“Here it is, Shep!” Rock exclaimed, pulling a flat tin box out of his dresser drawer.
They eagerly took the box and the photostat over to a table. Rock unlocked the container and gently removed the scorched and yellowed fragment that had been pieced together with transparent tape. He fitted the section against the ragged edges of the full-size pattern.
“It fits!” Rock said.
Swiftly the coming events passed hopefully before his mind’s eye. He visualized a search for the Northern Cross, a search that might yet bring a fulfillment of Dr. Merrill’s unselfish dream.
“I wonder what Mr. Kalmus wants out of this?” Rock mused.
“A share of the treasure, I’d guess,” Shep replied.
“Of course we can’t be absolutely sure of finding the Northern Cross, even with the exact ‘fix,’” Rock said. “If it changed its flight path after sending the SOS, there’s not much hope. But if it held its same orbit, as Dad’s radio operator reported, we should be able to locate it.”
“What do you say we listen to Kalmus’ proposition?” Shep suggested.
“The sooner the better!” Rock agreed.
As they went down the corridor, they met Johnny Colfax.