Operation Sherlock by Bruce Coville Read Free Book Online

home several minutes after Trip, looking for lunch and completely unaware that they were supposed to be anywhere else.
    Trip had had a mixed reaction to his father’s late arrival. It was nice, because it took him off the hook. But he found it a little disturbing to be reminded that he was more responsible than his dad. His mother’s reaction on spotting them only made matters worse. She patted her blond hair, folded her arms over her chest, and arched an eyebrow at her husband and son. The icy look left no question that they were in big trouble. Trip sighed. Being sufficiently more responsible than his father to get home ahead of him wasn’t good enough. He probably should have gone out to look for him.
    Standing beside Dr. Davis was the hawk-nosed woman with the long braid they had met earlier that morning. Dr. Clark , thought Trip, digging into his memory banks.
    On the other side of Dr. Clark stood a short, bald man with huge hands. A piece of shiny metal extended from the breast pocket of his lab coat, but Trip couldn’t make out what it was.
    Going by the lab coats, there were eleven scientists in all; twelve, if you counted Dr. Hwa. Trip glanced around. Aside from the other kids, he could see five non-scientists Two were short, dark-haired women: Dr. Hwa’s assistant, and the woman who had come in with the Gamma Ray—probably his mother. Then there were three men: his own father, rumpled yet somehow still elegant; a beefy-looking man of medium height who was wearing a military uniform; and a muscular man dressed in a tie and sports coat and looking none too happy about it.
    Dr. Hwa’s assistant moved to a lectern at the side of the room. “Attention. Your attention, please!” She had a voice like a bell—loud and clear, but also musical—and a lovely Irish lilt to her speech.
    The room fell silent.
    â€œI’m glad you could all make it today.” The tone of her voice made it clear she was longing to add the word finally , and Trip had the feeling that if Dr. Hwa hadn’t been standing next to her she would have launched into a lecture on promptness as a social virtue. As it was, she simply said, “This is the first chance we have had to get you all together, and Dr. Hwa would like to say a few words.”
    Accompanied by a smattering of applause, Dr. Hwa walked to the lectern. As his assistant stepped down and Dr. Hwa took her place, Trip realized that they were both so short that they must have positioned something behind the lectern to stand on. Otherwise they would have disappeared when they stepped behind it!
    Dr. Hwa held up his hands to silence the applause. “Thank you,” he said. His voice was gentle but firm. “Welcome to Project Alpha. I am glad you are all here.” His ruby ring flashed as he gripped the sides of the lectern. Leaning forward, he said intently, “More glad than you can possibly imagine.”
    â€œOxford,” whispered Roger, sidling up to Trip. “With a trace of California.”
    Trip raised a questioning eyebrow.
    â€œHis accent!” hissed Roger.
    Trip nodded and wondered how Roger could possibly have figured that out. Sometimes it frustrated him how much there was to know. He felt good about the progress he was making in his studies of lasers, information transmission, and the history of art. But there was so much else to learn!
    Dr. Hwa was still speaking. “First, I would like to apologize for this morning’s excitement. Security is looking into it, but we are quite sure that it was an industrial accident having nothing to do with our work.”
    I’m not so sure about that , thought Trip.
    â€œNext I would like to apologize to the young people for the swiftness and secrecy they have had to endure in coming here. One secret that I can now unveil is your location. Let me welcome you to the South Pacific—specifically, to Anza-bora Island.”
    A look of satisfaction passed