"Today's my day off," said Gwen, "but Uncle Cornelius wants me to make a delivery for him - all the way out in Iceland. I ought to be back in plenty of time for the show, though. Say we meet back here, around seven?"
"Iceland! What's the mad doctor cooked up now? And, Gwen... please tell me there won't be any jumper cables this time."
Rusty the robot was sitting over by the window, and Rusty must have heard the words "jumper cables" - because Nat saw him flinch... and then shrug. Rusty was philosophical.
"Enough, already!" Gwen snapped. "It's nothing like that. Somebody named Doctor Rognvald sent Uncle Cornelius the specifications for a kind of toaster - a big one, and it's... sort of strange. He's built it, but he can't for the life of him figure out what it's for, exactly. But anyhow he needs it delivered, and I'm free today. What're you up to?"
But she didn't find out right away. Mabel glided over with their plates and whatever you might think about Mabel's service, breakfast at the Astro was no laughing matter. They dug into it.
"Today...." Nat mused over the wreckage on his plate. "Today I'm flying a Space Patrolman out to the Bel Geddes Neurological Institute. Some kind of break-in there. I'm hoping it'll be all wrapped up by seven, so yeah, we should get together back here around then."
"A burglary?" Gwen was surprised. "In this day and age - just imagine! Do they keep valuables out there?
"Nope," Nat answered, laying his money down on the table. "Just brains.
