. His face took on a whitish cast. "Oh, my
goodness," he said. "Isn't that--isn't that amazing." He swallowed
hard. "True all the time," he said.

"Magicians. I--"

"You see, this information isn't new to us," Malone said.

"Oh," Kettleman said. "No. Of course not. My. It's--rather
disconcerting to think about, isn't it?"

"There," Malone said, "I agree with you."

Kettleman fell silent. Malone offered him a cigarette, but the social
worker refused with a pale smile, and Malone lit one for himself. He
took a couple of puffs in the silence, and then Kettleman said, "Well,
Mr. Malone, Lieutenant Lynch did say that I was to tell you everything
I could about these boys."

"I'm sure we all appreciate that," Malone said at random, wondering
exactly what he meant.

"There is--well, there is one more thing," Kettleman said.
"Ordinarily, of course, I wouldn't say anything about this to anyone.
In my line of work, Mr. Malone, you learn the need for confidence. For
being able to keep one's word."

"Certainly," Malone said, wondering what startling new fact was on its
way now.

"And we certainly try to keep the confidence of the boys," Kettleman
said maddeningly. "We wouldn't betray them to the police in any way
unless it were absolutely necessary."

"Betray them? Mr. Kettleman," Malone said, "just what are you trying
to tell me?"

"It's about their meeting place," Kettleman said. "Oh, my. I'm not at
all sure I ought to tell you this." He wrung his pale fat hands
together and looked at Malone appealingly.

"Now, now," Malone said, feeling foolish. "It's perfectly all right.
We don't want to hurt the Spooks. Not any more than we have to. You
can tell me, Mr. Kettleman."

"Oh," Kettleman said. "Well, the Spooks do have a sort of secret
meeting place, you know. And they meet there."

He stopped. Malone said, "Where is it?"

"Oh, it's a big empty warehouse," Kettleman said. "I really feel
terrible about this. They're meeting there tonight sometime, or that's
what the rumors say. I shouldn't be telling you--"

"Of course you should," Malone said, trying to sound reassuring.
"Don't worry about a thing, Mr. Kettleman. Tonight?"

"That's right," Kettleman said eagerly. He grinned, and then looked
morosely down at his hands.

"Do you know where this warehouse is?" Malone said. "If any of the
other little social groups use it--"

"Oh, no, they don't," Kettleman said. "That's what makes it so funny.
You see, the war