again. "What work?" he said.
"For three days," Boyd said, "I've been taking this blonde chick all
over New York. Wining her. Dining her. Spending money as if I were
Burris himself, instead of the common or garden variety of FBI agent.
Night clubs. Theaters. Bars. The works. Malone, we were getting along
famously. It was wonderful."
"And tonight--" Malone said.
"Tonight," Boyd said, "was supposed to be the night. The big night.
The payoff. We've got a date for dinner--T-bone steak, two inches
thick, with mushrooms. At her apartment, Malone. She will probably--"
"You'll have to break it," Malone said sympathetically. "Too bad, but
it can't be helped now. You can pick up a sandwich before you go."
"A sandwich," Boyd said with great dignity, "is not my idea of
something to eat."
"Look, Tom--" Malone began.
"All right, all right," Boyd said tiredly. "Duty is duty. I'll go call
her."
"Fine," Malone said. "And meanwhile, I'll get us a little insurance."
"Insurance?"
"John Henry Fernack," Malone said, "and his Safe and Loft Squad."
12
The warehouse was locked up tight, all right, Malone thought. In the
dim light that surrounded the neighborhood, it stood like a single
stone block, alone near the waterfront. There were other buildings
nearby, but they seemed smaller; the warehouse loomed over Malone and
Boyd threateningly. They stood in a shadow-blacked alley just across
the street, watching the big building nervously, studying it for weak
points and escape areas.