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shot. You
probably couldn't live with the guilt," he said.
    "Oh, nice
try," she chuckled. "But I guess I'll take my chances seeing as this
is just a Watcher."
    She walked him
down the long, cork-lined hall where Mr. Louis joined them with a tray of hors
d'oeuvres.
    "Farewell
forever, Mr. Louis!" Max said dramatically.
    "Hey,
Maxie, take a snack with you. I call it Take the Rap Rumaki!"

Chapter
5

 
    Max and John
Look-For-A-Bird barely had time to meet before they were ushered through the
arched entry of the Holoround Theatre. The mammoth theatre swallowed up the hundreds
of police officers assigned to Watchers like a whale skimming plankton. The
building had once been a popular sports arena before the current government
banned all competitive play.
    A Guide led
Max and Bird to one of hundreds of treadmills built into the floor.
    "Welcome
to the Holoround Theatre," said the Green Robe Leader speaking from a
podium. His voice bounced and echoed off the walls of the immense room.
    "He's
speaking too close to the ExplodeMic," whispered Bird to Max. "Pretty
soon he's going to get some loud-"
    EEEEEEEEhhhhh!
    "Feedback!"
said Bird.
    The crowd
covered its ears and groaned at the fading, wailing wall of sound.
    "What'd I
tell you?" laughed Bird.
    "Sssshhh,"
said Max.
    "My
apologies," said the Green Robe Leader in softer tones. "Here,
through the wonder of holopods, we will simulate typical experiences you may
encounter in your Watcher cases. If you will just step onto a treadmill, we can
begin."
    A Guide led
them to their tandem treadmill. Bird's moccasins caught on the edge and Max
grabbed his arm just in time to keep him from falling. A million cops in the
New York City Police Department and I've got to get the King of Klutz, thought
Max. This is going to be one fun assignment.
    "We
fervently believe that all crimes must be solved. But as time travelers, we
must keep the Policy of Non-Involvement utmost in our consciousness," said
the Green Robe Leader.
    The lights
dimmed, the room flickered with blue light and the walls seemed to disappear.
Max had to fight the urge to "ooh" or ahhh" with the responding
crowd. He didn't want to seem like an immature little kid.
    "Oooohh,
I just love this part!" said Bird.
    Max scowled
and motioned to him to grab hold of the handrails. They began moving forward on
the treadmill at a steady pace.
    The room lit
suddenly to reveal a scene just four feet from each treadmill. A holobotic
troopernaut stepped cautiously into an alien ship. Her weapon out and ready,
she looked right, left, but not down – where the banana peel lay in her
path. Bird reached out to warn her but was instantly restrained by their Guide.
    "Remember
that life flows according to its own plan and within its own purpose," said
the Green Robe Leader.
    The troopernaut
slipped and fell to the floor as laser fire crackled just over her head. She
rolled to cover, spied the enemy, shot, and hit him. Bird applauded
enthusiastically along with the rest of the crowd and the scene faded and disappeared.
Max tugged at Bird's arm to alert him to the start of another scene.
    The room lit
to Venice in the sixteenth century. A rich merchant strolled along the canal,
counting his money and unknowingly dropped a gold ducat. In a moment of
forgetfulness, Max bent down to retrieve the coin. The Guide gave him a warning
glance and Max froze in place, then slowly, nonchalantly, straightened up. Out
of the corner of his eye, he looked to see if Bird had noticed. No problem,
Bird was completely intrigued with the drama.
    "You must
never interfere," said the Green Robe Leader to the crowd. "For
truly, one man's loss is another man's gain."
    A penniless
monk wandered onto the Venetian path and found the coin. He jumped for joy,
crossed himself, and ran into a building marked, ORPHANAGE. Bird smiled and
bobbed his head at the justice of this.
    The canals faded
away and the room lightened, placing the two detectives in the steamy, lush
greenery of