Act VI, Scene 1

The next morning, Devon had been given a breakfast tray, though he had not yet touched it. Nordstrom and Devon's doppelganger came to visit and to encourage him to eat. They teased Devon about an important role they still needed him to play and assured him he would not be at Thortex much longer. Neither piece of information felt all that reassuring.

The imposter left to call a cab. He was accosted by an unknown woman. Unknown to him, at least, as Devon had met Marta Simmons. Recovering well, the imposter spoke with Marta, who asked about Michael. He offered to take her to Michael, and he held out his hand.

Marta started to accompany the man she wrongly assumed was Devon Miles. But at the last minute, she pulled away. She asked him to let Michael know she'd call, and she assured the imposter she would call as soon as she was settled. And then, to his frustration, Marta faded away into the crowd.

Act VI, Scene 2

Bonnie and Melissa were working on Kitt, as Michael watched from Karr's passenger seat. Bonnie was typing at the terminal and checking the monitor. Melissa was working on Kitt's CPU, adding and tightening connections, based on what Bonnie's readings were telling them. Michael was staying out of their way.

He and Karr were talking, and Karr would pass along his comments to Kitt and share Kitt's comments back with Michael. Michael would have preferred to talk with his partner directly. But Bonnie and Melissa hadn't been able to get that part of his CPU to work yet.

Michael glanced out the window at Bonnie and Melissa, and then he sighed.

"Michael Knight, based on my readings, you are worried about Miss Knight but not about Kitt."

"I'm worried about both of them. Well," Michael thought about it, "concerned about Kitt and worried about Melissa."

"I do not understand the difference."

"Kitt was badly damaged, but he's gonna be fine. He's got you, so he's connected to the outside world. Bonnie and Melissa will have his CPU working soon. And RC and his crew will his chassis fixed, too. He won't have his MBS, not in time to deal with that thing Nordstrom has." Michael sighed again. "Melissa, on the other hand . . ."

"Miss Knight is very anxious about Devon." Karr paused, then added, "Kitt has explained her fear of kidnapping."

"I would have said phobia, not fear."

"A phobia is an irrational fear. Miss Knight's fear is quite rational for a child of wealthy parents. Not to mention Garthe Knight's . . . joke about the topic."

"Doubt it was meant as a joke."

"Based on my research, it is typical of Garthe Knight. It is a comment intended to be hurtful that could also be taken as a joke, if it were said by anyone else. Allowing him to claim the other person is just overreacting."

"And, yeah, I am worried about her."

"Bonnie Barstow does not need Miss Knight's assistance."

"Makes the work go faster. And Bonnie mentioned some ideas they have to offset Kitt's vulnerability without the MBS."

"But she does not need Miss Knight's assistance."

"Okay?"

"The work she is doing with Bonnie Barstow does not provide enough distraction for her."

"No, it doesn't." Michael was struck by something Karr had said earlier. "Karr? Why do you call Devon by just his first name? You call the rest of us by our full names."

"Devon gave me explicit permission to use his first name only. You and Bonnie Barstow have not."

Michael chuckled at that. "An oversight, you know. Well, let's fix that now. Karr, call me Michael, please."

"As you wish . . . Michael." Karr paused, then added, "I, too, am worried about Miss Knight. She has not slept or eaten well since her encounter with That Man."

"Yeah, she keeps dwelling on the bad guys could be doing to Devon."

"I have no suggestions of how to put Miss Knight at ease. And neither does Kitt."

"Me, neither. Wish I did, though." Michael sighed a third time. "I'll go talk with her. Maybe it will help."

"Finding Devon would help more."

"Definitely on the same page, there."

Michael got out of the Citation. He wasn't entirely sure what to say to Melissa. But he was sure he needed to say something to her, to provide a distraction for her to focus on. And then RC showed up.

"I'm off on a donut run for the guys. You three in?" Everyone nodded. "I could use an extra pair of hands to carry all the boxes. Wanna come along, kiddo?"

"You said this is a rough neighborhood, and I'm not allowed to go outside," said Melissa.

"True enough. But it's daylight, you'll be with me, and we're driving."

"The convertible out back?"

"Of course. Life is just regular without a ragtop. And at least 400 horses. And no one deserves a life that's just regular."

Melissa frowned. "But the convert – ragtop out back, that's only got 320. Of course, it is 20 years old. And 320 horsepower back then would be like 400 today. I mean, not really, but . . ."

Michael chuckled at RC's look. "My kid sister's a bit of a gear head."

"Guess so. Coming anyway?"

"Yeah, sure."

"I hope Melissa will be okay," said Bonnie after RC and Melissa had left.

"RC'll take good care of her."

"You know how she feels about kidnapping."

Michael sighed. "Yeah, I know." He sighed again. "Marta's the key to this. If only I knew where to find her . . ."

"Why?" Bonnie asked sourly. "So she can set you up for another execution?"

Michael shook his head. "There's something . . . I don't think her heart's in it. I think she's just in over her head."

"Her and her little dog, too." Bonnie smiled wryly. "Maybe they've gone back to Kansas."

"Roger! Bonnie, you're brilliant!"

"What on Earth are you on about?"

Michael ignored her and searched the garage until he found a phone and a phone book. He quickly flipped through the phone book and then dialed a number.

"Hello, I'd like to check on a patient, a terrier named Roger. He has an appointment today . . . yes, that's the one. What time? Thanks, thanks so much." Hanging up, Michael grinned at Bonnie. "Marta's dog – Roger – is getting fixed today. I saw the vet's business card on the fridge when I checked Dr. Quinlin's place last night. She must have forgotten to take it with her."

