saying, “Or I could just do this.” The scientist tossed the stone into a nearby metal trash can where it sent up sparks. “It’s authentic,” he declared.

“Very good, Dr. Debolt.”

“Mr. Khan, about the bomb-in-a-bubble machine - I think we’ll be able to salvage...”

Shere Khan picked up the scientist by his long ears and shoved a wad of paper in his mouth. Patiently, yet pointedly, he reiterated, “Thank you, Dr. Debolt. You may leave now. We’ll discuss that invention later.” As the small rabbit scurried from the room, the businessman turned to the four bears with a rare, almost friendly, smile on his face. “I suppose the reward of one hundred thousand dollars that I offered previously is still acceptable?”

“It’s more than acceptable, Khanny,” said Baloo, grinning from ear to ear.

Khan pulled a gold key from his vest pocket. He unlocked the bottom desk drawer and drew out a small, metal box. He twirled the combination lock on the box and pulled out a second, smaller metal box. That box contained a small whistle. Putting the whistle to his lips, he played a fast, high-pitched tune.

To the four bears’ astonishment, a safe sprang up from the jungle on the left side of the room. Khan went to the safe and unlocked three combination locks, being careful to avoid the snapping Venus flytraps. He opened the safe door just wide enough to grab a handful of cash.

Shere Khan counted and recounted out 100,000 in one hundred dollar bills, which he handed to Rebecca. He closed the safe door with a reverberating ‘clang’, causing it to sink slowly back into the jungle. He once again sat at his desk, locked both boxes, placed them back in the drawer, and placed the key in his vest pocket. “Thank you for your services,” Khan said simply, swiveling around in his chair to face the window. That was their cue to leave.

“No, thank you, Mr. Khan,” Rebecca said, repressing her glee.

After they stepped into the elevator, Khan pressed the intercom button. “Mrs. Snarly, the treasure hunters are leaving.” He fished the stone from the trash can and leaned back in his chair to study the sub-electron amplifier, sparkling in the sunshine, with satisfaction.

In the elevator, Rebecca fanned herself with the money. She giggled giddily. “What are we going to do with all of this?”

Baloo took the money from her and hugged it. “The question is what ain’t we gonna do, Becky.”

One floor down, the elevator doors opened. Mrs. Snarly, an elderly, but spry, shrew wearing a lavender dress with her grey hair in a neat pompadour stood there. She held a piece of paper that trailed to the floor. In a no-nonsense manner, she said briskly, “Before you leave, there are a few expenditures we need to go over. One burnt carpet, one can of floor wax, damage to Mr. Khan’s top-secret projects, cleanup in the cafeteria, one apple pie, repairs for the laboratory wall, wear and tear on the elevators...” As she read the list of damages, she ruthlessly plucked money from Baloo’s hands.

Their mouths agape, the four bears watched as their pile of money dwindled.

When Mrs. Snarly finally said, “Thank you,” and walked away with most of their money, they all looked at the four 100 bills in Baloo’s hands.

“Well, at least she left us something,” Kit murmured under his breath.

Mrs. Snarly spun around. “Oh, I forgot to take into account emotional trauma on our employees.” She yanked two more bills from Baloo.

Muttering, “She’s not getting any more of our money!” Rebecca grabbed the remaining 200 from Baloo and shoved it in her pants pocket. She repeatedly pushed the ‘close door’ button.

All four bears blinked when they stepped out of Khan Towers into the bright afternoon sunshine. Kit glanced at his watch. They had only been in that building for an hour and a half, but it seemed as if they had spent days on that wild goose chase. He couldn’t believe that just that morning he and Baloo had been to Port Allegro delivering peanut butter and jelly.

Sliding behind the wheel of the grey Chevrolette, Baloo said, “Man, it feels good ta get off my dogs. They’re sure barkin’ somethin’ fierce.”

In the backseat, Molly yawned. She looked like she was ready for a nap, which was unusual for the energetic little girl. “That was a lot of running.”

“I’m definitely ready for track practice,” Kit added, stretching out his sore legs. “I could run the mile no problem.”

“All that exercise for only a measly two hundred smackers,” Baloo mumbled angrily, starting the car.

