Author: Lyle P. Blosser
E-mail: lyle@classicjq.com
First posted: December 29, 1999

DISCLAIMER: Jonny Quest and distinctive characters copyright Hanna-
            Barbera and/or Warner Brothers.  This is strictly a fan-created,
            not-for-profit work, and is in no way affiliated with or
            approved by Hanna-Barbera or any other copyright holders.
            No infringement of any rights, stated or implied, is
            intended by this work.  What's mine? The story idea and it's
            execution in written form.

CATEGORY: P(CJQ), E(RE)
RATING: G
ARCHIVERS: Permission granted

NOTES: I grew up on CJQ, and was always disappointed that it ended after
       only one season; my efforts are attempts to correct that, at
       least for fans.

       This story takes place after the events in 'Turu the Terrible'
       and before those in 'Pirates From Below'.

"The Mystery of the Loch"

Eastern Loch Ness was still in shadow; the steep hills that lay hard up
against the far shore were deep blue and silhouetted against the
lightening sky.  The early morning sun would be climbing for another
half hour before its rays finally illuminated the loch's surface where
the converted shrimp trawler, the 'Bonnie Lass', anchored.  As the
bright orange submersible 'Sea Slug II' was lowered gently over the side
in a sling, Professor Angus MacDougal watched pensively while his
assistant grinned and waved from the sub's cramped cabin, his unruly red
hair visible through the starboard port.

Just as the craft entered the water, MacDougal felt a twinge of
disappointment.  He should have been at the controls, gliding downward
into the murky depths in the little submersible.  After all, it was his
device they were testing, and Sean was still getting his "sea legs",
having just hired on four months back, although he was a quick study.

But, not two weeks earlier, MacDougal had suffered a collarbone fracture
when he'd been sideswiped by a car that had come out of nowhere,
swerving recklessly wide around a tight bend in the road as MacDougal
had approaching from the other direction.  Unfortunately, MacDougal had
been peddling his bike at the time, on his way to work.  The car had
never stopped, even though its driver must have known MacDougal had been
hit.  It careened around yet another bend, tires screeching, leaving
MacDougal to limp the remaining two kilometers to the lab just outside
Drumnadrochit, where he phoned the local doctor's office and then the
police.  The doctor was helpful, bracing his shoulder and putting his
arm in a sling; the local law was not so helpful.  Oh, not that they
weren't willing, they were, but he'd only got a glimpse of the car (a
small red blur, that's all he could recall), and they couldn't track
down all of the small red cars in the area.

So, now, here he stood, on the deck of the 'Bonnie Lass', as the sub
gradually disappeared into the dark waters of the loch.  Since two
fully-functional hands were definitely needed to pilot the sturdy little
craft through the peat-clogged waters of Loch Ness, it was Sean that got
to do the driving, while MacDougal monitored the results on board their
trawler.

MacDougal swung down into the cockpit, crammed full of electronic gear.
Diligent scavenging of the university's chaotic lab storage areas had
provided most of the equipment, but he'd also done a bit of bargaining
with some of the local fishermen.  He knew they often laughed behind his
back when he paid their raised prices, but it was worth a little
humiliation to get the gear without having to go begging at the
university continually.  He'd skipped a few meals, and dug into his own
savings as well, but if his ideas panned out...

"Bonnie Lass to Sea Slug II", he called.  "How d'ya read, Sean?"

"Slug to Bonnie, clear as a bell," came the reply.  "Just trimming up
for the descent."

"Roger, Sea Slug.  Switching on repeater console, awaiting your relay."

MacDougal flipped a toggle that caused a large-screened console to come
to life, an exact duplicate of the box squeezed into the cramped space
inside the submersible.  With a low hum, the screen slowly brightened,
showing blobs and streaks swirling leisurely around.

"Aye, Professor, you should be seein' something now.  More'n I can say
for my own situation."

MacDougal chuckled.  "But that's exactly the point, my lad; that's why
were here instead of in some clearer waters."  Indeed, it was precisely
because of the poor visibility in Loch Ness's deep, dark environs that
they were here this morning.  The first trials of Professor MacDougal's
compressed-sonic sonar in ordinary lakes had gone well, the little
device accurately detecting underwater objects far more distantly, and
far more clearly than conventional sonar could.  But Ness's waters were
special, so full of peat and silt that ordinary sonar was essentially
limited to looking at close-up objects.  If it could penetrate these
murky depths, MacDougal's device was ready for the big time.  He
envisioned search-and-rescue ships equipped with his invention able to
locate crash sites (and survivors!) of boats and planes that were
normally unfindable.  Salvage operators, too, should find the device a
boon.

As his assistant dove the little craft ever deeper, the up-to-now-hidden
denizens of the loch, mostly trout and charr and other fish, but also
some lobsters and other creatures, showed as small blips.  Schools of
the fish showed as swirls of color.  Mostly close-up stuff, and visually
confirmable using the Slug's powerful searchlight.

"Boost the search radius, please," MacDougal radioed.  Riley confirmed,
and the screen momentarily blanked, then began filling in with larger
forms, as the hyper-condensed sound waves of MacDougal's device penetrated
widely across the loch.  The screen began to show the contours of Loch
Ness's deeper realms; a steeply-sloped rocky shelf, bottoming out onto a
smooth plain-like landscape.  Myriads of filter-feeders could be made
out, swarming across the muddy layer of sediment that lay thickly at the
bottom of the freshwater loch.

Suddenly, a shrill beep sounded from the console, and a huge form
appeared on the scope, traveling rapidly along the bottom toward the
little sub.

"Sea Slug, confirm, possible large object heading in your direction,
bearing fifty degrees."

"Bonnie Lass, aye!" came the excited reply.  "I've got the target."  A
pause, then a nervous-sounding question.  "What d'ya make of it,
Professor -- a seiche, maybe?"  Loch Ness was known for her large
underwater pressure waves, sometimes up to forty meters in height, that
often swept through the loch.

"Slug, nay, it's not the right shape nor density for a wave -- it
appears to be a solid object, nearly 20 meters long.  About two hundred
meters out, still heading directly toward you!  Head for the surface,
Sean -- get out of there!"

Anxiously, MacDougal watched the repeater scope which showed the huge
object, traveling at nearly 20 knots.  The position and bearing of the
thing suddenly changed direction somewhat, then MacDougal realized that
was only because the Sea Slug was frantically changing course and speed
itself, trying to escape the approaching unknown.  But the object was
obviously locked onto the sub and instantly adjusted for any course
changes the wee vessel made, relentlessly drawing nearer and nearer.
Now MacDougal's regular sonar on the 'Bonnie Lass' was able to pick up
the earnest chase as well; both the sub and unknown pursuer were near
enough to register as larger, fast-moving blobs.  With each pass of the
sonar sweep, however, it became painfully obvious that the "Sea Slug"
was not fast enough; it would never reach the boat, nor the surface, in
time.

"Bonnie Lass!" came Sean's frantic cry.  "I can make out something in
the port beams -- it's HUGE!"  A deep rumbling sound came over the line,
then Sean's voice again.  "It's big and round and -- Professor!  I see a
flipper!  The thing's not stopping -- I think it's going to ---"  Sean's
voice cut off in mid-sentence, and a tremendous groaning crash of static
flooded out of the speaker.