"Good thing, my man," said RC from the end of the ramp into the Home Office. "You know how many vets there are in Chicago? Calling them all would take forever." He grinned. "Donuts are here. Best come now if you want one. The guys out there are pretty hungry."

Act VI, Scene 3

Nordstrom and Dr. Von Furst were in Nordstrom's office. The imposter had blueprints and charts of the vault, which he had spread across Nordstrom's desk. He showed Nordstrom where the Juggernaut could break into the vault from an unused subway tunnel. And he assured Nordstrom that, with the access he had as Devon, he could override the security systems, preventing the guards from arriving until well after the Juggernaut had gotten away with the Cernium 116.

Hower arrived, and Nordstrom chewed him out. Marta was not the loyal agent Hower had assured him she was. Nordstrom rested his mechanical hand on Hower's shoulder. He then ordered Hower to find Marta, quickly. To Hower's relief, Nordstrom chose not to strike him with his mechanical hand. This time.

Act IV, Scene 4

Dr. Naylor was staying at the Knight estate, preparing for the second Foundation Board meeting. She felt assured of her success, especially after talking with Devon Miles. She was seated in back, on the terrace, making notes. To her surprise, Michael Knight hopped over the wall and headed her way.

"Devon told me you were on a tropical vacation. Did you trade in your ticket for burglars' tools?"

"Okay, you don't like me, and I don't like you very much either. But there is one thing we have in common."

"We're mammals."

"I don't have the time or the patience for this right now, Dr. Naylor. Someone's planning to steal the Cernium 116.

"The vault is impenetrable."

"Nothing's impenetrable. I know the machine they intend to use, and the man. The man is Devon."

Dr. Naylor laughed disdainfully. "You really should go on vacation. You need one."

"At least, he appears to be Devon. Dr. Naylor, the man you're dealing with - the man you're trusting - isn't the real Devon Miles."

"You're hooked on action, aren't you? You'll even invent a reason for action if one doesn't exist!"

"Two possibilities. One: You're right, and the Cernium 116 is perfectly safe. Two: I'm right, and the Cernium 116 gets stolen. Which is the worse outcome?"

Dr. Naylor shook her head emphatically. "You're asking a lot of me.

"I'm asking you to prevent the Cernium 116 from falling into the wrong hands."

"You've accused Devon Miles without any shred of evidence."

"Kitt was destroyed, and That Man wrote him off and ordered me on vacation."

"Proof that Devon Miles agrees with me about the Foundation's future."

"Or that he isn't Devon Miles and is removing any obstacle to stealing the Cernium 116."

Dr. Naylor paused to consider what Michael was saying, then shook her head again. "No, I don't believe it. Or trust you."

Michael knew he needed to convince her. Of all the Board members, Dr. Naylor was the one that was best positioned to stop the imposter. He had already dealt with her. If Michael talked to Jack Lloyd or one of the others, they might believe him. But their sudden involvement with the Cernium 116 might tip the imposter off.

"The Foundation – what it stands for, what it does – is very important to me. And I'm willing to put all that on the line."

"What do you mean?" D. Naylor was confused.

Michael took a deep breath, then committed himself to the course of action he had already known was really his only option. "I'll make you a deal: you do everything you can to stop That Man and I'll resign."

"By That Man, you mean Devon Miles. Who you claim isn't really Devon Miles."

"Yes. Do we have a deal, Dr. Naylor?" Michael held out his hand.

"Yes. But I want it in writing."

Michael dropped his hand and went to the table where Dr. Naylor had been working. He wrote out the deal clearly and succinctly: she would stop the imposter and he would resign. Dr. Naylor called for the butler to witness the agreement. Then Michael went back over the wall while she carefully folded the letter, a triumphant smile on her face.

Neither paid attention to the butler, who went back inside . . . and made a phone call.

Act VI, Scene 5

After leaving the estate, Michael "borrowed" a taxicab and drove to Roger's vet. He waited outside as Marta went in with Roger and then came out a while later without him. She waved for a cab, and Michael pulled up in front of her. She got in and gave an address of a hotel.

Michael confronted Marta, who told him she had been trying to find him and that she wanted to explain everything. Michael drove them to the hotel where she was staying. They went into the coffee shop. Marta explained about her past. Her wealthy father had been committing fraud and killed himself when he was found out, leaving Marta alone and without any resources. Hower had come to the rescue, helping her out. In return, Marta helped him out: talking to people and asking questions, occasionally having dinner with someone. All at the direction of Nordstrom. Nordstrom even arranged for Dr. Quinlin's assistant to "win" a 3-month cruise and for Marta to take her place.

Michael explained that Devon had been replaced by an imposter. Marta realized her mistake and warned Michael that she had called the man she thought was Devon and told him where she was staying.

Just as she gave her warning, Hower arrived with two thugs. Michael spotted Hower, and he and Marta ran out of the coffee shop. They ran down an alley and up onto a bridge over the Chicago River, Michael nearly carrying Marta. Hower and the other two men were firing guns at Michael and Marta.

Having no choice, Michael leapt from the bridge, still holding onto Marta. They landed on a pleasure boat just leaving the marina. Michael pushed past the stunned owner and grabbed the throttle. As they sped away, Hower and his thugs shot to no avail. Michael and Marta got away safely.