“It’s better than coming out with nothing,” Kit reminded him. “Been there, done that.”

Baloo grinned at the boy in the rearview mirror. “Done that several times too many, kid. Well, Beckers, it looks like you got your dress.”

Rebecca, who had been happily gazing at the money that she clutched in her hands, shot a surprised glance over at her fiancé. “Are you sure that’s what you want to spend it on, Baloo?”

“After a chase that crazy, that two hundred dollars deserves ta be spent on somethin’ just as crazy.”

Rebecca threw her arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek. “You won’t think I’m crazy after you see me in that dress, darling.”

Returning her affectionate smile and hug, Baloo murmured, “Yeah, then I'll be crazy 'bout you.”

She regained her seat on the passenger side of the car and grinned joyfully down at the money. "I guess that stone brought us a little luck after all."

"Lucky for us, we got outta that jam alive." Easing the car into traffic, Baloo asked, “Who’s up for some grub? I’m starvin’!”

Back to Shere Khan’s Office

A contrite, bedraggled Leo Stedman tiptoed across the office to where the stern-looking tiger businessman was seated behind his desk. Cupped in the agent’s hands was a mound of red glass shards. He poured the shards onto the desk. “Mr. Khan, I’ve got the stone - er, what’s left of it.”

Khan looked with amused derision down at the pitiful pile of glass. “Do you? That’s most interesting.”

“Yes, sir.” The agent failed to see what was so interesting about glass.

“Then what is this?” Khan waved the sub-electron amplifier under Stedman’s nose.

Bewildered, Stedman’s eyes flitted from the stone to the red fragments that he had a terrible time extracting from the robot as the rips in his suit attested to. At that moment, his extra-large ego deflated. He stuttered, “I...I...I don’t know, sir. H...how did you get that?”

“Someone was kind enough to deliver it to me,” Khan added coldly, “unlike the paperclip man.”

“How did you know about that?” Stedman squeaked, sinking into the low chair.

Complacently, Khan studied the stone in his hand. “I am aware of everything that goes on in my building, Mr. Stedman. So...you were seen after I specifically told you not to be seen?”

“Yes, Mr. Khan, but...but only by a little girl and...”

“It has been my experience that little girls are quite capable of telling the police what - and who - they saw.”

“But...”

“Mr. Stedman, you have disappointed me severely.” Khan flicked out his claws on his left paw. “And I have ways of dealing with,” raking his claws across the desktop, he shot a pointed glance at the agent; “disappointments.”

“You’re not going to fire me?” Leo Stedman murmured, cringing.

“No.” Khan smiled a secret smile at the stone. Ambiguously, he said, “I have another mission for you.”

Two Weeks Later

Dog Rather announced over the radio, “Monday, billionaire and CEO of Khan Industries, Shere Khan, will be present at the opening of his new power plant located in the Sierra Padre mountains. According to Mr. Khan, this revolutionary process can produce ten times the energy more efficiently and a thousand times cheaper than conventional methods. It is reported to be able to provide enough electricity to power all businesses associated with Khan Industries. In other news...”

Leo Stedman irately flipped off the tiny pocket radio and drop-kicked it across the room. It was no mystery as to why he was angry.

The once dashingly dressed lion was now wearing plain brown overalls with burn marks on the sleeves. Instead of being in Rio de Jalepeño, he was in an enormous warehouse-sized building filled with large batteries - each as big as a Thembrian panzer. Every one of those batteries was wired to a single diamond-shaped metal cage that was suspended five feet off the floor in the middle of the room. Inside the metal cage was the sub-electron amplifier. It sent a continuous stream of electricity through the cage, through the wires, to all of the batteries. In turn, the batteries were connected to wires leading to Cape Suzette.

With a scorch-pocked white cloth and a pair of rubber gloves in his hand, Stedman listlessly leaned against one of the batteries. Frowning, he watched the scientists as they performed their last minute tests in preparation for the grand opening.

Dr. Debolt said, “The electrical output isn’t at maximum potential. The sub-electron amplifier needs to be polished again.” He gestured to Leo Stedman, whose title was now ‘Official Stone Polisher’.

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