"Sea Slug, Sea Slug!  Do you read?  Sea Slug, SEAN, come in!" MacDougal
urgently called over the comm line; but only static was returned.  The
repeater scope had winked out, too, an ominous sign; its screen was
totally dead. The boat's sonar only reflected a single large contact.
"Sea Slug! Come in, Sea Slug!"  Still nothing.  MacDougal sprang out of
the radio room and rushed to the stern of the trawler's deck.  About one
hundred meters away, the water boiled furiously.  There was no sign of
the brightly-colored submersible, not even a gleam from her powerful
searchlights.  Suddenly, a large dark shadow loomed out of the depths,
heading directly for the boat.  A surge of water, followed closely by a
swirling vortex, began to show on the surface of the loch as the object,
whatever it was, pushed a large volume of water out ahead of it in its
rush upward.  MacDougal ran to the boat's wheel and gunned the engine,
turning desperately for shore.  The sonar's "pings" sounded closer and
closer together as the approaching object --

With a tremendous shudder, the "Bonnie Lass" lurched upward and to
starboard.  MacDougal was expecting the collision, but not the severity
of it, and was thrown overboard.  Tumbling into the cold waters of the
loch, he caught a glimpse of a vast rolling black shape, water streaming
down its flank, pushing the boat over on its side.  A stubby fin or
flipper rose briefly out of the water, then disappeared as the object
rolled.  MacDougal narrowly missed being struck by the boat's fo'castle
as it heeled over.  His broken collarbone made it nearly impossible to
swim, but he struck out in a desperate paddle, trying to get out of the
way of the foundering boat and the terrifying black object under it.  A
horrible groan sounded as the object drove completely through the keel
of the boat, smashing it into several rapidly-sinking pieces.  Then, a
vast suction of water, like a giant whirlpool, threatened to pull him
back into the wreckage.  A bright blue plastic crate bobbed just out of
reach; he reached for it with his good arm and drew it under himself,
kicking frantically.  The maelstrom flattened out, and the water grew
calmer.  The last visible part of the 'Bonnie Lass', one of the old
shrimper's net cranes, slipped under the waves as junk and debris
percolated upward from the wreck, leaving a spreading slick of oil and
fuel.

* * *

On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, the dawn was just starting to
brighten the clear blue skies over Palm Key, a small island in the
Atlantic Ocean, just off the eastern coast of Florida, when the jangle
of the telephone roused Dr. Benton Quest from a sound sleep.

"Hello?"  he spoke thickly, then cleared his throat and spoke again.
"Hello.  This is Dr. Quest...why, hello, Annie!  It's been a long --
what's that?"  Benton sat up abruptly, looking at the clock.  Nearly
five-thirty.  He listened for some seconds as the voice on the line
continued, then responded with words aimed to calm and reassure.  "Of
course, Annie, we'll come right away."

He did some quick figuring, then said, "We can probably be there by the
middle of the afternoon, your time."  The urgent voice resumed, but
Benton once again reassured the caller.  "He's in good hands at the
hospital, I'm sure.  We'll get our things together and leave as soon as
possible.  You're welcome, Annie -- Angus would do the same if our
situations were reversed.  Please, get some rest; we'll phone when we
arrive in Scotland.  The number at the hospital?"  He reached for the
notepad and pen that lay on the nightstand and wrote as the voice on the
phone, a bit calmer now, gave him the information.  "OK, Annie, see you
soon,  Good-bye."

With a sigh, Benton replaced the phone handset on its cradle and rubbed
the last of the fuzziness from his eyes and his mind.  Pushing the
covers back, he dialed Race Bannon's room, explained the situation, then
got dressed.

Not quite two hours later, a sleek white supersonic jet, affectionately
known as the 'Dragonfly', and gleaming brightly in the early morning
sun, rolled out of its hangar, down the runway, and into the sky.  After
gaining some altitude, it banked in a long, smooth turn to the
northeast, and headed out over the ocean.   At the controls, Race Bannon
noted a slight sluggishness in the lift-off; a slight reluctance to gain
altitude.  But then, that was to be expected with the heavier than usual
cargo stowed in the hold.  It had taken nearly the entire two hours
since the unexpected early morning phone call from Scotland to get all
of the equipment Dr. Quest requested on board the ship.  Some of it even
had to be partially dismantled to fit it inside the 'Dragonfly'.
Although it seemed like a lot, Race had learned long ago to trust Dr.
Quest in planning this type of trip; the scientist really only took what
he thought would be needed.  Dr. Quest's planning paid off more often
than not; almost always everything they took along was used at some
point during the trip.  Once, he'd even carried aboard a large mirror on
a trip to the Sargasso Sea, an unusual item to take on board a
scientific research ship if ever there was one, but, as usual, the
mirror had served its purpose, eventually playing a critical part in
their mission.

"Where are we going again, Dad?" asked Benton's young son Jonny, who was
still trying to wake up and adjust to the early morning excitement.
Benton looked fondly at his son as the boy tried to stifle a yawn.
Bandit, Jonny's ever-faithful bulldog pup, made no such effort; he was
cradled in Jonny's lap, asleep.  Hadji sat quietly in the seat next to
Jonny, but his dark brown eyes were focused, attentive.

"A small town in Scotland called Drumnadrochit, although we'll be
landing at the airport in Inverness."

"And what's in Drimna...Drumna...droch..?"

"Drumnadrochit.  It's where a colleague and old friend, Professor Angus
MacDougal, has his laboratory.  Professor MacDougal's wife Annie phoned
to say he's been in a boat accident."

"Is Professor MacDougal going to be all right, sir?" asked Hadji from
his seat behind Race.

"Yes," replied Dr. Quest. "Annie said he's resting in the hospital,
although he hasn't yet regained consciousness.  The physicians are a bit
concerned that he might have suffered a concussion, or some deep
traumatic shock."

"Explain to me again what happened, doctor?" asked Race as he urged the
supersonic jet toward the higher altitudes required for trans-Atlantic
flights.  The pilot's tanned face was totally alert, and his actions in
flying the huge plane were calm and self-assured.  "And you say that
Professor MacDougal is an old acquaintance?"

"Yes," Dr. Quest replied.  "I was just barely out of university when we
met at a conference in Edinburgh.  We hit it off right away, and have
kept in touch over the years.  Last I heard, he was working on a new
type of sonar.  I furnished him with some notes from my laser
experiments, as a matter of fact."  The doctor paused, stroking his red-
brown mustache and beard, as if that last thought had triggered some
interesting notion.  "Anyway, early this morning MacDougal's wife Annie
called in somewhat of a panic.  Seems that the professor had gone out on
Loch Ness early that morning for some more testing of his device, and
when he missed lunch, she tried calling him on the boat's ship-to-shore
radio, with no luck.  After phoning the lab and several other places
where he might have been, she thought to call the hospital there at
Drumnadrochit.  She said ever since his bicycle accident several weeks
ago she'd been worried that something else might happen."

