J.T. Edson - Blonde Genius

“Take this and get going. Wings’ll have the plane ready to take off as soon as you get to the field—”

“Can’t I go in the other one?”

“You know what the boss said,” Carrela growled. “He wants for you to get clear, just in case anything goes wrong.”

“That’s not a bad idea,” Saunders conceded, deciding that a hurried departure in the smaller aircraft might be preferable to delaying his flight until Fiorelli was ready to leave in the Syndicate’s more luxurious HFB 320 Hansa executive jet.

“There’s one thing.” Carrela remarked, sounding too cheerful for such a serious piece of information, “Don’t try to open this case. It’s set to blow up if you do.”

“You’re kidding!” Saunders yelped, displaying a marked reluctance to accept the “Big Tickle’s” container.

“I never learned how, I had a deprived childhood,” Carrela replied, “Take it and screw off, man. It’s safe enough; just so long as no smart bastard tries to open it without the key.”

“All right,” Saunders said, reluctantly yielding to the enforcer’s thinly veiled hostility. “I’ll see you at the villa.”

Watching the cat-burglar scuttling rapidly along the path, carrying the document case at arm’s length as if hoping that to do so would protect him if it should explode, Carrela grinned.

“I wouldn’t count on it,” the enforcer commented, sotto voice. “Sucker!”

Fiorelli’s anxieties concerning Tess proved to be groundless.

Swaying beyond the reach of her opponents swinging fist, Penelope allowed the natural springiness of the top rope to draw her back again. Then, before Tess could retreat to safety, the head girl boxed her ears severely. Spinning around, Tess dropped to her hands and knees.

Penelope vaulted over the top rope landing gracefully. Then she indulged in a lamentable, if understandable, display of temperament. Darting forward, she made as if to launch a kick at her opponents perfectly positioned rump. Before she could do so, the adjudicator restrained her and reminded her that such an act would be contrary to the rules of the Debate.

Apologising politely, Penelope bent and gallantly assisted the bewildered Tess to rise. However, the head girls spirit of forgiveness was more apparent than real. No sooner was Tess erect, than Penelope slapped her face and sent her once more tumbling to the floor of the dais.

“I really must stop the girls watching the male professional Debaters on the television!” Miss Benkinsop declared, aghast at the idea of one of her pupils—and the head girl at that—showing such bad manners.

However the majority of the guests and pupils showed that they heartily approved of the A.S.G.’s captain receiving a dose of her own medicine. Having reproved Penelope, the adjudicator found himself unable to remonstate with Tess for her abortive attempt at bending the rules.

By the time Carrela returned to the gymnasium, the Debate was dearly going in Penelope’s favour. Strolling, apparently nonchalantly, towards his seat on the rear row, he directed a confirmatory nod to his employer.

Grinning in satisfaction Fiorelli caught Garibaldi’s eye and made a slight, but commanding gesture as if blowing through his lips.

The time had come, as Fiorelli well knew, to ensure that the result of the Debate went in the right direction.

“As I said,” Miss Benkinsop remarked to Spender, watching with approval as Penelope kicked Tess’s feet from under her and toppled her to the canvas for the fourth time. “Quality always tells.”

“You’re so right,” grinned Spender, equally oblivious of the machinations being contemplated against the head girl’s welfare.

Noticing the exhausted manner in which the A.S.G.’s representative crawled to her feet, Miss Benkinsop dropped her voice and continued, “Confidentially, Maxie, I’m sure that Tess smokes, and does other things equally damaging to one’s health.”

“She doesn’t have you to guide her, Amelia,” Spender praised.

With the empty cigarette-holder to his lips, Garibaldi turned his full attention to the dais. He wondered, anxiously, if he would be able to carry out his assignment before it was too late. Unless Penelope came much closer and stood still for a moment, he could not hope to do so and be certain of success.

The opportunity soon presented itself!

Continuing with her policy of disturbing Tess’s equilibrium, over-balancing and causing her to sit down with some force, Penelope was circling the dais. While waiting for her dazed opponent to rise, after the sixth kick, the head girl took a breather. To do it, she leaned on the ropes with her back directly in front of the Italian.

That was Garibaldi’s chance!

Giving a quick puff of breath through the holder, the Italian watched and waited with bated breath. After what seemed like an age, although it was not more than a second, he saw Penelope flinch as if something had stung her. Satisfied, he swiftly transferred the holder from his lips to his jacket’s pocket. Having done so, he produced an identical holder from his other pocket. Into this, he fitted a cigarette and lit it.

Although Penelope felt a gentle, yet sharp. prick on her bare left shoulder, she had no idea what had caused it. Nor did she greatly care at that moment, for it was neither painful nor long lasting. Reaching up with her right hand, she rubbed at the spot. In doing so, she inadvertently dislodged a minute sliver of wood that had been clinging with its sharp tip barely buried in her skin.

Forgetting the momentary irritation caused by the sliver—in fact, she was not aware of its presence—Penelope watched Tess rise and prepared to deliver the coup de grвce.

Wobbling uncertainly, Tess watched Penelope step away from the ropes. The captain of Lower Grebe’s A.S.G. sensed that the end was in sight. Gallantly, she had given her all and knew that she was incapable of putting up more than a futile, token resistance against the inevitable.

A shrewd, experienced Debater, Penelope had reached the same conclusion concerning her opponent.

So had the pupils and guests. Their approval was marked as it seemed that once more the head girl had upheld the honour and dignity of the school.

It only remained, everybody—with the possible exception of Fiorelli and Garibaldi—assumed, for Penelope to conclude the Debate with a suitably impressive manner.

Starting to advance, Penelope was suddenly assailed by an inexplicable wave of dizziness. It was so severe that she had to halt in her tracks, Standing with her feet wide spread as an aid to retaining her balance, she shook her head to try to clear it. The room seemed to have become blurry with fog and the floor of the dais was pitching up and down beneath her.

Watching her room-mate and best friend’s surprising behaviour Amanda frowned. The School Swot moved forward slightly on her seat. Turning her head, she looked—just too late—at Garibaldi. Already he had exchanged the holders and was puffing smoke from a cigarette. Before Amanda could decide upon a line of action, the audience’s response caused her to turn her gaze back to the dais.

Seeing what appeared to be a heaven-sent opportunity to stave off defeat, Tess was almost too exhausted to make the most of it. Calling upon every reserve of spirit and energy she could summon, she approached the tottering, bewildered and befuddled head girl.

Taking hold of Penelope’s left wrist in her right hand, Tess pivoted and seemed as if she contemplated a flying mare. Instead, she inserted her left arm between the head girls thighs. Draping the unresisting Penelope across her shoulders, Tess straightened her bent legs and raised the other girl from the floor. Rocking precariously, Tess turned around three times. Then she bent and dumped Penelope spine-first on to the canvas. Flopping to lie across the head girls upper torso, Tess did not need to expend any flagging remnants of energy to keep her immobile.