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The new year could bring a new life He’d go back to work

His thoughts petered out when he noticed another car pull out into the road just ar had driven past it The black Honda had been parked on the sidewalk, idling, and wasn’t in front of a house, just a blank lot of snow-covered weeds and brush Soht Not at all

Then it hit Norbert

The person in the black car was following his new friends That couldn’t be a good thing No sir, that couldn’t be good one bit

The new Norbert acted before the old Norbert could talk himself out of it He threw on some warm clothes, a wool cap, and his faded, weather-beaten shoes He frantically searched for his keys, forgetting where he’d put them since his last venture to town They weren’t on his dresser, weren’t on his kitchen counter--he couldn’t find the, he was just about to give up when he saw therabbed the his blood solid

Trying to stay brave, he ran up the stairs to his usual spyingand took a peek Relieved, he saas just a kid girl with a e--dressed in a fancy suit, shiny shoes, the works But this guy stood a lot taller and had plenty of hair, shiny blond hair slicked back against his skull

Must be another one of those s for their letter

He bolted back down the stairs, grabbed another copy of Mothball’s golden envelopes (could that really be her name?) and tore open the door He held out the letter and was just about to drop it into the girl’s hand and close the door when he caught a glimpse of his visitor’s car parked in the driveway It was much nicer andfaster than his An idea popped in his head

"You folks lookin’ for a clue from MG?" he asked

The befuddled (Norbert’s new favorite word) strangers nodded in unison

"Someone’s in a whole lot of trouble--friends of Mothball," he said, then shook the envelope in front of theotta helpslowly down Main Street, with a full tank of gas in the car, Edgar settled his bones for the long drive back to Aunt Mabel’s He looked over at Tick, as just pulling the sixth clue from its envelope

"Read it, boy!" he shouted cheerfully "I can hardly wait What a trip, huh? What a trip!" He felt so good they’d acco the next clue, but perhaps helping poor Norbert get his life back together Though he’d dared not adar had been scared to death their trip to Alaska would prove a waste, thereby nullifying his value to Tick, who’d had the courage to tell hi

Tick put the white piece of cardstock down in his lap "Nah, let’s just wait ’til we get back to Washington What’s the rush?" Tick let out a fake yawn and stretched

"Professor, these s do roll down, and I ah to throw you out of one"

"Okay, okay, if you insist" Tick read the words out loud, holding the paper up so Edgar could glance at it and follow along as he drove

Recite the ic words at exactly seventeenthe six-hour ht plus one hundred and sixty-six minutes minus seven quarter-hours plus a minute times seven, rounded to the nearest half-hour plus three Neither a second before nor three seconds after

(Yes, I’ic words, but I’in to say it Quit being so snooty)

"Oh, boy," Edgar said "Can’t say ure that one out Glad it’s your problem"