"Like what?" asked Race, his face showing keen interest in this turn of
the conversation.

"She didn't elaborate.  Apparently he'd just been brought in by a group
of tourists that had seen what happened from shore."  Dr. Quest
stretched his arms over his head, and stifled a yawn himself.  "The
doctors assured her he's going to survive the experience, but she's not
convinced."  He looked at Race, as if awaiting a query.

"There's something more, isn't there?" asked the pilot.  "Something
about those tourists?"

"Your instincts are correct.  The tourists that brought Professor
MacDougal to the hospital had quite an unusual tale to tell."  He paused
as if for dramatic effect.  "It seems the professor's boat was sunk by
the Loch Ness monster."

"By what?" Race's voice was incredulous.

"Gosh, a monster!"  came Jonny's excited voice.  "What did it look
like?"

"Yes," joined in Hadji.  "Please tell us more about this monster of Loch
Ness!"

Even Bandit opened one eye at all this commotion.

Benton looked at Race with a smile.  "How long to Inverness, Race?"

Race checked the instruments.  "About five hours, give or take."

"Good," Dr. Quest replied, then turned in his seat to address Jonny and
Hadji.  "Plenty of time for a history lesson."

"History?" Jonny wrinkled his nose in an expression of mild distaste.
"What about the monster, Dad?"

"The tale of the Loch Ness Monster is a tale of history, Jonny,
stretching all the way back to around 650 A.D.  It also involves
geography, natural history, and even sociology."  Now both young
students looked doubtful. "The monster, or Nessie, as it's
affectionately known by some--"

"Because it's living in Loch Ness?" asked Hadji.

"Yes, that's correct."

"Dad, what's a loch?" Jonny piped in, eager to forestall the history
lesson as long as possible.

"Loch is simply the Scottish word for lake, son.  There are many lochs
in Scotland, some of them quite famous.  Loch Lommond, for example.
But, back to the history.  Saint Columba, a Roman priest, is said to
have spotted the beast in the loch and actually commanded it to leave
his parishioners alone.  Through the years, a score of people claim have
claimed to have seen Nessie.  There have been numerous photographs taken
that are reported to show the animal, but most are too inconclusive to
make identification possible.  A few have been shown to be outright
hoaxes."

"But what--?" began Jonny, leaning forward in his seat.

"--does it look like?" finished Hadji.  Benton laughed.  So much for the
history lesson.

"Most often, people simply report seeing a dark humped shape in the
water; leaving a wake or series of ripples in the loch's waters as it
swims away.  Sometimes they claim to see its head on a long, slender
neck.  It's supposedly very shy; no one has ever reported seeing it up
close, in daylight."  Benton paused for a breath, then went on.  "No one
knows what it might be; all kinds of theories have been proposed to
explain the alleged creature -- everything from a large otter or seal,
to floating debris, to a prehistoric holdover from the age of dinosaurs,
to a seiche, to --"

"Seiche?" queried Hadji, while, at the same time, Jonny asked
"Dinosaurs?"

"A seiche is a large wave that can appear unexpectedly.  Some can be
really large, over thirty feet high.  Some scientists think Nessie's
appearances are simply folks seeing the top of a seiche as it travels
the length of the loch. It could look like a humped, dark object
swimming in the water.  Seiche are known to exist in Loch Ness; some
think that the loch has a lot of seiche, due to its orientation and
shape, which is long and narrow, and parallel to the prevailing winds.
However..."  Dr. Quest turned to look at Jonny.  "Other folks insist
that Nessie is a kind of sea-going dinosaur, a plesiosaurus.  It's hard
to imagine, though, how a plesiosaurus could have survived the millions
of years since the Mesozoic Age, especially since Loch Ness was scooped
out by a glacier only ten thousand or so years ago."  Dr. Quest paused
again as a sudden thought struck him. "Although I must admit I never
expected to find a pteranodon in South America, either, although we all
saw one, as you recall.  So, maybe, just maybe, plesiosaurs did somehow
survive and made their way into the loch after the glacier retreated."
He sounded doubtful, despite his words.

Dr. Quest then led the boys in an exploration of geologic formations,
optical illusion, the phenomenon of myths and popular folklore, and
more.  They took a break for a quick lunch from the galley stores and
spent the rest of the flight in quiet reflection.  Hadji pulled out the
checkerboard from the overhead compartment, and he and Jonny soon were
absorbed in the game.  Bandit napped, looked out the window, napped,
begged for a snack, napped, and otherwise behaved like a dog would be
expected to.  Soon they were descending through the clouds into
Inverness, the green, rugged landscape of the Scottish Highlands
spreading out below them.

Annie met them at the airport.  Her normally pretty face showed the
strain of the past hours, and she obviously hadn't been able to get much
rest.

"Well, he's awake," she'd announced after Dr. Quest introduced everyone.
"But, there's more bad news.  It seems my husband's assistant was in the
submersible when the accident occurred.  Since he's not shown up
anywhere since, we've had to assume the worst -- "  Annie seemed about
ready to break down with the news, tears brimming in her green eyes.

"I'm sure they're doing everything they can," Dr. Quest assured her.
"But, still, is there anything we can do?  We've brought a bit of our
own equipment along."

"Yes, of course, Angus said you'd be prepared," Annie nodded.  "When I
told him I'd called you, he tried to act upset; said I shouldn't have
bothered you."  She stopped and looked at Benton.  "But, I know my own
husband, Dr. Quest" she continued.  "I could tell he was relieved that
you'd been notified." Another pause.  "And that's what's really worrying
me -- "

"Because his relief at our impending arrival means he thinks he's out of
his depth," Dr. Quest stated.  Annie nodded.  Dr. Quest turned to Race
and explained.  "Professor MacDougal is fiercely independent; it's a
normally admirable trait that's stood him in good stead through many a
trial during his career."

"But there comes a time when even the most independent must acknowledge
the need for help," Race replied as they exited the airport into the
brisk Scottish weather.  "And when that time comes, it means something
serious is going on.  Like maybe..." he paused.  "Like maybe he thinks
this was no accident."

Annie's long reddish-blond hair whipped about her face in the breeze
outside the airport as everyone followed her to the car.  "I'm afraid
you're right, Mr. Bannon," Annie reluctantly admitted.  "He hasn't said
as much to me, but I'm fairly certain I'm reading him correctly.  You
don't live with someone, share their work and their life for as long as
we have, without being able to tell when they're worried, as my Angus is
worried."

"Maybe I'd better make arrangements to move our equipment to the
accident site while you have a talk with the professor, doctor," Race
suggested.

"I agree, Race."

"I'll tell you how to get there, Mr. Bannon," Annie volunteered.

* * *

Dr. Quest, Jonny, Hadji, and Bandit rode in comparative silence as Annie
drove them southward from Inverness toward Loch Ness and Drumnadrochit,
where Professor MacDougal was recuperating at the hospital just a
kilometer or so from the professor's laboratory.  Annie made a brief
show of pointing out several landmarks at first, but then lapsed into
silence.  Dr. Quest didn't attempt to keep the conversation going,
either; sensing Annie's need for solitude.  The boys occupied themselves
in the back seat, catching the subdued mood from the adults.  Bandit, of
course, napped.

