remembered her pointing at you," Malone told Burris, "andremembered that she'd only said: 'He's right there,' I knew it had tobe Logan. You weren't there. You were only an image on a TV screen.Logan was there--in the room behind the phone."
Burris had found his tongue. "All right," he said. "Okay. But what'sall this about misleading us--and why didn't she tell us right away,anyhow?"
Malone turned to Her Majesty on the throne. "I think that the Queenhad better explain that--if she will."
Queen Elizabeth Thompson nodded very slowly. "I--I only wanted you torespect me," she said. "To treat me properly." Her voice soundeduneven, and her eyes were glistening with unspilled tears. LadyBarbara tightened her arm about the Queen's shoulders once more.
"It's all right," she said. "We do--respect you."
The Queen smiled up at her.
Malone waited. After a second Her Majesty continued.
"I was afraid that as soon as you found poor Willie you'd send me backto the hospital," she said. "And Willie couldn't tell the Russianagents any more once he'd been taken away. So I thought I'd just--justlet things stay the way they were as long as I could. That's--that'sall."
Malone nodded. After a second he said: "You see that we couldn'tpossibly send you back now, don't you?"
"You know all the State Secrets, Your Majesty," Malone said. "We wouldrather that Dr. Harman in San Francisco didn't try to talk you out ofthem. Or anyone else."
The Queen smiled tremulously. "I know too much, do I?" she said. Thenher grin faded. "Poor Dr. Harman," she said.
"Poor Dr. Harman?"
"You'll hear about him in a day or so," she said. "I--peeked insidehis mind. He's very ill."
"Ill?" Lady Barbara asked.
"Oh, yes," the Queen said. The trace of a smile appeared on her face."He thinks that all the patients in the hospital can see inside hismind."
"Oh, my," Lady Barbara said--and began to laugh. It was the nicestsound Malone had ever heard.
"Forget Harman," Burris snapped. "What about this spy ring? How wasLogan getting his information out?"
"I've already taken care of that," Malone said. "I had Desert EdgeSanatorium surrounded as soon as I knew what the score was." He lookedat one of the agents holding Logan.
"They ought to be in the Las Vegas jail within half an hour," he saidin confirmation.
"Dr. Dowson was in on it, wasn't he, Your Majesty?" Malone said.
"Certainly," the Queen said. Her eyes were suddenly very cold. "I hopehe tries to escape. I hope he tries it."
Malone knew just how she felt.
One of the psychiatrists spoke up suddenly. "I don't understand it,"he said. "Logan is completely catatonic. Even if he could read minds,how could he tell Dowson what he'd read? It doesn't make sense."
"In the first place," the Queen said patiently, "Willie isn'tcatatonic. He's just _busy_, that's all. He's only a boy, and--well,he doesn't much like being who he is. So he visits other people'sminds, and that way he becomes _them_ for a while. You see?"
"Vaguely," Malone said. "But how did Dowson get his information? I hadeverything worked out but that."
"I know you did," the Queen said, "and I'm proud of you. I intend toaward you with the Order of the Bath for this day's work."
Unaccountably, Malone's chest swelled with pride.
"As for Dr. Dowson," the Queen said, "that traitor--_hurt_ Willie. Ifhe's hurt enough, he'll come back." Her eyes weren't hard any more."He didn't want to be a spy, really," she said, "but he's just a boy,and it must have sounded rather exciting. He knew that if he toldDowson everything he'd found out, they'd let him go--go away again."
There was a long silence.
"Well," Malone said, "that about wraps it up. Any questions?"
He looked around at the men, but before any of them could speak up HerMajesty rose.
"I'm sure there are questions," she said, "but I'm really very tired.My lords, you are excused." She extended a hand. "Come, Lady Barbara,"she said. "I think I really may need that nap, now."
* * * * *
Malone put the cufflinks in his shirt with great care. They were greatstones, and Malone thought that they gave his costume that necessaryElizabethan flair.
Not that he was wearing the costumes of the Queen's Court now.Instead, he was dressed in a tailor-proud suit of dark blue, a white-on-white shirt and no tie. He selected one of a gorgeous peacockpattern from his closet rack.
Boyd yawned at him from the bed in the room they were sharing."Stepping out?" he said.
"I am," Malone said with restraint. He whipped the tie round his neckand drew it under the collar.
"Anybody I know?"
"I am meeting Lady Barbara, if you wish to know," Malone said.
"My God," Boyd said. "Come down. Relax. Anyhow, I've got a questionfor you. There was one little thing Her Everlovin' Majesty didn'texplain."
"Yes?" said Malone.
"Well, about those hoods who tried to gun us down," Boyd said. "Whohired 'em? And why?"
"Dowson," Malone said. "He wanted to kill us off, and then kidnapLogan from the hotel room. But we foiled his plan--by killing hishoods. By the time he could work up something else, we were on our wayto Yucca Flats."
"Great," Boyd said. "And how did you find out this startling piece ofinformation? There haven't been any reports in from Las Vegas, havethere?"
"No," Malone said.
"Okay," Boyd said. "I give up, Mastermind."
Malone wished Boyd would stop using that nickname. The fact was--ashe, and apparently nobody else, was willing to recognize--that hewasn't anything like a really terrific FBI agent. Even Barbara thoughthe was something special.
He wasn't, he knew. He was just lucky.
"Her Majesty informed me," Malone said.
"Her--" Boyd stood with his mouth dropped open, like a fish waitingfor some bait. "You mean she knew?"
"Well," Malone said, "she did know the guys in the Buick weren't thebest in the business--and she knew all about the specially-built FBILincoln. She got that from our minds." He knotted his tie with an airof great aplomb, and went slowly to the door. "And she knew we were agood team. She got that from our minds, too."
"But," Boyd said. After a second he said: "But," again, and followedit with: "Why didn't she tell us?"
Malone opened the door.
"Her Majesty wished to see the Queen's Own FBI in action," said SirKenneth Malone.
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