Duncan frowned. “But technology is part of what we do. Without it, we wouldn’t be able to do half of the cool stuff we’ve done. Without technology we wouldn’t have the Schnoz Projector.”

Duncan took out what looked like a pair of novelty glasses complete with a big, goofy nose and bushy mustache. He slipped them onto his face.

“Gluestick, sometimes I worry about you,” Matilda said.

“This is no joke,” Duncan said. “This is the latest in sensory data collection.”

“Sensory what?” Jackson asked.

“It’s a new science in which you can collect one sense and transform it into another. The Schnoz Projector collects smells and transmits them into images.”

“So if I farted, you would be able to see it?” Flinch cried.

“Um, sadly, yes,” Duncan said. “It detects things like perspiration, perfumes, deodorants—any kind of body smell either natural or manmade—and it can show us a crude representation of who it belonged to. It can track the trail of scent around this room, and maybe show us what Albert was doing down here. I’ve seen the prototype in the Playground and it’s amazing. Watch!”

Duncan flipped a button on the side of his glasses and the lenses glowed. A moment later the group heard loud sniffing and then a bright beam of light appeared, revealing a shaky image of Albert.

“Awesome!” Flinch said.

Another wavy figure appeared in the room. She was short with a bun of hair. “Albert’s mom wears a lot of perfume and her clothes are dried with fabric softener sheets. She produces a smell that we can trace and, now, even see,” Duncan said.

The team watched the two holograms moving about the room. Though it wasn’t a perfect image, you could see they were arguing. Then something unusual happened. Albert rushed to an empty desk and lifted something metallic. Duncan knew it at once. It was the weapon Albert had used on him.

“That’s the ray gun! Albert must have built it down here,” Matilda said as she watched the images flicker around the room. “His mother doesn’t look too happy about it. Look! She’s pulling suitcases out of the closet. She’s forcing him to pack.”

Ruby shook her head in disgust. “She should have turned him in—he’s dangerous.”

“What’s he doing?” Jackson said. The holographic Albert had rushed to a table and appeared to be snatching something from it, but his mother stomped over to him and ripped it from his hands.

Flinch crossed the room to where the two figures had once stood and picked up a stack of comics. “Looks like mommy wasn’t happy about what her son wanted to pack.”

“Too bad the Schnoz Projector doesn’t let us hear what they were saying,” Matilda replied. “Is there any chance it will show us where they went?”

“Sorry, the Schnoz Projector works best in enclosed spaces. The wind outside has probably blown away their scents.”

“Well, we know for sure that his mother helped him escape,” Jackson said as he looked under the bed. “And we know that they packed, so they aren’t coming back. Looks like we can turn off the fancy gadget. This is going to require some old-fashioned detective work. Nothing under here but cupcake wrappers and empty juice boxes.”

“Any unopened?” Flinch said. “I’m starving!"

Duncan shook his head. “Remember what Benjamin told you: Cut down on the sweets until your upgrades are working again.”

Flinch frowned.

Matilda looked through Albert’s closet. “I have never met anyone who had so many T-shirts with superhero logos on them.”

Ruby searched the dresser drawers. “He’s not the cleanest guy. I think he wears his clothes and shoves them back into his drawers.”

“Wait, what’s this?” Jackson said. He stood up holding a tube of paper in his hands. He took it over to a small table and unrolled it. There was a drawing of Albert in his black-and-green Captain Justice outfit. Unlike the real Albert, this one was muscle-bound and handsome. In his hand was the weapon he had turned on the children.

“This guy has a huge imagination,” Matilda said.

“Or there isn’t a single mirror in this house,” Ruby said.

“He’s not a bad artist,” Jackson said. “That ray gun looks just like the real thing.”

Duncan sighed. “There’s so much stuff back at the Playground that could help us. I know one of the scientists was building a device that detects footprints. Benjamin could also track the last days’ worth of phone calls.”

Ruby frowned. “Come on, Duncan, use your eyeballs for once!” she snapped.

Duncan was stunned. It was clear she was fed up with him. Ruby was often annoyed with Flinch and couldn’t stand Jackson, but she’d always treated Duncan with respect. It felt like the whole world had suddenly turned on him.

As the other children searched every nook and cranny of Albert’s room for a clue to where the man went, Duncan hesitated, unsure of where to start. He was about to give up when he glanced down at the stack of comics that had meant so much to Albert. His gaze caught on the cover of the comic on top. He snatched it off the pile and stared at it, hardly believing his eyes.

“Look!”

When his teammates turned, he flashed the comic’s cover at them.

“Ultraforce 119. I haven’t read that one,” Flinch said.

“No! Look at the guy on the cover. Look at what he’s holding in his hand.”

Ruby peered at the cover and her eyes got big. “It’s Albert’s ray gun. He got his idea out of a comic book!”

SO FAR, YOU’VE LEARNED

TO CREATE AND DECIPHER

YOUR OWN CODES, AND IN

THE PROCESS YOU’VE LEARNED

SOME VALUABLE LESSONS

ABOUT PERSONAL HYGIENE.

BUT THERE’S MORE TO CODES

THAN LETTER WHEELS. IN FACT,

THERE ARE LOTS OF WAYS TO

SEND A SECRET MESSAGE. SOME

SPIES USE INVISIBLE INK, AND

I’M GOING TO SHOW YOU HOW

TO MAKE IT. ISN’T THAT COOL?

WHY, YOU PROBABLY THOUGHT

THE PRICE OF THIS BOOK WAS

OUTRAGEOUS, BUT LOOK AT

ALL THE PRACTICAL STUFF

I’M TEACHING YOU!

HMM, MAYBE WE SHOULD CHARGE

MORE . . .

OK, TO MAKE INVISIBLE INK

YOU’RE GOING TO NEED SOME

INGREDIENTS. UNFORTUNATELY,

THE INGREDIENTS ARE ALSO

INVISIBLE.

WOW, YOU ARE GULLIBLE.

HERE’S WHAT YOU’RE GOING

TO NEED:

• A PAN AND A STOVE

• CORNSTARCH