Dr. Yeh! suddenly tugged at Max’s sleeve. “Watch! This is the climax!” he said.
Max concentrated on the gyrations of the dancers. He saw the flingers hurl the flung high into the air. Oddly, she appeared to be headed straight for the table.
“I think we’re going to have a guest,” Max said. “You should have set another place.”
“No. You see-”
At that moment, the flung hit the table. And Max understood why it would have been pointless to set another place. As the flung skidded toward them along the table top she cleared everything from her path, dishes, food and all. Then, as if it had been planned that way, she came to a stop directly in front of Max and Dr. Yeh!
“Magnifico!” Dr. Yeh! applauded.
Max removed his plate of chicken a la king from his lap. “Frankly, I’ve seen neater landings,” he said.
“Sorry about that, Max,” 99 apologized.
“Flung, you performed stupendously!” Dr. Yeh! said to 99. “And, as is the custom, to celebrate your triumph, you and I will exchange gifts.”
“Gee, I don’t really have much to give,” 99 said.
“You need only a bauble,” Dr. Yeh! replied. “According to the custom, when the sheik (that’s me) is pleased, he gives his most valuable possession to the one who has pleased him. And, in return, that person presents the sheik (that’s me) with a trinket of no worth at all.” He indicated Max. “This is my gift to you,” he said. “I make you a present of my American Advisor.”
“So much!” 99 gasped.
“It’s not that much,” Dr. Yeh! replied. “Soon we will open the black bag, and, after that, he will be of no use to me, anyway. Advice, I can get anywhere.” He smiled expectantly. “And now, what do you have for me?”
“Well…” 99 took a string of beads from around her neck… I do have these.”
“Perfect!” Dr. Yeh! beamed. “What could be more worthless to a sheik (that’s me)?”
99 placed the string of beads around Dr. Yeh!’s neck. “May I take my gift with me?” she asked.
“You don’t want it wrapped?”
99 shook her head. “I’ll carry it. I have a helicopter waiting right outside.”
Dr. Yeh! giggled. “Not only is she a talented flung, she’s got a sense of humor,” he said.
99 got Max by the hand. “Let’s go, Max!”
He resisted. “Not now, 99! Duty first.”
“Go with her,” Dr. Yeh! commanded. “But leave the black bag.”
“Oh, well, I have to take the bag with me,” 99 said. “I have my change of clothes in it. But I’ll bring it back later.”
Dr. Yeh! smiled again, but sinisterly this time. “Take the clothes out, and leave the bag here,” he said.
99 clung to the bag. “Max!” she hissed, tugging at him.
“No, 99!” he replied adamantly. “Plant first, run second.”
“Max,” she said grimly, “the pea has been planted!”
“Oh?” he replied, puzzled.
“What is that-the pea has been planted?” Dr. Yeh! scowled. “Some kind of code?”
“Yes, code,” Max replied. “You misunderstood what she said because of the code-the code in her head.” He turned to 99. “Sneeze,” he ordered.
99 sneezed.
“Something very strange is going on here,” Dr. Yeh! said. “But, I’ll overlook it. Just hand me the black bag.”
“Max!”
“Right, 99-run!”
Max and 99 dashed toward the exit, with 99 still hanging onto the black satchel.
“Guards!” Dr. Yeh! shouted.
Guards suddenly rushed in through the doorway.
“Seize them!” Dr. Yeh! cried.
Max and 99 whipped around and raced in the opposite direction. They charged through the doorway that led to the ballet dancer place.
“After them! Get the black bag!” they heard Dr. Yeh! shout.
“That way!” Max said, pointing toward a stairway.
They dashed up the stairs. Behind them they could hear the clatter of bootsteps. Another flight of stairs appeared, and they hurried upward once more. The clatter of bootsteps came nearer. They scrambled up another flight of stairs, then another. Then they reached a dead end.
“Max! What now?” 99 wailed.
Max ran to a sculpture of a ballet dancer. He pushed down on the dancer’s outstretched leg. The wall that formed a deadend suddenly rose, revealing an entrance to the roof. Quickly, Max picked up the sculpture, and he and 99 dashed through the opening. When they reached the roof, Max put the sculpture down, then quickly raised its leg. The wall lowered, sealing the opening.
“Wonderful! They can’t get to us!” 99 said.
“Not as long as we have this sculpture,” Max smiled. “I think we defeated them, 99. They’re in there, on the other side of the wall, and we’re out here-” His enthusiasm suddenly diminished. “-trapped on the roof,” he concluded glumly.
The guards began hammering on the wall.
“Max, that wall won’t hold out forever,” 99 said. “What do we do now?”
Max went to the edge of the roof and looked down. He shook his head, backing away. “No, we can’t do that.”
“If only we could contact the helicopter,” 99 said.
“Yes, if only we could-99! That’s it!” Hurriedly, he took off his shoe, then dialed.
Operator: Sorry, you have dialed a wrong number.
Max: Operator, I didn’t dial a wrong number. I dialled Operator, and I got you.
Operator: The way I look at it, that’s a wrong number. Every time somebody dials Operator, I have to answer. And it’s always right when I’m doing my nails.
Max: Sorry about that, Operator. But this is an emergency.
Operator: Oh, is that you, Maxie? How’s our shoe?
Max: Your shoe is fine, Operator. Now look, I want to contact a helicopter. I know the helicopter doesn’t have a telephone, but it does have a radio. So, if you could connect my telephone to the helicopter’s radio, then I and the pilot could converse.
Operator: You’re a real nut, aren’t you, Maxie?
Max: Operator, would you mind? This is an emergency. The guards are hammering on the door.
Operator: Okay, Maxie, I’ll try it. I can’t do anything else ’til my nails dry, anyway. Where is this helicopter?
Max (pointing); Right over there behind that sand dune.
Operator: Could you get a little more clear, Maxie. Like name the desert, maybe?
Max: Sahara. And please hurry, Operator.
Operator: That’s all the way across the ocean. It’ll take time. Radio signals don’t move so fast when they have to swim, you know.
Max: Operator, please!
(crackling sounds)
Lance Chalfont: Lance Chalfont, silent birdman, here.
Max: Lance, this is Max Smart!
Lance Chalfont: No kiddin’. How’d you get inside that itty-bitty radio, Max?
Max: Now, listen carefully, Lance. I am not inside the radio. I am on the roof of the KAOS Science Laboratory. 99 and I are trapped out here. We want you to rescue us.
Lance Chalfont: Well, I’ll try, Max. How do I get there? Is there some kind of a ladder?
Max: No, but there’s a stair. You take the corridor to- No, Lance, what I mean is, I want you to use the helicopter to rescue us.
Lance Chalfont: Max, you know how big this helicopter is. I couldn’t get it up no stairs.
Max: Think, Lance. What does a helicopter do? It flies, right? I want you to fly the helicopter to the roof, pick us up, then fly away. Got that?
Lance Chalfont: Nobody don’t have to draw no pictures for Lance Chalfont. I’ll be there in a jiffy, Max.
(crackling sounds)
Operator: How did I do, Maxie?
Max: Excellent, Operator. If we escape, it will be your doing.
Operator: Then do a little favor for me, Maxie, will you? Don’t get sand in our shoe.
Max: I promise, Operator.
Max hung up.
“Max, the guards are breaking down the wall,” 99 said. “Where is the helicopter?”
“Well, according to my calculations, the heli-”
There was a roaring sound overhead.
“-copter ought to be arriving right now.”
“Max! The wall!”
As the wall gave way and a flood of guards poured onto the roof, the helicopter settled down beside Max and 99.