goz began reading the report, which summarized al shrader’s observations on the association of clorinda and gonzalvo, but dr remigio stopped him.
“just leave it on the desk, goz, i will review it myself.”
“yes, sir. it is getting late, sir. will there be anything else you wanted?”
“no, goz. you can go, you and anyone else who is out there. i will close up myself.”
“yes, sir, good night, sir.” goz turned and left and closed the door softly behind him.
the doctor had suddenly decided to leave as soon as possible, as disguised as possible.
*
goz paused outside the doctor’s office door. much as he might have liked to, he knew there was probably nothing to be gained, and it was not worth the risk, to wait to try to see or hear what the doctor was up to.
there was no else left in the outer office. goz retrieved his coat and hat and made his way to the elevator, which was open and waiting for him.
outside in the street, goz turned the collar of his overcoat up and walked at an even pace to the corner, where al shrader was waiting for him.
*
quickly and efficiently, the doctor disguised himself as a uniformed policeman of the lowest class. he had a pass signed by the emperor, and by himself, dr remigio, authorizing patrolman j d smith, whose carefully constructed persona he was about to assume, to enter the third class train to the gondwanan border. this pass was a precaution - he did not think he would really need it.
he completed his preparations and adjusted patrolman smith’s uniform and cap.
he walked to the door. he pressed the button beside the door to turn off the office lights.
just as he did, his phone rang. he took it out of his pocket. it had no caller display. this was a precaution against it being stolen, as it would hopefully make difficulties for an impostor attempting to impersonate him, if the impostor could not recognize the caller by his voice.
after a second’s hesitation he answered. “remigio here,” he announced in a this-had-better-be-important voice .
“this is sergeant mason of the 13th department,” the voice on the phone, unfamiliar to the doctor, announced. “i am sorry to bother you, doctor - “
“just get on with it ,” the doctor snapped.
“yes, sir. i have a warrant, apparently signed by yourself, for the arrest of a couple of members of the royal family, and i wanted to check with you-“
what? the doctor had not signed any such thing. what was going on? whatever it was, his course was set.
“well, then, arrest them,” the doctor said. “arrest the whole damned royal family while you are at it.”
“yes, sir , but - “
the doctor shut the phone off and started to put it in his pocket. on second thought, it was better to leave it behind. and not worry about anything “incriminating” on it. he would either be caught or he would not. he would purchase a phone on the street, just so that patrolman j d smith would not not have one.
patrolman smith made his way down to the street and walked purposefully , but without unseemly haste, toward the south sector train station .
from two different doorways, goz and al shrader watched him go.
goz crossed the street to meet al. after a brief conference, they agreed that al would follow the doctor, as the doctor was less likely to recognize him, while goz would set the wheels in motion for the arrest of the whole damned royal family.
and so it was that princess clorinda found herself in a box, in the back of a truck, when the truck crashed and she and yeti escaped from it.
14. rewind
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