Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Secret UFOs by Donald J. Sobol Page B

approval you need.”
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    WHAT MADE ENCYCLOPEDIA SO SURE?
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    (Turn to page 75 for the solution to “The Case of the Stolen Stamps.”)

The Case of the Secret UFOs

    In the summer, Encyclopedia ran his own detective agency out of the family’s garage. The Brown Detective Agency was well known throughout the town. Every morning, Encyclopedia Brown hung out his sign right after breakfast:

    It usually didn’t take long for a new client to appear.
    This time it was Flash Borden who came running up. Flash was in fifth grade, like Encyclopedia. His real name was Gordon. He had left Gordon Borden behind in kindergarten. Flash, he had decided, suited him better.
    He wasn’t called Flash because he could run fast. The name had stuck to him because he was a big fan of flash photography. He liked to take pictures at night. Flash had the best collection of bat and owl photographs in Idaville. He was known for his patience and for not being afraid of the dark.
    Flash stopped to catch his breath. “I d-don’t have much time,” he gasped.
    â€œWhy not?” asked Encyclopedia. “Is someone chasing you?”
    â€œNo, no, not that.”
    â€œThen what’s wrong?” Encyclopedia asked. Flash took a deep breath. “I just don’t want to be late. Bugs Meany is selling pictures of unidentified flying objects, and I want to buy one.”
    Encyclopedia frowned. Bugs Meany was the leader of the gang of older boys, the Tigers. They should have been called the Shepherds. They were always trying to pull the wool over someone’s eyes.
    Encyclopedia spent a whole lot of his time stopping their attempts to take advantage of the kids of the neighborhood.
    â€œAre you sure the pictures are real?” said Encyclopedia.
    â€œNo, I’m not,” Flash admitted. “Frankly, I’d give anything to be able to take a picture of a UFO myself. I don’t even know how to look for a UFO. Having one of those pictures will be the next best thing.”
    He plunked a quarter down on the empty gasoline can that Encyclopedia used as a counter. “I have to be careful not to buy a fake. Bugs’s pictures are pretty expensive. That’s why I want you to come with me.”
    â€œFair enough,” said Encyclopedia. “Let’s go see if those pictures will fly.”
    They found Bugs Meany outside the Tiger clubhouse, an empty toolshed behind Mr. Sweeny’s Auto Body Shop. He had set up his pictures on a small table.
    There were several shots of a flat round object sailing high in the air. The shots had been taken from different angles, though they all showed the same spaceship—if that’s what it was.
    â€œStep right up,” said Bugs. “Buy yourself a genuine photograph of an unidentified flying object. Are aliens spying on us from outer space? Should we be worried or welcoming? You be the judge.”
    Several kids were looking at the pictures.
    â€œThe spaceship is kind of blurry,” said one kid.
    â€œOf course it is,” said Bugs. “Those aliens were not just standing around saying ‘Cheese!’ They were probably on a secret mission, traveling at hypersonic speed.”
    â€œHypersonic?” said another kid. “I’ve heard of supersonic, but what’s hypersonic?”
    â€œIt’s something we don’t have,” Bugs explained. “I mean, the aliens have to be able to get here from some other planet, right? They can’t do that using the kind of speed we have here on earth.”
    He paused for effect. “They need something faster. That’s what hypersonic is. Considering how fast their ships go, we’re lucky to have any images of them at all.”
    â€œI guess that makes sense,” said the first kid. “But how do we know these spaceships are real? They don’t seem to have any weapons or antennas sticking out.”
    â€œOf course