Jerry Webster stared up at the ceiling. "I can see the headline now. 'Mysterious Visitors at Spindrift!' Lead paragraph: 'The mystery of strange visitors at Spindrift Island deepened today as members of the scientific foundation threatened the Whiteside _Morning Record_ with drastic action unless the story was withheld.' How's that, Duke?" "Needs editing," Duke replied, "but you're on the right track. What's the drastic action you're threatening us with?" Scotty grinned. "Item," he intoned. "Editor and reporter drowned in own ink supply. Bodies found among leftover newspaper copies, apparently discarded with other waste." "Too good for 'em," Rick disagreed. "How about 'Editor and reporter assume new dimensions. Rolled to paper thinness in own press.'" "That's drastic," Duke admitted. "Seriously, Rick, you must have some good reason for asking us to leave out what could only be a small social item." "It's a good reason, all right," Scotty answered him. "Only we can't tell you what it is, Duke." The editor looked at Jerry. "What say, can we take it on faith?" "Too simple," Jerry objected. "We ought to get something in trade." Scotty made eating motions. "Apple pie, with homemade ice cream? Sunday night. Said apple pie would be used to pack down a nice, thick steak." Jerry sighed. "I'm tempted." "It's a deal," Duke agreed. "Make mine rare. And I add one thing: If there's a story, we get it first." Rick looked pained. "Don't you always? But chances are, there never will be a story out of this." "Government deal," Duke said. "It has to be. Okay, Rick. We'll go along. What's the second kind of help?" Rick breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't doubted that Duke and Jerry would hold the story, but it was always hard to ask a favor without being able to give the reason. "There's a new barber in Vince Lardner's shop." "Think we're chumps who don't keep up with the news?" Jerry asked, his expression disdainful. "Of course there's a new barber. What of it?" "We need some information about him. If you'll just let me see your notes, that should do it." Jerry hesitated and Scotty grinned. "Bet he doesn't have any notes." Duke glared at Jerry. "See? You've embarrassed the _Record_. I told you to get the story on that barber this morning." "Time enough later," Jerry retorted, unruffled. "We don't need the dope until tonight, and I'll have it. What kind of information do you want?" Rick listed the points on his fingers. "Where he came from, his full name, how he happened to get the job--I mean whether he applied directly to Vince or whether he got the job some other way--and how long he expects to stay." Scotty had a few points, too. "If Vince had a vacancy, find out how long he looked for a barber, and how he got this one. Timing is important, Jerry. Get all you can on it. And ask him a few questions about his massage machine, if it's in sight. It looks like the hair gadgets they have in beauty shops."