Loch Ness opened up before them as they drove.  A starkly beautiful
panorama unfolded as the loch stretched off to the horizon between the
steep green hills to either side.  The sun, now peeking through
scattered clouds, made the surface of the loch twinkle and flash.  The
road wound along beside the loch, now and again losing it from sight as
they navigated the curves.  There were scattered settlements which could
be seen from the road; small farms, mostly, but the occasional cottage
as well.  It was a picturesque scene, made all the prettier by the sun
beaming down from a brilliant blue sky.

Soon they reached the outer environs of Drumnadrochit, a small town
snuggled right up against the edge of the loch.  Annie turned off onto a
side street, and shortly they pulled into the parking lot of the small
clinic that served as the community hospital.  There were only a few
other cars in the lot, most of them belonging to the clinic's staff.

The receptionist inside knew Annie on sight, and she waved them all
through double swinging doors into a small waiting room, tastefully
decorated in natural colors, with little vases of flowers and a few
framed paintings on the walls.  Annie went up to the desk and rang the
bell.  A nurse popped her head around the corner.

"Mrs. MacDougal!" the nurse greeted her with a smile.  "You'll be happy
to know we've ruled out a concussion, and if his progress continues,
he'll be able to go home in a day or so."

"That is good news!" replied Annie.  "Can we go in?"  Annie gestured
toward Dr. Quest and the boys.  "This is Dr. Benton Quest, a colleague
of my husband's.  He and his sons have just arrived from America."  The
nurse took them all in, then frowned a bit when she noticed Bandit in
Jonny's arms.  "Maybe it would be best if just yourself and the good
doctor go in.  The doctors are pretty insistent about the professor
getting his rest."

"It's OK, Dad," Jonny said.  "We'll just sit out here, or maybe we'll
take Bandit for  a walk."  Dr. Quest nodded, then followed Annie and the
nurse through another set of doors.

***

It only took a few minutes for the boys to get restless.  Jonny and
Hadji picked through the meager stacks of magazines in the waiting room
and soon found the issues were either old, or boring-looking, or both.
Jonny had just tossed the last one back in its place when Bandit
wandered over and put on his best begging face.

"Hey, Hadj," Jonny said.  "Let's see what it's like outside."  Bandit
gave a little quiet bark.

"Bandit thinks it's a good idea, and so do I," replied Hadji, getting up
from his chair and heading toward the door.  Jonny walked over to the
receptionist.

"Excuse me?" he began.  When the woman looked up at him, he continued.
"Could you tell my dad when he comes back out that we decided to take
Bandit for a walk?"  Getting a polite affirmative answer in response, he
turned and followed Hadji and Bandit out the door into the bright
afternoon sunlight.

Bandit sneezed, then immediately began sniffing the ground.  Trotting
across the courtyard and onto the grassy expanse that stretched along
the side of the building, he stopped once, gave another little bark,
then continued across the clinic's small yard.

"Hey, Bandit, where do you thing you're going?"  Jonny called as he
started to follow in his dog's path.  When the small white bloodhound-
wanna-be trotted around the corner of the building, the boys followed,
but when they turned the corner, Bandit was nowhere to be found.

"Bandit!  Bandit!  Where are you, boy?" called Jonny, while Hadji looked
behind some likely bushes.  "Bandit!"

"Where could he have gone so quickly?"

"I have no idea.  He sure can move when he wants to, I guess.  Bandit!"

The boys continued calling for Bandit as they made their way along the
side of the building.  Suddenly they heard Bandit growl and then bark.
He trotted around the corner at the back of the clinic, looked over his
shoulder and barked again.

"Bandit, come here!" called Hadji.  "Don't you know you're not at home
and you could get--ulp!"  Hadji stopped in surprise as three rough-
looking men stepped from around the building.  It was obvious that
Bandit was upset at these characters, for some reason.

One of the men, the tallest, with unruly red hair, looked at Jonny and
Hadji, then asked sharply, "That your dog?"

"Yes, he is," replied Jonny.  "His name is Bandit, and we--"

"Well, you'd better keep better track of him, kid," piped up another of
the men, snarling around a cigarette dangling out of his mouth. "He
could get hurt."  It was obvious the man was not speaking out of concern
for the small canine.  Suddenly, he reached down, picked up a pebble,
and flung it at Bandit, who was standing several yards away, quietly
watching the men.  The missile fell short of its mark, but Bandit yelped
and ran back toward Jonny and Hadji, while all three men guffawed.  "See
what I mean?" said cigarette-mouth.

"You leave my dog alone!" Jonny warned.

"Or what?" sneered the third man.  "You'll go crying to mama?"  The
first man leaned over and whispered in his ear.  "Ye think?" he
responded, then looked again at the boys.  "Say, you part o' that group
that's muddying up the loch looking for that sunk boat of MacDougal's?
What's that bloke's name?" the man queried his cohorts, then came up
with the answer on his own. "Quest?  You with that scientist, Quest?"

"That's my dad," Jonny answered proudly.  "We're here to help Professor
MacDougal, and my dad says that we--"

"Don't care what your old man says, kid," snarled cigarette-mouth,
spitting the butt on the ground and grinding it out under his boot.
"But, ye can deliver a message to him.  Tell him he'd better shove off,
or the same thing as happened to MacDougal's likely to happen again,
only this time to some nosy American, instead."

"You can't scare my dad," Jonny retorted.  "He'll find out what
happened, no matter what."

The first man snorted.  "Your pa should be scared, only he don't know
enough yet.  He keeps messing around where he's been warned off, and
he'll soon be regretting it, right enough!"  The man glared at the boys.
"And tell him he should be thinking about his boys and their dog, too,
instead of a boat at the bottom of the loch."  With that, all three men
turned and headed back behind the clinic.  Jonny, Hadji, and Bandit
walked back up to the front entrance, the boys agreeing that they
wouldn't tell anyone except Dr. Quest or maybe Race about the encounter.

They'd just returned to the clinic's waiting room when Annie MacDougal
came back through the doors, looking much better than when she'd left
them.

"Boys, it looks like your father and my husband are going to be a while.
How about I take you to my house and see about getting some supper?"

"Sounds great, Mrs. MacDougal," replied Hadji, stealing a glance at
Jonny, who nodded to show he'd picked up Hadji's covert signal.  Telling
Dr. Quest about the men behind the clinic could wait.

"Yeah, super," chimed in Jonny.  "I am pretty hungry.  Do you think we
could find something for Bandit, too?"

"I'm sure we can," Annie replied with a smile.  "Let's go."

* * *

"Benton?"  Dr. Quest looked up from his notebook, where he had been
writing a few reminders  to himself, to see the professor's gaunt face
blinking at him from the hospital bed.  The man had dozed off just after
his wife had left to see if Jonny and Hadji wanted something to eat.  He
was obviously still quite weak.

"I'm here, Angus."  He reached over to grasp the other man's shoulder.

"Aye, Ben, I knew ye would be."  Professor MacDougal took a labored
breath.  "I just dinna expect ye so quickly..."

