"Just as you said," he told me. "With some cute frills around the
edges. Ten minutes ago, a crowd of kids--sixteen to twenty-two age
range--about forty of 'em--started a songfest and football game in the
corridor outside Colonel Brock's place. The boys he had on duty there
recognized the Jack Ravenhurst touch, and tried to find her in the
crowd. Nothing doing. Not a sign of her."

"That girl's not only got power," I said, "but she's bright as a solar
flare."

"Agreed. She's headed up toward Dr. Midguard's place now. I don't know
what she has in mind, but it ought to be fun to watch."

"Where's Midguard now?" I asked.

"Hovering around Brock, as we figured. He's worried and feels
responsible because she disappeared from his apartment, as predicted."

"Well, I've stirred up enough fuss in this free-falling anthill to
give them all the worries they need. Tell me what's the overall
effect?"

"Close to perfect. It's slightly scandalous and very mysterious, so
everybody's keeping an eye peeled. If anyone sees Jaqueline
Ravenhurst, they'll run to a phone, and naturally she's been spotted
by a dozen different people in a dozen different places already.

"You've got both Brock's Company guards and the civil police tied up
for a while."

"Fine. But be sure you keep the boys who are on her tail shifting
around often enough so that she doesn't spot them."

"Don't worry your thick little head about that, Dan," he said. "They
know their business. Are you afraid they'll lose her?"

"No, I'm not, and you know it. I just don't want her to know she's
being followed. If she can't ditch her shadow, she's likely to try to
talk to him and pull out all the stops convincing him that he should
go away."

"You think she could? With _my_ boys?"

"No, but if she tries it, it'll mean she knows she's being followed.
That'll make it tougher to keep a man on her trail. Besides, I don't
want her to try to convince him and fail."

"_Ich graben Sie._ On the off chance that she does spot one and gives
him a good talking to, I'll pass along the word that the victim is to
walk away meekly and get lost."

"Good," I said, "but I'd rather she didn't know."

"She won't. You're getting touchy, Dan; 'pears to me you'd rather be
doing that job yourself, and think nobody can handle it but you."

I gave him my best grin. "You are closer than you know. O.K., I'll lay
off. You handle your end of it and I'll handle mine."

"A fair exchange is no