THE LONGSNOZZLE EVENT By Hal Annas As the greatest detective in the galaxy, Len Zitts could easily arrest the murderer. His main interest was in analyzing the weapon used! [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Imagination Stories of Science and Fantasy April 1951 Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] Len Zitts wiggled his big toe and gently pressed it against the velvet-covered button, and the couch on which he was lying began easing from beneath the desk to shape itself into a lounging chair. In the process, a pair of mechanical arms slipped a pair of flexible plastic moccasins on his feet and another pair of arms buttoned his shirt collar and straightened his maroon cravat. At the same time a mechanical comb and brush straightened the part in his thick chestnut hair and smoothed it neatly. Rising from behind the desk to a sitting position, without any effort on his part, Len Zitts blinked brown eyes and looked again at the vision of blonde loveliness which stood with full mouth agape just inside the doorway. "Oh!" The slender woman drew a deep breath, causing her bosom to swell alluringly. "You scared me. Popping up like a jack-in-the-box!" Moving his little finger an eighth of an inch, Zitts touched a button on the arm of the chair and a mechanical hand put a cigaret in his mouth and another tubelike arm moved beneath the cigaret and squirted flame against its tip. "Sit down," Zitts invited. "Have a cigaret." He pressed another button and an arm on the far side of the desk extended a tray of assorted cigarets toward the woman. A little breathless, she sat down and smoothed her diaphanous cerise skirt along her thighs. "I--I'm still a little scared," she said tremulously. Zitts arched a chestnut brown eyebrow, significantly glanced at the desk and the mechanical equipment, and said, "Don't be alarmed. Just a few little inventions of my own. Desks were originally intended as a resting place for the feet. I've merely modernized the idea. Slip under the desk to relax. People can't spill drinks and ashes down your collar while you sleep." The woman nodded, smiled, revealing even teeth and a wide mouth with upturned corners. "I suppose you want me to tell you why I came?" Zitts shook his head almost imperceptibly. "I know why you came," he said. "You want to offer me a ton of gold to investigate your husband's death. Sorry! Afraid we can't do business." "B-but--but--how did you know?" The woman leaned forward and lifted a slender hand and looked at it as though to test her eyes. * * * * *