Dr. Quest smiled.  "You know, they've made great strides in aviation
since we first met over thirty years ago."  He was encouraged to see his
friend's smile at the gentle ribbing.  Then, seeing the man's face cloud
over, he continued.  "Now, tell me what's happened, if you feel up to
it."

"Oh, I'm up to it, I'm up to it.  It's just..." He paused and visibly
gathered his thoughts.  "It's just that it's hard to admit, especially
to myself, that I could've had the wool pulled over my eyes so easily."

Dr. Quest pulled his chair closer to the side of the bed. "Perhaps you'd
better start at the beginning."

"Aye, perhaps I should...It all started going awry when I placed an ad
in the university paper..."

* * *

The drive to the MacDougal's cottage on a hill overlooking the loch only
took a few minutes, and they all piled out and headed up the stone path
toward the small green wooden door set into the side of the house.
Annie got out her keys and began to unlock the door, when she made a
small noise of surprise.  She gently pushed the door; it swung open
silently.  Jonny and Hadji tensed, expecting something bad to happen.
They were still on edge after the encounter with the threatening men
behind the clinic.

"Hello?" Annie called, standing in the doorway.  "Hello?  Anybody
there?"

"Annie, it's just me," came a man's voice, and Annie's expression
changed from one of concern to one of relief.

"Come on, boys," she said, moving into the cottage's entryway.  "You can
bring Bandit in, too.  Hello, Papa."  This last was to a stocky man
standing at the stove in the kitchen, which opened right onto the
landing.  He was working over a large pot, from which came a wonderful
odor.  The room was cheerily lit and quite warm compared to the chilly
afternoon outside.  Annie embraced the man and gave him a quick peck on
the cheek.  "Boys, meet my papa, Evan Stewart.  Papa, this is Jonny and
Hadji Quest.  Oh, and their dog, Bandit."

"Hello, lads."  The man energetically shook each of their hands, and
even gave Bandit a pat on the head, and a rub behind an ear.  "So,
you're Benton Quest's boys, eh?"

"Yes, sir," replied Jonny.  "My dad's gonna help Professor MacDougal
figure out what happened to his boat."

"Aye, and he'll need a bit o' luck, I'm a-thinking, afore'n the tale is
told.  Some say it were Nessie, though I don't hold to such."  He paused
for a breath, then continued in a somewhat more thoughtful manner.
"Although I can't rightly say, meself, what lies at the root o' this,
just yet."  Then he clapped his hands together.  "Never mind that, now;
you boys hungry?"

"Yes, sir!" Hadji and Jonny answered in near unison, and Bandit barked
as well.  The man laughed; and everyone joined in.  Jonny looked at
Hadji and he could tell that his friend liked old Mr. Stewart as well as
he.

"Well, good!  Stew's about ready.  Go on into the other room, and it
won't be but a moment.  Annie, a bit o' help?"  As Annie began getting
plates and such out of a cupboard, the boys and Bandit wandered through
an open archway into the next room.

It was a very cozy-feeling room, dominated on one side by a huge stone
fireplace and furnished with several overstuffed and comfortable-looking
chairs.  Around the walls of the room were myriad shelves, most holding
books and magazines  of all types, but some held knickknacks and
photographs.  There was an old compass, a small telescope, some maps and
what looked like log books on one overloaded table under the sole window
in the room.  Hadji wandered over to a dark-colored wooden cabinet to
look at the pictures arrayed on the cabinet's top.  His eyes were drawn
to one photograph in particular, which showed two men standing beside a
large orange machine, faces beaming.  It was the orange machine that had
caught Hadji's attention, but he soon was riveted by the site of the man
standing next to the right of it.

"Jonny!  Come look at this!"  His friend came over to look at the image.

"Wow!  Is that a mini-sub?"  Jonny asked.

"Yes, I think it is, but look at that man on the right!"

"Gosh!  That's one of the men from behind the clinic!"

"I, too, think that's one of them.  Oh, Mrs. MacDougal..."

"Yes, Hadji?" Annie came in wiping her hands on a small towel.
"Supper's nearly ready.  Is there something wrong?"

"Who is that in the photograph, with the mini-sub?"

"That's my husband, there, on the left.  On the right is Sean Riley, my
husband's assistant.  Och, lads, those two were so proud and happy when
that picture was taken, only a few months ago!"  She smiled at the
memory, then frowned again.  "To think it's Sean that's now gone
missing, from that same accident that sank the 'Bonnie Lass'..."

Jonny looked at Hadji, who nodded slightly.  This could be important.

"Um, Mrs. MacDougal?" began Jonny. "You said that Sean Riley was the one
that was in the mini-sub when the accident happened?  And that he hasn't
been seen since?"

"That's right," Annie said.  "I can hardly believe it.  Why, I just saw
Sean yesterday morning, when he came to the house to pick up my Angus
before heading out on the loch."

"Well," Jonny continued, as Hadji nodded again to encourage him.  "We
think we saw Sean today, at the clinic, while we were walking Bandit
around outside."

"What?! "Are you sure?  I mean, that seems pretty unlikely, boys."  She
looked at them skeptically.

Both Hadji and Jonny looked at the photograph again, but there was no
doubt.  The man Annie MacDougal had identified as Sean Riley, Professor
MacDougal's assistant, was the tall man from behind the clinic.  His red
hair was unmistakable.  "We're sure, ma'am," Hadji answered for them
both.

* * *

They told the story again, when Dr. Quest and Race showed up at the
house just after sunset.  Rather than expressing disbelief, Dr. Quest
got a thoughtful look on his face.

"You know, Race," he said.  "Professor MacDougal mentioned to me that he
thought someone was trying to keep him from testing his latest
invention, a kind of super sonar that would do wonders for the search-
and-rescue crowd."

"But who would want to stop that?" responded Race.  "I'd think that
everyone would encourage such a thing, not try to suppress it."

"Yes, it doesn't make much sense, does it?  And yet, when I talked to
him this afternoon, he seemed convinced that this is the case." Dr.
Quest paused, then looked directly at Annie.  "He is not a man I'd
characterize as being subject to wild flights of fancy."

Annie nodded.  "That's true.  There's not a more securely-grounded man
in all of Drumnadrochit, I'm sure.  But to think that Sean plays any
part in this," she shook her head.  "I'd have said that was impossible,
too."

"Well," Dr. Quest resumed.  "Regardless of that little mystery, I think
we'd better proceed with our original plan, Race.  Is the prober ship-
shape?"

"Yes, she is.  A shame we didn't have time to finish the work on those
robotic handlers before we came.  I've a feeling they would've come in
handy."

"I agree.  But we'll just have to do what we can without them.  Just
being able to examine the bottom of the loch first-hand will be
something.  Let's just hope it's enough."  And with that, everyone
decided to turn in, so as to get a fresh start early the next day.

