“The map book? Sure

“

Wells walked through a wooden gate on the public counter to a glass-enclosed private office at the back. The clerk dug in a drawer, found a map book, and said, “That’ll be twelve dollars. There’s no sales tax on government publications

“

I dug out my billfold and handed her a fifty. “I’m afraid I don’t have anything smaller.”

“That’s OK. I’ll just be a minute.”

She walked back to Wells’s office and said something. Wells nodded, stood up, came out, and walked to the safe. LuEllen put her hand in her purse. Mary Wells turned the combination dial on the safe, pausing briefly to align each combination number, and took out a cashbox. We got the change for the fifty, and two minutes later we were back on the street.

“OK?” I asked.

LuEllen shrugged. “Seemed to be. I’ll have to look at the film. She turned the dial slowly enough, though. If the camera worked, we should be clear.”

We were back aboard the Fanny before ten. John called a few minutes later.

“It worked. If the camera was aimed right, we got it because the film advanced four frames.”

“Good,” I said. “We’ve got to talk to Dessusdelit, and then we’re going out on the river. I’ll see you tonight at the Holiday Inn.”

When Dessusdelit came over the levee wall, I turned to LuEllen and said, “We’re on,” and fled toward the head.

“OK. So after she cuts the deck, as soon as you pick it up, I say, ‘What’d you do to this ball?’ ” LuEllen said, following me.

“Yeah. Right after I pick it up. And you’ve got to put something extra in your voice - like awe. Like gee whiz. Don’t overdo it, but I’m not good at this, so you’ve got to turn her around. Just glancing your way won’t be enough

Maybe you could hold the ball in that light beam,” I said, nodding at a shaft of sunlight coming in the bow windows.

“OK

here she is.”

I went on back to the head, stripped off my tennis shirt, and turned on the water, while LuEllen went to the door.

“Come on in,” I heard LuEllen say cheerfully. Dessusdelit twittered a few words, and LuEllen led her to the same chair she’d sat in the day before.