Yardborough laid down the second clipping, took up a third. “The last item also carries Mr. De Kemp’s byline but the style of writing seems somewhat different.”
“It was redone by the rewrite desk,” Ed mumbled. Things were beginning to clear.
“Indeed. Very well. This story, humorous in tone, reveals that Tubber claims to have been the cause of the current difficulties pertaining to television and radio.” Yardborough put the clipping down.
Ed said, “Where’d you get those?”
The other man smiled ruefully. “Believe me, Mr. Wonder, we have copies of every newspaper in the world, in whatever language, coming in here to the top five floors of the New Woolworth Building. We have translators going through them, word by word.”
Ed looked at him blankly.
Yardborough said, “Going through every newspaper in the world in hopes of finding a single hint, is only one of the operations going on in this building, Mr. Wonder. Nor is this building alone in the effort. However, suffice to say that we turned up these three items on you and Tubber. Now then, what have you to say to elucidate?”
Ed blurted, “What do you mean, what do I have to say? Nothing. They’re true.”
Yardborough said, “What’s true?”
“Ezekiel Joshua Tubber put a curse on women’s vanity. And it worked. Then he put a curse on radio and TV. That happened on my program. It worked too.”
Yardborough came to his feet. “All right, come along with me, Mr. Wonder.”
“Don’t you want to hear the whole story?” Ed Wonder said, surprised.
“You’re already out of my jurisdiction,” Yardborough told him. He gathered up the papers pertaining to Ed and led the way back into the receptionist’s office. The two plainclothes-men were still there, patiently waiting as only police can patiently wait.
Yardborough snapped to them. “This man has become ‘A’ priority, it’s your necks if anything happens to him.” He said to Ed Wonder, “Follow me.”
They went back into the corridor and up and down halls again. They were stopped only once by guards for identification. Finally, the four of them reached another office, larger this time, with three desks in the reception room. There were several guards about. Four or five nervous looking characters were sitting, obviously waiting for something or other, each with his own contingent of guards.
“Have a seat,” Yardborough told Ed, then went on to speak to one of the girls at a desk. He put the papers before her and spoke lowly. She nodded.
Yardborough turned back to Ed Wonder. “Good luck,” he said. To the two plainclothesmen he added, “Stick with him like paste until further orders.”
“Yes, sir,” they both said. Yardborough left.
“What the devil goes on?” Ed demanded.
Johnson seemed impressed. “You’re the first ‘A’ priority we turned up,” he said.
“Oh, great,” Ed snapped. “What’s ‘A’ priority mean?”
“Search me,” the other told him.
He waited possibly half an hour before a jittery looking type issued forth from one of the several inner offices that opened off the reception room, and called, “Edward Wonder?”
Ed stood up. His two guards came to attention.
The newcomer approached. “You’re Wonder?”
“That’s right.”
“Come with me.” Even as they walked into the inner sanctum, the other was scanning the report and Ed’s three clippings. The guards stayed behind.
There were two desks inside, the second occupied by an army major who had discarded his tunic which hung over the back of a chair, and had loosened his tie. He looked as if he hadn’t slept for quite a while.
The jittery looking type said, “I’m Bill Oppenheimer. This is Major Leonard Davis. You’ve been turned over to us as an ‘A’ priority.”
Even as he spoke he had tossed the report and clippings to Major Davis, who began tiredly perusing them.
Oppenheimer bent over an intercom on his desk and rapped, “I have here in my office a Mr. Edward Wonder of Kingsburg, New York. I want an immediate complete on him. Send a team.” He flicked off the intercom and turned back to Ed. “Sit down,” he said emptily.
Ed said, “What in the devil’s ‘A’ priority?”
“Somebody who thinks he knows what caused TV and radio to go haywire.”
“Why don’t you add movies?” Ed said. He was still confused. The curves were coming too fast for him to assimilate.
The army man looked up from the papers. He snapped, “We thought them separate phenomenon!”
“Well, they aren’t,” Ed told him definitely.
Oppenheimer sat on the edge of his desk and sighed. “Thus far, Mr. Wonder, the major and I have interviewed some three hundred persons in this office. All of them thought they knew the reason for the disruption of the air waves. All of them had been passed on to us as ‘A’ priority. Now, will you please tell us your story, in detail. As much detail as possible.”
The major snorted and tossed the dippings and report to his desk. “First, what was that crack about the movies?”
Ed said, “The same thing that caused TV and radio to go on the blink is the cause of the movies failing to project correctly.” He added. “For that matter, it’s also the cause of the Homespun Look fad.”
The major flicked a switch and said into his intercom, “Immediate action. It has been suggested that the failure of cinema is connected with TV and radio phenomenon. Will communicate further in due course.” He flicked the switch again. “All right,” he said to Ed Wonder. “The complete story.”
Ed told it to them, in all the details they wanted. He brought it right up to the last, and the disappearance of Buzz De Kemp.
When he had finished they continued to goggle him for a long silent moment.
Finally, Bill Oppenheimer coughed, as though apologetically. He said to the major, “What’d you think, Lenny?”
The major knuckled his chin and twisted his mouth. “I just gave up thinking,” he said. “I’ve heard everything, so now I don’t have to think any more.”
Ed was irritated. “Oh, funnies we get,” he said. “Big joke.”
Oppenheimer said, hopefully, “You think we ought to just throw him out?”
“I didn’t ask to come here,” Ed growled. “I was kidnaped.” They ignored him. The major shook his head and said, “We can’t throw him out. We can’t throw anybody out until we’ve checked the story through all ways from Tuesday.” He flicked his desk switch again and said, “If any of the following haven’t already had pickups, get them. Also immediate completes on all. This is an ‘AA’ priority. Buzz De Kemp, Jensen Fontaine, Helen Fontaine, Matthew Mulligan, Ezekiel Joshua Tubber. Yes, I said Ezekiel Joshua Tubber. And Nefertiti Tubber. All are from Kingsburg, New York, except the last two, last seen in Saugerties.”
Oppenheimer sighed and spoke into his own intercom. “Alice, the tape we just cut. Do it up immediately. Fifty copies. The usual distribution. It’s an ‘AA’ now. He sticks to his story.”
They both looked back at Ed Wonder, wordlessly for the moment.
The major opened his mouth to say something. Then he closed it again.
Oppenheimer said, without inflection, “Hexes.”
The intercom on the major’s desk reported something. The major’s eyebrows went up. “Send it in immediately.”
Within moments a messenger entered, deposited two copies of a report on the desks, hurried out again.
Ignoring Ed Wonder, the two read.
Oppenheimer looked up. His eyes went to Major Davis. “Crash priority?”
“Yes.” The major came to his feet, reached for his tunic, changed his mind. Then, in his shirt sleeves, tie still loose, he headed for the door. He said to Ed Wonder. “Come along.” Ed shrugged, got up and followed him. Oppenheimer brought up the rear, carrying the papers pertaining to Ed and the new report as well.