* * *

The next morning, as Dr. Quest and Race prepared to return to their base
of operations along the shore of the loch, Annie suggested to her father
that he take the boys to see Urquhart Castle, just a few kilometers
away.  She didn't say anything to her father about it, but she'd been
quite distressed at hearing of the boys' encounter with the three
hooligans behind the clinic.  A little side-trip with her father would
be just the thing, she thought.  And in case the three rough characters
returned, the boys would be out of harm's way.  Her father didn't take
much convincing, as he obviously was fond of the lads, and neither did
Dr. Quest when she mentioned her plan to him.

"That's a fine idea, Annie," he'd said.  "The boys wanted to tag along
with Race and myself, I'm sure, but I also know those two would soon get
pretty bored just sitting around."

So, here they were poking around the crumbling walls and ramparts of the
old castle along the Loch Ness shore, having a little fun and burning
off some of their seemingly unending energy.  A couple of tourist buses
had pulled in a few minutes ago, and there were upwards of fifty other
folks doing the same.  Evan Stewart spent most of his time looking out
over the loch from the hill next to the castle itself, seemingly lost in
thought.  The boys, he knew, would be all right, and it was good to see
them running about, exclaiming over the discoveries they made among the
castle's ruins.

Hadji had just started to tell Jonny about some old ruins he once had
visited in his own country, when the boys heard Bandit give a low growl.
They saw the ever-vigilant pup looking at a group of tourists near the
entrance to the castle's catacombs.

"What's up, boy?" asked Jonny, looking around.  "Do you see what's got
him upset, Hadj?"

"No, I do not.  There's just that bunch of tourists -- hey!  Jonny!
That man over there -- by the steps!"

"Where?  I don't see -- oh!  That's Sean Riley, again!"  The man had
covered most of his flaming red hair with a stocking cap, but enough
stuck out that the boys recognized him immediately.  "I wonder what he's
doing here?"

Jonny looked around to see where Mr. Stewart was.  If only they could
get someone else to verify that the man was indeed Sean Riley.  But,
with a quick glance around, Riley ducked into a opening in the stone
wall.

"Hey, he's going down into the caverns," said Hadji.  "Let's follow him
and see what he's up to."

"Right, but let's keep out of sight -- I don't think he's seen us yet,
and I'd like to keep it that way.  And, Bandit, keep it quiet, will ya?"
Bandit snorted softly, but he knew when his master meant business.

"Do you think we should tell Annie's dad where we're going?" Hadji
asked, motioning across the courtyard to where Mr. Stewart stood gazing
at the loch.

"No time," Jonny said, starting toward the dark entrance to the
catacombs. "We don't want to lose him."

* * *

"Anything, Doctor?" Race called over the radio.

"Nothing," came the reply.  "That is nothing but a thick layer of mud
that's making visibility all but impossible, even with the prober's
high-powered lights.  I'm having to use the prober's sonar to guide me
through some of the trickier parts."  Race and Dr. Quest had spelled
each other all morning, taking turns methodically searching the bottom
of the loch.  The treads of the prober, while proving able to navigate
through the thick layer of muck and sediment, also stirred up the waters
mightily, making it difficult to see anything.  It was tedious, mind-
numbing work.  Dr. Quest was now searching out a little further into the
loch, in the hopes that some bit of wreckage would show up.

"Wait a minute, Race.  I think I may have found something."

"What is it?"

"A bit of cable, looks like.  Could be the umbilical from the mini-sub.
I'm following it now.  This muck sure makes slow going."

"You've got plenty of life support, yet," Race replied after checking
several gauges on his control panel.  "No need to hurry."

"I'm thinking of our Mr. Riley," Dr. Quest replied.  "If he's still in
that sub, he's running desperately short of time."  A brief pause.  "I'm
picking up a small return on the sonar, directly ahead."

"Is it the sub?"

"Can't tell yet.  The cable still leads in that direction...wait.
Something's ahead -- emerging out of the muck.  Yes!  Race!  It is the
sub!  It's here, half-buried on the bottom!"

"How's it look?"

"I'm waiting for the sediment to settle a bit, but I'm hopeful.  The
lights are still on -- I can see the emergency lighting through one of
the portholes.  No sign of anyone, though.  I'm going out to take a
closer look; I should be able to see better if I leave the prober."

"Roger."  Race monitored Dr. Quest's vitals as he exited the prober's
air lock and swam gently over to the sub.  Aside from a slightly
elevated heartbeat, and a bit more labored breathing, all was well.

Inside the prober, the sonar began picking up a larger object
approaching, but Dr. Quest was already outside, and did not see it.  It
was a very large object.

"Race, I'm there!  That's odd..."

"What did you find?"

"There's no one inside!  The lights are on, the power is still on, but
the sub is empty.  Hold on, the hatch is unlocked. I'm heading inside."

"Cautiously, Doctor," Race murmured.

As Dr. Quest entered the sub, four dark figures swam out of the murky
gloom.  With silent, quick motions, one of the figures instructed the
others to surround the small sub laying on the loch's muddy floor.

* * *

For a moment, Jonny and Hadji thought that Riley had somehow given them
the slip.  They'd quickly but cautiously crept down the steps into the
darkness below.  The occasional electric light, while providing enough
light to see the passage by, did little to pierce the inky darkness, and
the door to the individual cells of the ancient dungeon were black
yawning mouths.  Then Jonny spotted a flicker of dim light spilling from
one of the cells down the hall.  Ever so quietly, they stole down the
rough stone corridor and peeked into the small space.  Hadji held his
hand over Bandit's mouth, but the little pup seemed to understand the
need for silence and remained still.  Riley was standing with his back
to them, holding a burning cigarette lighter in one hand and running
his other hand along the ceiling of the cramped musty cell.  Suddenly,
they heard a muffled click, and a portion of the back wall of the cell
moved, a small door opening inward.  Riley slipped quickly into the
opening and the door slid shut, with just a faint grinding noise.

"Gosh, a secret door!" whispered Jonny.

"I think I saw where the latch was," replied Hadji.  "Let's go!"

It was harder than expected to find the spot that Riley had used, but
finally Jonny's probing fingers found a small depression in the rock; a
dimple that gave slightly when he pushed.  Another muffled click, and
the door slowly swung open.  It was pitch black inside, but Jonny pulled
a small penlight from his pocket and grinned.  "All-ee all-ee out's in
free!" he whispered as he slid into the small opening.

"Jonny, wait!" Hadji reached down and removed Bandit's collar, then laid
it carefully inside the doorway.  The door swung shut, then stopped just
before shutting completely, wedged open a tiny crack by the collar.
"Just in case we can't open it from the inside," Hadji said.

The three adventurers slowly made their way downward through a narrow
crack in the rock.  Occasionally, they stopped to listen, but heard
nothing of Riley.  The man was probably far ahead of them by now.  As
they proceeded downward, they noticed an occasional crude step hacked
into the floor, and the walls seemed a bit straighter than would
normally be found in a cave.

"You know, Jonny, this was probably a cave they found while building the
castle, and they turned it into an escape route.  I wonder where it ends
up?"

"Beats me; if I had to guess I'd say we're somewhere under Loch Ness.
What could be down here?"

