Max and 99 walked over to a public fountain, one summer day.
"Are you SURE agent 25 left the microfilm here?," asked Smart.
"Well, he said he left it in the LBF. The only thing that fits is the Lord Baltimore Fountain."
"All right, 99."
They took their shoes and socks off, rolled their pants legs up, and got into the water.
"It's cold!"
"Yes, it is, Max."
The fountain was circular, and had a middle section with water falling down. Max and 99 waded around the side, looking in the water.
"See anything, Max?"
"No. How about you?"
"No. He might of tossed it into the middle, where the water is falling down."
"You mean we'll have to get all wet?"
"I'm afraid so."
"What I do for the security of my country!"
"Right, Max!"
They went under the water into the middle section and looked around.
"This reminds me of when I was 13, or 14," said 99. "My best girlfriend and I played in a fountain with all our clothes on, one really hot day. Boy, did our mothers get mad at us!"
"That sounds fun."
"Ever done anything like that, Max."
"Nope. I was always a good little boy."
They circled the fountain a couple more times. However, aside from finding some coins, they found nothing.
"Well, perhaps it isn't here at all."
"There's one more place we can look."
"Where?"
"The upper pool. You can give me a boost, and I'll look up there."
"All right."
She stood on his shoulders and climbed to the top of the middle fountain. Here, the water was deeper-2 feet, in the center. 99 had to literally lie in it, to look around! Max waited patiently, while she looked.
"Found anything?"
"No, not yet."
At that moment, a policeman came by! Seeing them in the fountain, he stopped.
"All right, you two. This aint a public swimming pool! Get out, or I'll have to give you a $25 citation!"
"Office, this is not what it looks like," said Max.
"It's not?"
"No. We're not swimming."
"You could've fooled me!"
"Actually, we're looking for something."
"And what might that be?"
"My engagement ring," said 99. "Maxwell and I had a little argument, and in a fit of anger, I threw it into this fountain. So now, we're looking for it."
"That's right," said Max.
"I see," said the cop.
"I found it!," she suddenly shouted.
"You found the mic-er, the ring?"
"Yes, Max-darling!"
"Wonderful!"
"Help me down, please."
"Of course, 99-er, Janet."
She swung her legs down, and he grabbed them and helped her down. They got out of the fountain.
The cop nodded. "OK, I'll let it go, this time."
"Thank you, officer," said Max.
"No problem."
The policeman started to leave. At that moment, a phone rang-even though there were no public phones nearby!
"What's that," the cop said.
"Oh, that's my shoe phone."
"Oh. . . HUH?!"
"It's. . . er, a brand new invention. I'm testing it out, you see."
"You two are screwy!"
He left.