essing any evidence," Malone said. "I don't think _you_
could prove a connection. I don't think _I_ could prove a connection. I
don't think _anybody_ could--not right now."

Fernack leaned back, apparently mollified.

"John Henry," Malone said, "I want to ask you to keep your hands off
this case. To let me handle it my way."

Fernack nodded absently. "Sure, Malone," he said.

"_What?_"

"I said sure," Fernack said. "Isn't that what you wanted?"

"Well, yes," Malone said, "but--"

Fernack leaned all the way back in his chair, his face a mask of
disappointment and frustration. "Malone," he said, "I wish I'd never
heard of this case. I wish I'd been retired or died before it ever came
up. I've been a police officer in New York for a long time, and I wish
this case had waited a few more years to happen."

He stopped. Malone leaned against the back wall of the phone booth and
lit a cigarette.

"Andy Burris called me less than half an hour ago," Fernack said.

"Oh," Malone said.

"That's right," Fernack said. "Good old Burris of the FBI. And he told
me this was a National Security case. National Security. It's your baby,
Malone, because Burris wants it that way." He snorted. "So don't worry
about me," he said. "I'm just here to co-operate. The patriotic, loyal,
dumb slave of a grateful government."

Malone blew out a plume of smoke. "You know, John Henry," he said, "you
might have made a good FBI man yourself. You've got the right attitude."

"Never mind the jokes," Fernack said bitterly.

"O.K.," Malone said. "But tell me: Did you actually make arrangements
for me to get into that warehouse? I suppose you know that's what I
want."

"I guessed that much," Fernack said. "I haven't made any arrangements at
all yet, but I will. I'll have Safe and Loft get the keys, and a full
set of floor plans to the place while they're at it. Will that do, Your
Majesty?"

Malone choked on his smoke and shot a quick look over his shoulder.
There was nothing there but the wall of the booth. Queen Elizabeth I was
nowhere in evidence. Then he realized that Fernack had been talking to
him.

"Don't do that," he said.

"What?" Fernack said.

Malone realized in one awful second how strange the explanation was
going to sound. Could he say that he thought he'd been mistaken for an
old friend of his, Elizabeth Tudor? Could he say that he'd just had a
call from her?

In the end he merely said: "Nothing," and let it go at that.