PERRY
(AKA PROFESSOR MARVEL), SENT WHILE ARCHER DANGLED FROM THE CEILING OF THE OZITORIUM:
Where are you, sir? Police everywhere! I’ll say nothing to them, but I’m counting on you to get me out of this. Fast.
SECOND TEXT MESSAGE FROM THE CELL PHONE OF IAN ARCHER TO THE CELL PHONE OF PROFESSOR S. PANGBORN PERRY, SENT FOURTEEN MINUTES AFTER THE FIRST MESSAGE:
Still no response. Curse you, Professor! If you don’t get me out of this fix in 48 hours I swear I’ll start singing. Yup, I’ll tell the cops all about the Poe twins’ parents, how their “accident” was no accident.
NO FURTHER TEXT MESSAGES TO OR FROM THE CELL PHONES OF IAN ARCHER AND PROFESSOR S. PANGBORN PERRY.
STARS
THE next day at the press conference, when Edgar and Allan emerged with their aunt and uncle through the wide double doors of the county courthouse, hundreds of cameras flashed in their direction. To the boys, it appeared to be a whole galaxy of tiny, exploding stars. Dozens of shouted questions arose from the crowd of reporters, photographers, television cameramen, and sound engineers who pushed and jockeyed at the foot of the old building’s wide staircase for the best view of the boys.
“Look at that mob,” Allan whispered to his brother.
Edgar nodded. “If any group of kids ever acted this out-of-control they’d probably get detention for life.”
The camera flashes continued and the shouted questions came so fast and furious that even with two brainsoperating in perfect coordination, the Poe boys could make little sense of it. The mayor, who looked like the host of Aunt Judith’s favorite TV game show, smiled reassuringly and led the family to a podium that had been set up at the top of the stairs beneath a banner that read:
Edgar and Allan knew for certain that this time the welcome wasn’t for Parents of Exemplary Students—and most certainly not for Physicists of Extreme Science.
The mayor commanded the podium. He tapped the microphone. The boys half expected him to introduce them as the “daily double.” Disappointingly, he merely delivered a boring speech.
“It is my distinct pleasure,” he said, in a voice that had little game-show excitement in it, “to welcome you distinguished ladies and gentlemen of the media to our lovely town and to assure you that we will make your stay with us…”
To the boys it sounded like “Blah, blah, blah.”
Eventually, the mayor got around to the facts: “These two boys, working entirely on their own, identified,caught, and detained two dangerous criminals, one of whom they rendered unconscious and the other of whom they tied up for the police.”
“How did you boys track ’em down?” a reporter shouted.
“How’d you figure it out, Edgar and Allan?” another asked.
“Did you ever fear for your safety?” a third reporter called.
The mayor held up his hand to silence the reporters, and continued with his statement: “The arrest of Mr. Ian Archer, who is high on the FBI’s Most Wanted List, represents an important victory for law enforcement. Trust me, ladies and gentlemen of the press, Batman himself couldn’t have delivered a criminal to us in a neater package.”
Hands shot up among the members of the press and dozens more questions were shouted, but the mayor ignored them and continued:
“But even
more
significantly, these boys captured Professor S. Pangborn Perry, a wanted felon who has been living in these parts for seven years under the name of ‘Professor Marvel.’”
“Have you boys solved crimes before?” a reporter interrupted.
“What brought you to Kansas?” another called.
“Would you boys be willing to do an interview for the local news?”
Again, the mayor held up his hand. “Please! Ladies and gentlemen…”
Reluctantly, the press corps quieted.
“Mr. Archer, arrested while disguised as a winged monkey, is currently in police custody,” the mayor continued. “Meantime, Professor Perry, who received a severe blow to the
(AKA PROFESSOR MARVEL), SENT WHILE ARCHER DANGLED FROM THE CEILING OF THE OZITORIUM:
Where are you, sir? Police everywhere! I’ll say nothing to them, but I’m counting on you to get me out of this. Fast.
SECOND TEXT MESSAGE FROM THE CELL PHONE OF IAN ARCHER TO THE CELL PHONE OF PROFESSOR S. PANGBORN PERRY, SENT FOURTEEN MINUTES AFTER THE FIRST MESSAGE:
Still no response. Curse you, Professor! If you don’t get me out of this fix in 48 hours I swear I’ll start singing. Yup, I’ll tell the cops all about the Poe twins’ parents, how their “accident” was no accident.
NO FURTHER TEXT MESSAGES TO OR FROM THE CELL PHONES OF IAN ARCHER AND PROFESSOR S. PANGBORN PERRY.
STARS
THE next day at the press conference, when Edgar and Allan emerged with their aunt and uncle through the wide double doors of the county courthouse, hundreds of cameras flashed in their direction. To the boys, it appeared to be a whole galaxy of tiny, exploding stars. Dozens of shouted questions arose from the crowd of reporters, photographers, television cameramen, and sound engineers who pushed and jockeyed at the foot of the old building’s wide staircase for the best view of the boys.
“Look at that mob,” Allan whispered to his brother.
Edgar nodded. “If any group of kids ever acted this out-of-control they’d probably get detention for life.”
The camera flashes continued and the shouted questions came so fast and furious that even with two brainsoperating in perfect coordination, the Poe boys could make little sense of it. The mayor, who looked like the host of Aunt Judith’s favorite TV game show, smiled reassuringly and led the family to a podium that had been set up at the top of the stairs beneath a banner that read:
Edgar and Allan knew for certain that this time the welcome wasn’t for Parents of Exemplary Students—and most certainly not for Physicists of Extreme Science.
The mayor commanded the podium. He tapped the microphone. The boys half expected him to introduce them as the “daily double.” Disappointingly, he merely delivered a boring speech.
“It is my distinct pleasure,” he said, in a voice that had little game-show excitement in it, “to welcome you distinguished ladies and gentlemen of the media to our lovely town and to assure you that we will make your stay with us…”
To the boys it sounded like “Blah, blah, blah.”
Eventually, the mayor got around to the facts: “These two boys, working entirely on their own, identified,caught, and detained two dangerous criminals, one of whom they rendered unconscious and the other of whom they tied up for the police.”
“How did you boys track ’em down?” a reporter shouted.
“How’d you figure it out, Edgar and Allan?” another asked.
“Did you ever fear for your safety?” a third reporter called.
The mayor held up his hand to silence the reporters, and continued with his statement: “The arrest of Mr. Ian Archer, who is high on the FBI’s Most Wanted List, represents an important victory for law enforcement. Trust me, ladies and gentlemen of the press, Batman himself couldn’t have delivered a criminal to us in a neater package.”
Hands shot up among the members of the press and dozens more questions were shouted, but the mayor ignored them and continued:
“But even
more
significantly, these boys captured Professor S. Pangborn Perry, a wanted felon who has been living in these parts for seven years under the name of ‘Professor Marvel.’”
“Have you boys solved crimes before?” a reporter interrupted.
“What brought you to Kansas?” another called.
“Would you boys be willing to do an interview for the local news?”
Again, the mayor held up his hand. “Please! Ladies and gentlemen…”
Reluctantly, the press corps quieted.
“Mr. Archer, arrested while disguised as a winged monkey, is currently in police custody,” the mayor continued. “Meantime, Professor Perry, who received a severe blow to the
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