Chapter Seven Espionage and High Treason
"This is just great!" complained Hector Canfield. "This morning I was engaged to Mlor and ready to buy the greatest split-level cave . . . er, house. I was a highly respected, not to mention photographed, astronaut! Now I'm going to be court martialled and shot as a spy. All I want to know is . . . where's my lawyer!"
Mac, Hec and Breer had been left in small cell, awaiting further disposition. Breer was glumly sitting, thinker-style, pondering the catastrophe he had brought about.
"We aren't lined up against the wall yet" Mac told his friends. "Calm down. They've no proof we're Russian agents. Mostly because we're not. "
"Yeah" said Hector, momentarily brightening. "The only thing they can prove is that Breer and his family appeared from nowhere, and . . . we helped them pose as Americans. The worst that'll come to us is . . . complete disgrace, humiliation and a long sentence in Leavenworth. I don't want to spend the rest of my life in Leavenworth!"
"Well, think of Breer and his family" said Mac. "Test subjects for the rest of their lives."
"Ugh" said Breer, with a very caveman-type expression.
"It's not your fault, Breer" Mac tried to sound calm. "We should have warned you what could have happened."
"Yes, it is your fault" thought Hector angrily, and was about to say so, but bit his tongue. "The kid was feeling bad enough without them piling on. And even worse than their fate was the one in store for their friends. Treated as human lab rats!"
And, of course, Hector couldn't help but feel sorriest for his would-be wife Mlor.
"The worst thing is the disgrace" observed Mac. "Our names are going to be dragged into mud. We'll go down in history with Benedict Arnold and the Rosenbergs.
"The disgrace is bad now. But it'll be a distant memory after a couple decades in Leavenworth . . . or standing in front of the firing squad!" said Hector.
"Stop bringing up the firing squad, Captain" said Mac. "That's an order."
"Watch it! (1) You can't give me orders, now" said Hector, with one of his reflexive salutes. "Imprisoned officers aren't entitled to give orders."
"Then that's a request, from your best friend" Mac said irritably.
"Okay" said Hector. "But I can't help thinking about it. All my life I've done nothing wrong. I was even an eagle scout. But here I am, guilty of conspiring to get Breer's family fake birth records. I'm about to be busted down to Basic Airman, imprisoned and maybe even . . . ."
"Shut up, Hector" warned Mac.
"How did you get us those birth certificates, anyway?" asked Breer.
"I don't know" said Mac. "Hector volunteered, said he had a fool proof plan."
"I went home to Riverview" Hector recalled glumly. "Our town clerk, Mr. Twombly, keeps all the town records. I begged and pleaded with him to make them out. For a good cause. He did, only because I was one of the town's most notable sons, not to mention his best customer."
"Best customer?" asked Breer.
"Didn't I tell you?" said Hector. "He also runs the drugstore and soda fountain." (2)
"Of course" said Mac, sarcastically.
"But he said he probably tell all if he were ever questioned about it" said Hector.
Mac fell into a brown study.
"How popular are you in your home town, Hector?" Mac questioned.
"Everybody likes me" said Hector. "I'm just that type of person."
Mac and Breer winced.
"Really?" said Mac. "Because Pamela can barely stand you."
"I thought she liked me" said Hector. "I mean, as a friend."
"She does" said Mac. "You just get on her nerves, that's all."
"Me?" asked Hec. "I never get . . . ."
"Aren't you two forgetting something?" Breer interrupted. "What's going to happen to my family?"
"They're safe and sound with Mr. Tyler" observed Hector. "I was the only one picked up by the MPs."
"We're lucky someone's running such a sloppy operation" noted Major Mackenzie. "If your family had been deep cover Russian spies, they'd have already reported and flown the coop."
"There's still a couple of MP's at the apartment" said Hector. "This is the way it went down . . . ."
Notes
(1) "Watch it!" and "Oh my" seem to be akin to catch-phrases for Hector Canfield.
(2) Mentioned in "The Sacrifice."
