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where they control the stage lights. The sun's going down now, and before the
concert's over it should be completely dark. When it gets dark enough I'll
give you the word and you run in there and kill the stage lights."
"But, Barney," protested Ralph, horrified, "there's a guy in there a lights
technician or something!"
"But we have the element of surprise on our side," explained Barney. "Look,
all you have to do is get in there, throw the main switch and run. You'll be
outside the Forum in two steps. No one will even chase you, because they'll be
too busy trying to get the lights back on. By the time they look for you,
you'll be long gone."
"What will you be doing?"
Barney pointed to the stage where Mr. Darby was preparing to address the
audience. "When the lights go out I'll rush onto the stage, grab all the flute
cases and take the one that rattles. Then I'll meet you at the footbridge near
the entrance where we came in. And we'll both be millionaires!"
"It sounds risky."
"The risk goes with the job. Isn't four million worth a few risks? Hey, look,
they're going to start. All right, let's watch the show. But stay alert. As
soon as it gets dark enough, we go into action."
Mr. Darby spoke into the microphone. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and
welcome to the twelfth annual Canadian High School Band Festival. The young
people you are about to hear represent fine high school musicianship from all
across Canada. I am Cyril Fenton Darby, the festival bandmaster. It has been
my honour and privilege to work with these talented young people over the past
ten days, and I can assure you that you will enjoy their performance. Ladies
and gentlemen, the Canadian High School Festival Band."
There was applause, and the music of the hundred-piece orchestra swelled
through the amphitheatre and over the green hills beyond. The selection was
"The Blue Danube."
"Hey, Barney," said Ralph, "these kids are really good. Now this is music!"
Barney was glaring into the setting sun. "Hurry up," he prompted the
elements. "Get dark."
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* * *
"The place is packed to the rafters," exclaimed Claire. "We'll have to sit
here on the grass."
"Okay," said Charlie. "You girls sit here. I'm going in there to talk to the
security police. Every cop in the place knows about the emerald, so when Bugs
Potter's finished, they'll detain him for me." Charlie ran off.
BiBi and Claire sank down onto the soft grass. The band was playing a medley
fromThe Sound of Music .
BiBi squinted at the stage. "Who's playing now?" she asked.
"It must be that high school band thing," said Claire. "They were staying at
the hotel, remember? They're really very good."
BiBi shivered. "It's getting dark and my feet are cold. Can I wear the shoes
now?"
Claire slipped off the shoes and BiBi put them on.
They listened to the music for a while. "I played the violin once," said BiBi
dreamily. "When I was in high school in the Bronx. I was really good, you
know. Good like these kids, I mean. Good enough to perform in public."
"You're beyond all that now," said Claire sharply. She had learned from
experience that BiBi must not be allowed to reminisce about her Brenda
Lifschitz days in New York.
"What's your opinion?" asked BiBi suddenly. "Do you honestly think Bugs
Potter stole the Falusi?" She laughed. "If the stage blows up we'll know he
has it."
"When we get the emerald back," said Claire, "I don't want to hear any more
of this nonsense about a Falusi Jinx."
BiBi laughed again. "It'll be easy to find whoever has it," she said. "Just
check all the hospitals in town. He's had it for over three hours, so he must
be in intensive care by now. And he won't be hard to catch. How fast can you
run in a body cast?"
Charlie came jogging back, his heavy steps pounding the turf in time to the
beat of the1812 Overture.
"Come on, girls," he puffed. "They've got special VIP seats for us up front.
And you'd better let BiBi keep the shoes on, Claire. Everyone knows who she
is."
"It's a little embarrassing, you know," complained Claire. But she followed
BiBi and Charlie into the Forum amphitheatre.
* * *
"Confound it! Why is it taking so long to get dark?" muttered Barney.
Suddenly Ralph slouched in his seat, pulling Barney down beside him. "It's
Charlie!" he whispered frantically.
The two burglars hid their faces while Charlie, BiBi and Claire walked by
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them down the aisle to some ringside seats.
The band was about thirty minutes into their performance, and the big stage
had made one complete revolutioa The sun was down, but it was not yet dark.
"Barney," asked Ralph, "how are you going to go up there and get the emerald
with Charlie sitting there?"
"It'll be dark," said Barney. "The lights, stupid! You're going to kill the
lights, remember?"
"Oh, yeah."
Fifteen more minutes passed as the band went through the ballet music
fromFaust , Gershwin'sRhapsody in Blue , and "The Impossible Dream" fromMan of
La Mancha . The stage had made another half-revolution, and the orchestra was
well into their last number, the theme music from2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY .
"Okay," whispered Barney, "this is our moment of truth. It's practically
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