pockets contain a most amazing collection of devices and artifacts, Mr. Wilson.”
“Probably because I’m something of a comedian myself.”
“Yes, to be sure,” said Danker. “Although I believe even you won’t find much to be amused by during your stay with us.”
“You can’t hold us here,” said Nellie. “If you know who we are, then you know we’re part of a larger organization. They’ll come looking for us, and that’s going to mean only trouble for you.”
“Forgive me for resorting to a cliché, Miss Gray, but the desert is a big place,” said Danker. “It’s quite easy for people to disappear in its sandy vastness.”
“The Avenger knew we were going to pay this call on you, old man.”
“Somehow, Mr. Wilson, I doubt that. Even if it were so, we are prepared to stand off an army here, if need be. And your much-touted Avenger is, if you’ll forgive me for pointing it out, only one man.”
“You’re going, if you’ll forgive my cliché,” said Cole, “to be changing your tune very soon. Danker.”
Dirks stepped back from him. “That’s the lot. He ain’t got nothing else on him.”
“Very good. Now we’ll have Helga search the young lady, after which we’ll show them to their new home.”
“Going to be guests of the Oasis, are we?” asked Cole.
“Yes, though you won’t, I must apologize, have much of a view.”
“Underground,” said Cole, rubbing his neck below his ear. “Quite a way underground.”
“This is the deepest-down basement I’ve ever been in,” said Nellie.
Dirks and Danker had just shoved them into this windowless room and locked them in.
“Well, we . . . Hello, who’s this? Another damsel in distress?”
Jennifer Hamblin had been dozing in a wooden chair in the shadowy corner of the room. She sat up awake now, blinking. “Who are you?”
Grinning at the pretty girl, Cole said, “I’m Cole Wilson, sometimes known as Devil-May-Care Wilson. This young lady is Nellie Gray.”
Jennifer got up. “I’ve heard of you. In fact, your friend, Mr. Smith, was going to help me find my uncle.”
“Ah, then we’ve heard of you, too. You must be Jennifer Hamblin.”
She nodded, brushing her hair back from her face. “How did they get you? Was it because you were looking for me?”
“This is going to hurt my reputation for infallibility,” said Cole, “but I didn’t know you were missing. No, we breezed into the cocktail lounge an hour or so ago. I had, earlier in the day, spotted a chap named Franz Bernhardt gainfully employed here as a waiter. It was my original intent to case the joint, as it were.”
“But,” said Nellie, “they seemed to know who we were. Almost the minute we sat down, a punchy-looking waiter came over and tried to drag Cole off for an interview with this Danker guy.”
“Danker?”
“Dark chap, with a lean and hungry look, very dapper.”
“Oh, yes, him. He’s the one who brought me here, but I didn’t know his name.”
Hands in pockets, Cole eased around the room. “Yon door would appear to be the only way out.”
“Yes, I believe it is. Although you’re probably much better than I am at finding your way out of places.”
“Second only to Houdini and the great Norgil,” Cole said.
“You mentioned a waiter named Bernhardt,” said Jennifer, watching him pace the room. “Who is he?”
“FBI has the notion he might have ties with the Fatherland,” said Cole. “Know him?”
She shook her head, sadly. “No, but it just confirms, more or less, what I’ve been thinking.” Backing, she sat down again. “I’ve seen my uncle.”
“Eh?” Cole stopped still.
“That’s how I got here. I mean, I was up in my room, and I saw Uncle Val. He was outside, walking across the patio by the pool. I called and called, but he paid no attention. So I left my room and followed him. That led me down here.”
“You’re sure,” asked Nellie, “it was him?”
Jennifer bit her lip, head downcast. Then she said,
“Probably because I’m something of a comedian myself.”
“Yes, to be sure,” said Danker. “Although I believe even you won’t find much to be amused by during your stay with us.”
“You can’t hold us here,” said Nellie. “If you know who we are, then you know we’re part of a larger organization. They’ll come looking for us, and that’s going to mean only trouble for you.”
“Forgive me for resorting to a cliché, Miss Gray, but the desert is a big place,” said Danker. “It’s quite easy for people to disappear in its sandy vastness.”
“The Avenger knew we were going to pay this call on you, old man.”
“Somehow, Mr. Wilson, I doubt that. Even if it were so, we are prepared to stand off an army here, if need be. And your much-touted Avenger is, if you’ll forgive me for pointing it out, only one man.”
“You’re going, if you’ll forgive my cliché,” said Cole, “to be changing your tune very soon. Danker.”
Dirks stepped back from him. “That’s the lot. He ain’t got nothing else on him.”
“Very good. Now we’ll have Helga search the young lady, after which we’ll show them to their new home.”
“Going to be guests of the Oasis, are we?” asked Cole.
“Yes, though you won’t, I must apologize, have much of a view.”
“Underground,” said Cole, rubbing his neck below his ear. “Quite a way underground.”
“This is the deepest-down basement I’ve ever been in,” said Nellie.
Dirks and Danker had just shoved them into this windowless room and locked them in.
“Well, we . . . Hello, who’s this? Another damsel in distress?”
Jennifer Hamblin had been dozing in a wooden chair in the shadowy corner of the room. She sat up awake now, blinking. “Who are you?”
Grinning at the pretty girl, Cole said, “I’m Cole Wilson, sometimes known as Devil-May-Care Wilson. This young lady is Nellie Gray.”
Jennifer got up. “I’ve heard of you. In fact, your friend, Mr. Smith, was going to help me find my uncle.”
“Ah, then we’ve heard of you, too. You must be Jennifer Hamblin.”
She nodded, brushing her hair back from her face. “How did they get you? Was it because you were looking for me?”
“This is going to hurt my reputation for infallibility,” said Cole, “but I didn’t know you were missing. No, we breezed into the cocktail lounge an hour or so ago. I had, earlier in the day, spotted a chap named Franz Bernhardt gainfully employed here as a waiter. It was my original intent to case the joint, as it were.”
“But,” said Nellie, “they seemed to know who we were. Almost the minute we sat down, a punchy-looking waiter came over and tried to drag Cole off for an interview with this Danker guy.”
“Danker?”
“Dark chap, with a lean and hungry look, very dapper.”
“Oh, yes, him. He’s the one who brought me here, but I didn’t know his name.”
Hands in pockets, Cole eased around the room. “Yon door would appear to be the only way out.”
“Yes, I believe it is. Although you’re probably much better than I am at finding your way out of places.”
“Second only to Houdini and the great Norgil,” Cole said.
“You mentioned a waiter named Bernhardt,” said Jennifer, watching him pace the room. “Who is he?”
“FBI has the notion he might have ties with the Fatherland,” said Cole. “Know him?”
She shook her head, sadly. “No, but it just confirms, more or less, what I’ve been thinking.” Backing, she sat down again. “I’ve seen my uncle.”
“Eh?” Cole stopped still.
“That’s how I got here. I mean, I was up in my room, and I saw Uncle Val. He was outside, walking across the patio by the pool. I called and called, but he paid no attention. So I left my room and followed him. That led me down here.”
“You’re sure,” asked Nellie, “it was him?”
Jennifer bit her lip, head downcast. Then she said,
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