“Why wasn’t he at the airport?” Biff asked. He had decided to play along with these men. So far they had shown no outright enmity, had displayed no threatening signs. Even so, Biff felt certain that should he try to leap from the car, he would be forcibly detained.
“He is not well. His explorations at the bottom of the sea have exhausted him.”
One more bit of information, Biff thought. Now he knew that Derek’s father was searching for something on the ocean bed. What? Sunken treasure? These waters had been plied by pirates in the olden days.
“He will welcome what you have brought him,” the man said.
Now just what could that be, Biff asked himself. This man obviously was trying to pump him—trying to get him to reveal some information.
“It is important to his search, no?” the man continued.
“Come on, now,” Biff thought. “You don’t think I’ll fall for that leading question.” From the cautious manner of the man’s questioning, it occurred to Biff that the man himself probably didn’t know exactly what Derek Zook was bringing from The Netherlands.
“Oh, yes, I am sure that I will be of much help to my father,” Biff said aloud.
“Ah, good,” the man replied.
“You know, sir,” Biff said, “we have been together for ten minutes, and although you know my name, I don’t know yours.”