Ross was looking after Mr. Whitely who had disappeared into the main
building. They were standing on the lawn, as part of the guided tour
Crowley was giving them. He growled, "I suppose the two of them are
experienced confidence men, or something."
"Take it easy with those cracks, Ross," Crowley said. "Whitely used to
have a seat on the Stock Exchange. A real big shot. But that was before
they disbarred him, or whatever they call it."
"See here," Dr. Braun said urgently. "We've had enough of all this, Don.
I propose we go somewhere where it will be possible for us to bring you
to your senses, and save you from disaster."
"Kind of a powwow, eh? O.K., Doc, come on in here." He led them to the
entrance, conducted them inside and into a library that led off the main
_entrada_. He said, "By the way, Larry has a few of his boys up here
just kind of like estate watchmen. Some of them aren't much used to
being out of the city and they get nervous. So...."
Ross growled, "All right, all right, don't try to make like a third-rate
villain in a B-Movie. You have guards about and it would be dangerous to
try to leave without your permission."
"How about that?" Crowley exclaimed as though amazed. "Man, you eggheads
catch on quick. Nothing like a college education." He waved them to
chairs. "I'm going to have to leave for a while. Whitely's got some big
deal brewing and we got to work it out." He grinned suddenly. "And
Larry's got a different kind of deal. One he's been planning for years
but hasn't been able to swing one or two details. It's a caution how
many details a little man who wasn't there can handle in one of these
king-size capers."
He had used the pseudo-criminal term, caper, with considerable
satisfaction. Crowley was obviously having the time of his life.
"Very well," Braun said, "we'll wait." When the other had left the room,
leaving the door open behind him, the doctor turned to his two younger
associates. "What children we've been."
Ross Wooley growled unhappily, "Brother, we couldn't have picked a worse
so-called Common Man, if we'd tried. That character is as nutty as a
stuffed date. Do you realize what he's in a position to do?"
Patricia twisted her mouth thoughtfully. "I wonder if any of us really
realize. I am afraid even with all our speculation, we never truly
thought this out."
Dr. Braun pushed his glasses back on his nose with a forefinger. He
shook his head. "You make a mistake, Ross. We didn't make a bad choice
in our selection of Don Crowley for our typical Common Man."
Ross looked at him and snorted.
Braun said doggedly, "Remember, we attempted to find the average man,
the common man, the little man, the man in the street. Well, it becomes
obvious to me that we did just that."
Patricia said thoughtfully, "I don't know. I'm inclined to think that
from the beginning you two have underestimated Don. He has certainly
shown considerable ingenuity. Do you realize that he's done all this in
a matter of less than a week?"
"Done all _what_?" Ross said sarcastically.
She gestured. "Look at this establishment. He's obviously acquired
considerable money, and he already has an organization, or at least the
beginnings of one."
"That is beside the point," Braun said ruefully. "I say that he is
reacting as would be expected. As the average man in the street would
react given the opportunity to seize almost unlimited power, and with
small chance of reprisal."
Patricia shrugged as though in disagreement.
Braun looked at Ross Wooley. "Close the door, Ross. Lord knows when
we'll have another chance to confer. Obviously, something must be done."
Ross came quickly to his feet, crossed to the door, looked up and down
the hallway which was empty and then closed the door behind him. He came
back to the others and drew his chair in closer so that they could
communicate in low voices.
Braun said, "One thing is definite. We must not allow him to secure
further serum. For all we know, he might be planning to inject some of
those gangsters he's affiliated himself with."
Patricia shook her head thoughtfully. "I still think you underestimate
Don. He must realize he can't trust them. At this stage, he has had to
confide in at least two or three, fully to utilize his invisibility. But
in the long run it isn't to his advantage to have _anybody_ know about
it. If the authorities, such as the F.B.I., began looking for an
invisible man, sooner or later they would penetrate the field of
invisibility."
"You mean you think Crowley will use these men for a time and then ...
destroy them?"
"He'll have to, or sooner or later the secret will be out."
Braun said in soft logic, "If he can't allow anyone to know about it,
then we, too, must be destroyed."