Doc Savage: The Ice Genius (The Wild Adventures of Doc Savage Book 12) Read Online Free PDF Page A

midget brightened. Such was his faith in the big bronze fellow that he did not perceive that this was nothing more than a polite white lie.
    “Why don’t you run along?” Doc suggested. “No doubt you have a great deal of important work to do.”
    “Sure. Sure, I do. We got a new load of patients in. They are going to be mighty confused. I can help cheer them up. I’ve done it a million times before.”
    “You do that,” encouraged Doc.
    The diminutive fellow went scampering away, and rounded a corner.
    THIS left Doc Savage alone with his men. The bronze man immediately got down to business.
    “There is no safe route to the Gobi,” he told his men frankly. “But my thinking is that we fly north, across the Arctic Circle, and enter Mongolia by traversing Russia.”
    Long Tom tugged at one oversized ear. He did this when he was concerned.
    “The Germans have Moscow under siege,” he reminded. “Not likely to cotton to us dropping in on them, even if we are headed for Inner Mongolia.”
    “The route I have in mind is far east of the fighting, and sparsely settled. If we are careful, we should be able to make it without being challenged, or shot down.”
    “Then let’s get going!” Renny thundered.
    Doc halted the general rush to depart with a sentence. “There is one matter to clear up before we depart.”
    “What’s ’at?” Monk wanted to know.
    “Since we are traveling north, a stop at my Fortress of Solitude is in order. We can refuel up there, and while doing so, I have a new radio transceiver on the plane that I wish to drop off there. The old set has become outmoded.”
    Doc Savage’s men looked impressed. The bronze giant maintained a fabulous laboratory-workshop near the North Pole, and a few of them had visited there once, years ago. But not all. It was a rare thing to see the Fortress of Solitude. So they looked forward to the opportunity.
    Doc took a few moments to speak with the chief surgeon who had charge of the surgical wing of the College.
    “The men Renny dropped off should be processed as soon as practical,” Doc told the man.
    “Of course,” the medico replied. “Have you given further thought to the disposition of the fellow we are calling Monzingo Baldwin?”
    Doc Savage looked slightly uncertain. “Continually,” he admitted. “Hope for the final disposition so far has eluded me.”
    “If Mr. Baldwin should regain his memory and discover that he has been kept here under false pretenses, it will be a very terrible turn of events. He is coming to a position of trust, and while I am not disagreeing with your decision to make him a trustee, it is just the nature of this institution not to retain prisoners any longer than necessary.”
    Doc nodded. “This matter concerns me as much as it does you. But the risk of release is greater than the dangers you describe. For if Cadwiller Olden—to employ his real name—should recover his memory, the damage to our operations will be just as grave if he is out in the world as if he remained here. At least here, we can monitor him. As well as take steps should he have a relapse of any type.”
    “I do not need to remind you that in addition to the issue of his memory,” the surgeon continued, “his crime gland has not been attended to. His tendency toward criminal behavior remains present without that additional surgery.”
    Again Doc Savage made an expression that slightly indicated concern. “We are accustomed to operating on the brains of normal-sized individuals. Even with special miniaturized tools, to operate on his brain entails more risk than usual.”
    “Nevertheless, I would like to try,” said the chief surgeon earnestly.
    Doc Savage seemed to give the matter considerable thought. He was very silent until the wall clock advanced with a click, and it was the top of the hour.
    At last, Doc said, “If it is your professional opinion that the surgery can be done successfully, you have my permission to undertake