From seemingly nowhere, the chauffeur had produced a thin black
automatic and was now lazily pointing it, not so much at Ross Wooley as
at Dr. Braun and Patricia. He said evenly, softly, "Easy, friend."
Ross released his grip, "Put that thing away," he blurted.
"Sure, sure," Larry said, his voice all but disinterested. The gun
disappeared.
Crowley, only slightly ruffled, said now, "Take it easy, Ross. Nothing's
going to happen to you. I'm going to need you folks and I'm going to
treat you right."
"Where are we going?" Ross growled.
"I had the boys rent me a big estate like up in the Catskills. Big
place, nice and quiet. In fact, the last tenants used it for one of
these rest sanitariums. You know, rich people with DTs or trying to get
a monkey off their back."
"The boys?" Patricia said softly.
He looked at her and grinned again. Crowley was obviously enjoying
himself. "I got a few people working for me," he explained.
Dr. Braun blurted, "You fool! You mean you've revealed the existence of
the process Pat, Ross and I worked out to a group of ignoramuses?"
Crowley said angrily, "Now look, Doc, let's don't get on that bit. Maybe
I'm just a country boy but I'm as smart as the next man. Just because
some of you eggheads spend half your life in college don't mean you've
got any monopoly on good common sense. I went to the school of hard
knocks, understand, and I got plenty of diplomas to prove it. Take it
easy on that ignoramus talk."
Patricia said suddenly, "Don's right, Dr. Braun. I think you've badly
underestimated him."
Ross snorted sourly at that remark. "We've all underestimated him. Well,
I think you'll agree that our friend Don will get no more injections of
the invisibility serum."
Crowley chuckled.
They looked at him. Three sinkings of stomach taking place
simultaneously.
"Now, you know I thought that might be your altitude...."
"Attitude," Ross muttered.
"... So I went to the trouble of coming up to your suite last night and
sort of confiscating the supply. By the looks of it, I'd say there was
enough for another ten shots or so."
"See," Patricia said to Ross. "You're not as smart as you thought you
were. Don's one up on you."
* * * * *
The estate which the "boys" had secured for Crowley was two or three
miles out of Tannersville on a mountainside and quite remote. He took
considerable pride in showing them about, although it was obvious that
he had been here before only once himself.
He was obviously enjoying the situation thoroughly and had planned it
out in some detail. Besides the empty-faced Larry, who had driven the
car, they were introduced to two more of Crowley's confederates, neither
of whom gave any indication that the three were present under duress.
The first was a heavy-set, moist palmed southerner with a false air of
the jovial. He shook hands heartily, said nothing with a good many words
for a few minutes and then excused himself. The third confidant was an
older man of sad mien who would have passed easily in the swankest of
Washington, New York or London private clubs. He was introduced simply
as Mr. Whitely, greeted them pleasantly as though all were fellow
guests, had a word to say about the weather then and passed on.
Patricia was frowning. "Your southern friend, Paul Teeter, it seems to
me I've heard his name before."