William Johnston - The Spy Who Went Out to the Cold

“Max, you mean-”

“Whatever I said, that’s what I mean, 99. Don’t make me say it again.”

There was a sudden bump. Max and 99 jumped up and ran to the rear window and looked out. Another car had been attached to the end of the train.

“It’s probably a beehive of KAOS agents,” Max said.

“I don’t think so, Max. I think it’s empty.”

“99, I happen to know a beehive when-”

“But, Max, look-” 99 pointed.

A large number of stony-faced men were approaching the special car, marching in single line along the platform. They were dressed in dark suits, and each one was carrying an instrument case.

“I still say it’s a beehive,” Max said. “The bees just haven’t arrived yet.”

“Max, they’re musicians, they’re not KAOS agents.”

“Ha! I’ll bet there’s not one man in that whole outfit who can even play the kazoo. They’re carrying machine guns in those cases, 99, not instruments. Look at those faces. Those are the faces of killers. I know exactly what they intend to do, 99. They-”

“Watch out, Max-they’ll see you!”

Max and 99 pulled back so that the men, who were entering the special car, could not see them. A few minutes later, they heard the door of the car slam. They looked out again. Not one of the mysterious strangers was still in sight.

“Max. . you may be right,” 99 said fearfully.

“Of course I’m right. The minute this train reaches some deserted area-like a desert or something-those men will pour out of that car-machine guns at the ready-and gun down every living human being aboard-except one. That way, there will be no witnesses to their crime.”

“Max, that’s terrible!”

“Who is the one?” von BOOM asked, having joined Max and 99.

“You,” Max replied.

“That’s not so terrible,” von BOOM said.

The train began moving again.

“Max! What can we do?”

“Get off this train-and fast!” Max said.

“Not me,” von BOOM said. “I think you’re wrong, Smart. Those aren’t KAOS agents. They’re probably members of a Russian orchestra.”

“Max. . he might be right,” 99 said.

“I say they’re not even Russian,” Max replied. “And I’ll prove it.” He got a Russian-American dictionary from his pocket. “I’ll go question them. That ought to settle the matter for once and all.”

“Max-wouldn’t that be dangerous?”

“So would staying here and getting gunned down, 99.”

Max left the car and, with 99 and von BOOM watching from hiding, went to the door of the rear car and knocked. A moment later, the door opened and one of the stony-faced men appeared.

Consulting his Russian-American dictionary, Max said, “Novotny kropotkin don pilsudski?”

The man stared at him blankly for a moment. Then he got out a Russian-American dictionary of his own, thumbed through it, then replied, “Barnonski don kropotkin?”

“Da,” Max nodded.

Max headed back toward his own car. Behind him, he heard the door of the special car close.

“There you are,” Max said triumphantly, returning to where 99 and von BOOM were waiting.

“What did he say, Max?”

“I haven’t the faintest, 99. I don’t understand Russian.”

“Then what did that prove?” von BOOM asked.

“It proved that they’re not members of a Russian orchestra,” Max replied. “If that fellow had been Russian, would he have had to use a Russian-American dictionary?”

“He’s right, Professor,” 99 said. “We better get off the train.”

“I’m not convinced,” von BOOM replied. “You didn’t-”

“Hold it!” Max said suddenly.

The door of the special car had opened again. The mysterious men began emerging.

“Back-out of the way!” Max warned.

The door of the observation car opened. The mysterious men entered and marched by. As each one passed, he peered hard at Max, then 99, then von BOOM. But nothing was said. And finally the last of the men passed by.

“Follow them!” Max said. “This may be it!”

“But, Max-”

Max was already on his way up the aisle, tracking the mysterious men. 99 and von BOOM trailed after him. They caught up a few cars later. Max was standing in a doorway, looking. straight ahead. 99 and von BOOM looked past him-and saw the mysterious men seated in the dining car, perusing menus.

“That was close,” Max said. “I thought they were going to start the shooting.”

“Max, they don’t have machine guns.”

“I explained that, 99. The machine guns are in their instrument- Oh, yes, I see. They didn’t bring the instrument cases, did they?”

“They’re having dinner, that’s all,” von BOOM said. “What’s suspicious about that?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Max replied. “They’re having dinner to keep us from getting suspicious. That’s what’s suspicious about it.”

“Poppycock!”

Max faced him. “Did you see the way they looked at us when they passed us?” he said to von BOOM. “If you need proof that they’re KAOS agents, that should have been it.”

“They did look at us very strangely, Professor,” 99 said.

Von BOOM frowned. “They did stare at us,” he admitted. “But, still. .”

“There’s no doubt about it,” Max insisted. “Quick-let’s jump off the train.”

“Max-it’s going at least ninety-miles-an-hour. We’d be killed.”

“Isn’t that better than staying here and getting killed, 99?”

Von BOOM shook his head. “I need more proof.”

“All right, you’ll have it,” Max said. “They left their instrument cases in the car. We’ll sneak in there and open the cases, and I’ll show you that they’re carrying machine guns.” He headed toward the rear of the train. “Let’s go.”

99 and von BOOM trailed after him.

“Max, suppose they left somebody to guard the instrument cases?” 99 said.

“I think two Control agents can handle a little thing like a guard, 99.”

“Suppose the instrument cases are booby-trapped,” von BOOM said.

“Professor, a Control agent has no trouble handling a little thing like a booby trap,” Max answered.

They reached the special car. Max tried to open the door-but it was locked. “Drat-stopped!” he said.

“By a locked door?” von BOOM said, puzzled.

“Yes,” Max nodded. “Too bad it isn’t something we can handle-a guard or a booby trap. Well, that leaves us no choice. We’ll just have to jump.”

“I refuse,” von BOOM said.

“You go ahead and jump, 99,” Max said. “I’ll push von BOOM, then I’ll be along right after him.”

“Max, there must be another way,” 99 said.

“99, I’ve thought this through,” Max said. “And the only other possible way would be to detach this last car from the train and leave it stranded out here in the middle of nowhere.”

“Max! That’s a brilliant idea!”

“It’s a terrible idea, 99,” Max corrected. “What good would it do us? Those KAOS agents are all up in the dining car.”

“We could wait until they come back, Max. And then, when they’re all in the car again, we could release it.”

“Jumping would be much faster, 99.”

“I won’t jump, and I won’t be pushed,” von BOOM said.

Max sighed, resigned. “All right,” he said, “we’ll do it the hard way. But, just remember, when I make out my report on this mission, I’m going to make sure that the record shows that I wanted to jump.”

Max, 99 and von BOOM returned to their compartments and waited until night. Then, a little after midnight, when everyone else on the train was asleep, they quietly returned to the platform of the observation car.

“How are the cars connected, Max?” 99 whispered. “Do you know how to detach them?”