"An excellent question, kid!" boomed a voice and a brilliant light shown
in their faces, temporarily blinding them.  Bandit barked, and they
heard a familiar voice gruffly saying, "Keep that mutt quiet!"  As their
eyes regained some sight, they could see Riley standing behind them,
blocking their escape, while another man stood in front of them with the
flashlight.

"I knew I heard someone behind me," Riley said to the other man.
"Figures it would be these snooper kids again."

"What do we do with 'em?" queried the other man.

"They were so curious to see where I was going, we'll escort them the
rest of the way ourselves.  We'll let the captain decide what to do with
them.  Go on, then."  He motioned the boys forward, and they followed
the man with the flashlight deeper into the caverns.

* * *

They were waiting for Dr. Quest when he emerged from the sub's hatch.
Two black-suited frogmen pointed spear guns directly at him, while a
third reached from behind him with a knife and expertly cut the cable to
his transmitter before he could utter a word.  A fourth man had just
attached a cable to the downed submersible and swam up to the rest of
the group, then motioned them all forward.  Dr. Quest briefly thought
about resisting, but thought better of it.  Besides, it was likely that
these goons would take him directly to the persons he wanted to see,
anyway, so, for now, he would bide his time.

After a relatively short swim through the loch's dark waters, Dr. Quest
began to sense a large object in the water with them.  He was not
surprised when the vast shape resolved into a submarine.  The leader of
the dive team directed him to swim into an opening that lead into a
large moon pool, where he was lifted from the water by two more burly
seamen.  The dive leader emerged from the moon pool and removed his
mask, then stared  malevolently at Dr. Quest while removing his tanks.
Another man approached the leader and whispered in his ear; as the man
listened his gaze grew even darker.

"Did you not receive a warning to drop this matter, Dr. Quest?" he
growled.Some sort of eastern European accent, or maybe even Russian, was
evident in his voice.

"Threatening children," returned the doctor coldly.  "Ah, yes, the mark
of a true intellectual."  He stared right back at the man, measuring
him.  "Who are you, and how do you know my name?"

"We have resources among the locals, Doctor," the man nonchalantly
answered.  "Unfortunately, some of those don't always work out so well,
and we're forced to act in a more direct manner."  He nodded to the men
standing behind Dr. Quest, and they prodded him down a narrow passageway
and into a small room.

"You won't be able to get Professor MacDougal's device to work, you
know."

"No?  I should think we have adequate resources to solve any problems we
may run into.  Especially now that you've joined our little group."

"Joined?" Dr. Quest retorted.  "I think not.  I may be here, but my
presence is totally against my will, sir; I doubt that you, or anyone
else in your 'little group', can convince me otherwise."

"That may be so, but we shall have to try to convince you anyway, won't
we?  It would be so much more pleasant for you if you changed your
mind."

When Dr. Quest remained silent, the man withdrew, and the hatch slammed
shut behind him.  The wheel on the hatch spun, and Dr. Quest felt sure
it was now jammed shut from the outside, with a guard or two added for
good measure.  He sat down on the small cot in the otherwise bare room,
and steeled himself against the times to come.

* * *

Evan Stewart was utterly amazed that two boys and a dog could disappear
so completely and quickly.  He'd only taken his eyes off them for a
second, it seemed, and now they were gone.  He'd last seen them headed
for the entrance to the catacombs beneath the castle that had served as
its dungeon many years past, so he tramped through the dimly-lit
passageway, looking in each of the cells.  After making another pass
through the dungeon, he headed back up the steep stone stairway.
Reaching the grassy area that had been the castle's courtyard, he walked
methodically over the grounds, but without any luck.  He even went back
to the parking lot to confirm they were not waiting back at the car.

Not wanting to panic, but feeling a rising sense of foreboding, he
jumped in the car and headed for the site where Dr. Quest and Race had
set up their command center.

* * *

Race Bannon knew something was wrong.  Several minutes ago, there had
been a burst of static from Dr. Quest's suit radio, and since then he
had not received any word from the doctor. Nor were his calls getting
through.  More ominously, he was no longer receiving Dr. Quest's vital
signs, but that could just be a problem with the radio.  Possibly.  Or
it could be something more sinister.

He was just getting up from the prober command console, with the
intention of putting on his diving gear and heading out there himself,
when Annie's father drove up in a rush and told him about the boys.
Weighing his responsibilities and the situation quickly, he urged Evan
back into the car and they headed back to the castle.  Dr. Quest could
handle himself well in almost any situation; his new focus now lay with
Jonny and Hadji.

As they drove, he asked Evan to explain everything once again.  The
caverns beneath the castle drew his attention almost from the start.
Call it a sixth sense, or intuition, or whatever, but Race felt certain
that his best bet of relocating the boys and their dog was to follow in
their last-known steps.

It only took a moment's work to search the half-dozen cells and see the
glint from Bandit's collar wedged in the crack that formed the lip of
the door in the back of the cell.  He sent Evan back to his daughter's
cottage with instructions to be on the alert for suspicious characters.
Race almost instinctively knew that Jonny and Hadji's experience with
the toughs behind the clinic had something to do with their
disappearance; it was also likely that Annie was also now in danger.

Evan was only too happy to carry out Race's suggestion, eager to do
something useful after failing so miserably with his earlier task of
chaperoning the boys.  Race saw the look on the man's face and touched
him gently on the shoulder.  "It's not your fault, Evan.  Those boys
have given me the slip many'a time.  You did right by coming to me as
quickly as you did."  Evan nodded, then turned and ran up the dungeon
steps.

Race examined the dim light source just outside the cell, then with a
quick twist removed it from its holder.  The little battery-powered
device didn't put out much illumination, but it would be enough in the
absolute darkness of the tunnel Race had glimpsed behind the door.
Picking up Bandit's collar and stuffing it in a pocket, he pried open
the door and headed at a silent but ground-covering pace down the
passageway behind it.

After only a few minutes, he heard voices in the tunnel ahead of him.
And then -- was that Bandit barking?  Using extreme caution, he
continued onward.  Soon, the flickering of flashlights could be seen
ahead.  He followed the lights as they proceeded through the tunnel,
then hung back as the passage emptied into a larger cave.  Through the
moving shadows ahead he could make out the forms of a group of people --
two larger ones with two smaller ones between them.  Breathing a silent
sigh of relief, he carefully crossed the open space of the cave and
entered the narrow passage on the other side, about twenty yards
behind the others.

Suddenly, the figures ahead stopped, and appeared to be opening a
doorway.  The two smaller figures were shoved inside the room, and the
two large figures stood just inside the doorway as Race crept to within
ten feet of them.  He could now hear the voices much more clearly -- it
was definitely Jonny speaking.  But that other voice sounded familiar,
too.  It was Dr. Quest!  Race held his breath and paused just outside
the door.

"So, you're the elusive Mr. Riley,"  That was Dr. Quest.  "So what
happens now?"

An unfamiliar voice replied.  "I'm not so certain you want to be asking
a lot of questions, Quest.  It's that kind of snooping around where you
shouldn't have been that's got you and your boys here in the first
place."

"The boys can't hurt you; let them go."

"Unfortunately, that's not possible.  They've seen too much.  Your
presence here has forced our hand a bit, but..."

