The Mata Hari Institute of Culinary Excellence

[Pleater]

I had began to recount how I and the two other directors of the Mata Hari Institute of Culinary Excellence discovered that two items had been removed from the super chilled safe, and then mysteriously returned to the Institute.

I was the first on the scene, having been intent on using one or more of the recipes to persuade Mister Dove to continue with his narration. I explained my presence at the scene by claiming to have had some presentment of the incident - which was entirely false. I have inherited a little of the psychic ability my grandmother possessed, but it has not been at all active for some time. I left the other directors to return the recipes to the safe and walked up to the apartment I use when staying at the Institute.

I was somewhat disturbed to find that at about that time, there was a suggestion that recipes should be fore warded to the off topic section of X marks, and then for some hours I was unable to navigate the forum. I was suddenly filled with foreboding, and after some soul searching, I went to the other directors and told them everything.

We called in The McGeek and - posing it as a hypothetical question, enquired as to what would happen if someone tried to post one of the recipes, for instance, from The Joy of Snacks, over the Internet. He thought for a moment, and then went rather pale.
'The recipient would undoubtedly begin to experience rather strange happenings, though exactly what I could not predict with any accuracy. Those recipes are effective on carbon based lifeforms - what would happen to a silicon based device is anyone's guess.'

Daphne smoothed her elegant lace jabot. 'But electronic devices are not alive, surely - they do not think.'

'Well, Ma'am, the recipes do not affect the parts that think.'

We let him return to his office, and sat in silence for some time.

'What can we do?' I enquired at last.
'Wait.' said Bronwen. 'There is nothing to be gained by making a hasty decision.'
'True, but I would like to call in someone to investigate the theft. It is most disconcerting that someone was able to enter the institute, reach the cellars and remove the door panel - and then open the safe. Even though the recipes were returned, anyone able to get past our security is potentially very dangerous.'
We nodded in agreement.
'But who could take on such a task?' I asked.
They sighed.