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asked.
    “I set a world’s record.”
    “How did you do that?”
    “I have no idea, but I don’t want to do it again. Can you help me with these—my arms won’t bend.” Dunc took the helmet and glasses off and gave them to Lash.
    “I saw Claude and Emile and Sherman,” Amos said. “What happened to them?”
    Dunc smiled. “Either Sherman used karate,like he said, or he bent over to pick up his notebook and fell on them, like I think—either way, he knocked them down into the track, and the cops caught them.”
    “Did you tell the police what happened?”
    “No. Sherman’s telling them about how he used karate to apprehend the circus thieves. He started talking before we had a chance.”
    “And they believe that?”
    “Well. Enough, anyway.”
    “We better go straighten them out.” He took two steps before Dunc stopped him.
    “Don’t bother. They won’t believe you.”
    “Why not?”
    “Because Sherman has the notes to back up what he says.”
    Amos groaned. “Oh, well. Maybe it’s not a total loss. I think I saw Melissa in the stands when I was riding Maggie. I figure this is it—world record, hero. She
has
to be impressed with me now. Let’s go talk to her.”
    “Like,” Lash said, “thanks.”
    “Lash,” Dunc said. “You actually said asentence. Sort of—well, two words that work, anyway.”
    Lash nodded. “Tubular.”
    “See you tonight at dinner.” Amos smiled.
    Lash walked off through the crowd that was just beginning to gather with Maggie in one hand and his helmet and glasses in the other. Everyone began cheering.
    “Oh.” Dunc stopped. “I don’t think it will do much good to talk to Melissa. I just saw her. She was on her way over here, but she stopped when she met Lash—I think she thinks he made the run. Not you.”
    “Great. That’s just great.” Amos leaned over and tried to pick some of the grass out of the knees of his pants. His fingers still didn’t work. “It’s just not fair.”
    “What’s not fair?”
    “The whole silly mess. We do all the work saving Maggie, and Sherman gets all the credit. I make the skateboard run of a lifetime, and the whole world and Melissa think Lash made it because I was wearing his helmet and glasses.”
    “The problem has nothing to do with fairness.”
    “What’s the problem, then?”
    “The problem is,” Dunc said, “that you have the worst luck in the world.” Dunc put his arm around his friend. “C’mon. We have to get you cleaned up. There’s a big dinner at your house tonight.”
    “Why get cleaned up?”
    “Because you stink to high heaven.”
    “So? Everybody will think it’s Uncle Alfred’s feet. He has the smelliest feet in the world. And he picks at them.”
    “Through his socks. I know.”
    “Right after dinner, while he’s watching the television with Dad. It’ll make you sick.”
    “I know, I know. Let’s go.”
    “But it’s really disgusting. You should see it.”
    “If I come over tonight, I will.”
    “If? What do you mean, if? You have to come. After what I went through today, I couldn’t put up with Alfred without you. It wasn’t good, Dunc—none of this. I went really high and there were geese and planes and I almost got a nosebleed and then Istarted down and I had time to compose my will and I was so scared I wanted my mother and—”
    “It’s all right, Amos.” Dunc took his hand and led him. The arm still wouldn’t bend, and Amos walked like Frankenstein. “It’s going to be all right.”
    “Really?”
    “Sure.” Dunc nodded, lying only a little. “Everything will be all right.…”

Be sure to join Dunc and Amos in these other Culpepper Adventures:
    The Case of the Dirty Bird
    When Dunc Culpepper and his best friend, Amos Binder, first see the parrot in a pet store, they’re not impressed—it’s smelly, scruffy, and missing half its feathers. They’re only slightly impressed when they learn that the parrot speaks four languages, has outlived ten of its owners,