"Obviously, your hidden base here is unknown to the local government.
What do you hope to accomplish?"

"Let's just say we want to keep our secret a secret for a while longer.
It's been real valuable to our employer to have this little home-away-
from-home in operation over the past twenty years or so.  You'd be
amazed at what you can hear if no one knows you're listening."

"Simple spying?  So how does Professor MacDougal fit into all this?"

"MacDougal's device was causing us some concern.  These caves are barely
beneath the loch's bottom.  We decided it was too risky to allow testing
of the device in the loch, as it could uncover the fact that there are
air-filled caves down here.  If the caves were detected, someone would
surely investigate, and regardless of how careful we were, someone would
eventually discover our little hidey-hole, and we'd be out of business.
We're not prepared to be put out of business, just yet."

"I repeat, what do you plan to do with us?"

"That's up to the captain.  If you'll wait here -"  Race could almost
hear the sneer on the man's face "- we'll go see about your arrangements
right now."

"That's my cue," Race thought, and charged into the room.

* * *

Dr. Quest was almost getting used to being surprised.  First, he'd been
kept in that closet of a room on the sub for no more than ten minutes,
when his captors had opened the hatch and led him out of the sub into a
previously unsuspected base which had to be somewhere under Loch Ness.
It was an astonishingly large base, with warrens of passageways and
myriads of rooms, one of which became his new holding cell.  Then he'd
been surprised again when the door to his cell opened and Jonny and
Hadji were ushered inside.  He'd just recovered from that shock when the
two goons who'd brought in the boys began acting strangely.  It was as
if they were caught in an earthquake, and couldn't keep their footing on
the heaving ground.  Then they fell completely down, and he saw it
wasn't an earthquake.  It was a force of nature, but one he was
delighted and relieved to see up close.

"Race!"  Jonny, Hadji and Dr. Quest exclaimed in unison.  Bandit
contributed a short, happy bark.

"In person," their rescuer replied.  "Now, let's dispense with the
reunion and get you all out of here."  Race and Dr. Quest relieved the
two unconscious henchmen of their sidearms, and handed their flashlights
to the boys.  Running to the hatch, Race quickly made sure the coast was
clear, then directed Jonny and Hadji to head back into the tunnel they'd
just came from.

"Hold it a minute, Race," Dr. Quest spoke before they'd gone more than a
few paces.  "How many men did you see on your way down here?"

"Just the two we left locked in the cell, why?"

"I just saw the four that brought me in via the sub, and I'm wondering:
is that all there is?"

"I see where you're going with this, Doctor.  So you'd like a souvenir?"

Dr. Quest smiled.  "It would make a convincing argument to Her Majesty's
Royal Navy, when we bring this to their attention."  He paused and
calculated quickly.  "It's about a hundred meters in the other
direction."  He pointed over his shoulder with a thumb.

Race nodded.  "OK, you take the boys back up to the castle the way we
came down. It's a straight shot and you should be able to make good time
with those lights.  I'll see what I can do about requisitioning a
submarine."

"Good luck," Dr. Quest said as they shook hands.

"Thanks, I'll need it.  Keep a light on; if I can't swing it, I'll be
right behind you."  Race turned and slipped into the passageway Dr.
Quest had indicated.  Dr. Quest headed with the boys back across the
main cavern, and into the tunnel leading to Urquhart Castle's dungeon.

* * *

Jonny and Hadji led the way, while Dr. Quest carried Bandit.  Soon they
reached the end of the tunnel.

"Mr. Riley opened the door from the other side with a secret button,"
Jonny explained.  "We left Bandit's collar to jam the door open, but
it's gone and the door's closed."

"OK, Jonny, so we need to look for a button," reasoned Dr. Quest.
"There's bound to be some way to open the door from this side, too."

It was Hadji who spotted the recessed latch on one of the beams that
surrounded the door on this side, and lifted it.  The door swung
silently open, and they emerged back into the tiny dark cell in the
lowest level of the castle.  They continued through the dimly-lit
passageway and into the fresh air of the castle courtyard.  The place
was nearly deserted, with most of the tourists having already left.
There were only a few cars in the lot.

"Let's wait here, boys.  Race may be along if he can't make other
arrangements."

Suddenly, from the loch came a roaring sound, followed by a great
disturbance on the surface of the water.  Everyone turned to look out at
the loch, then one of the tourists pointed excitedly.

"Look, it's the monster!  It's Nessie!"  Cameras flashed as a long
slender black object rose out of the water about two hundred meters off
shore.  Soon a long low body, with several humps, appeared.

"It's huge!" added Hadji, while Bandit barked sharply in alarm from
behind the safety of Jonny's legs.

"Gosh, Dad, look!" exclaimed Jonny. "It really is a monster!"

"No, boys, it's Race," Dr. Quest stated calmly, and with some relief.

"Huh?"

"He's brought that evidence we'll need when we report this to the
authorities.  That's a submarine, made to look like the Loch Ness
Monster.  Our friends, the spies, used that sub to keep the locals and
tourists convinced that any strange sights and sounds they saw or heard
were the work of a strange animal in the loch, and not strange men."
Sure enough, even as Dr. Quest spoke, a hatch opened in the top of the
sub's conning tower, and Race appeared and waved to them.  "It was all
part of their plan to steal Professor MacDougal's device, and any other
secrets they could come across.  Thanks to you boys and Race, that's a
plan which will not succeed."

* * *

The crowd of tourists seemed a bit disappointed that their Nessie
sighting had turned out to be a sub.  But soon the crowd's
disappointment turned back to excitement as Race piloted the sub toward
the shore.  In a few minutes, siren wailing, the local constable arrived
with a few of his men, and, after Race came ashore, he and Dr. Quest
explained the situation to them.  The constable immediately radioed the
local naval base; after completing the call, he assured Dr. Quest that a
suitable complement of naval personnel would be arriving directly.

"Oh, there's one other thing," Race casually mentioned to the constable,
who looked as if one more thing might be one too many.  "There's four
passengers on that sub who might need watching until the navy arrives.
No need to worry just yet, though; they're probably still taking their
naps."  Race smiled as the constable walked over to his men.

"Glad you could deliver, Race!" Dr. Quest shook his friend's hand for
the second time in an hour.

"No problem, Doctor," Race replied.  Sticking a hand in a pocket, he
brought out Bandit's collar and handed it to Jonny.  "Good idea to leave
that collar behind; I probably wouldn't have found the secret door
without it."

"It was Hadji's idea."

"Yes," replied Jonny's friend and brother. "I was just trying to keep
the door open.  But I am glad it helped you to find us, Race."

Suddenly, Annie MacDougal and her father drove up in their car.  They
both got out and rushed over.  "I'm so glad you're all right, Benton!
And the boys, too!"

Hadji whispered something to Jonny, who nodded.

"Mrs. MacDougal," Jonny began.  "Is there any more of that stew left?
We're starving!"

As the rest of the group laughed and headed back to the MacDougal's car,
no one saw the small head, or the slender neck that supported it, rise
briefly from the surface of the loch, then slip silently beneath the
waves, leaving scarcely a ripple.


- - T H E   E N D - -
