1. So far we have seen, at the
dedication of a new bridge...
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2. murder.
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3. And spotted in the crowd, that
sinister crook, The Bookworm.
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4. Great Scott.
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5. A Bookworm ploy, a ruse
to divert the dynamic duo...
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6. while a bomb was
placed in the Batmobile.
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7. Bomb detected...
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8. ejected.
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9. A clue. He was going
to blow up the bridge.
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10. He did. He blew it up
into a giant photograph.
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11. Like moths, our heroes
followed the light...
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12. into a Bat trap.
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13. Was this girl really a prisoner?
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14. Was it a trick?
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15. One way to find out:
Put her gently to sleep...
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16. spirit her to the
Batcave, test her.
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17. Counterplot, pretend
we fall for her game.
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18. The tricky girl
turned the tables.
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19. And The Bookworm knew
just what to do with him:
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20. Bind him to the
clapper of a giant bell.
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21. Do not ask for
whom this bell tolls.
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22. It tolls for Robin.
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23. In just one minute, the
stroke of midnight doom.
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24. A few minutes earlier...
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25. even as Bookworm binds Robin
to the clapper of the giant bell...
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26. Batman races across Gotham
City in the opposite direction...
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27. hot on a trail
that's fatally false.
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28. - What's up, Chief O'Hara?
- We searched that hall, cellar to weather vane.
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29. - Not a trace of The Bookworm.
- But how can that be?
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30. Oh, worse news too, Batman.
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31. You know that alleyway where
you said we'd find the Boy Wonder...
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32. - guarding Bookworm's moll?
- Yes, yes, yes.
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33. - Don't tell me.
- You guessed it.
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34. Great heavens.
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35. I'd better try to contact Robin
instantly on the utility belt wavelength.
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36. Robin?
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37. Robin, do you receive me?
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38. Robin? Over.
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39. The tricky devils.
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40. They've turned the
tables and caught Robin.
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41. I'll call headquarters.
Throw out the dragnet.
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42. No, wait a minute, Chief O'Hara.
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43. Let me turn my memory back.
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44. "He strikes at
midnight," she said.
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45. But we know The Bookworm
has changed his plan.
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46. Don't interrupt.
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47. I'm trying to fathom the
subconscious of a deadly criminal.
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48. He strikes at midnight.
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49. A metaphor. Suggests a clock.
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50. A clock called "he"?
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51. Of course.
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52. And there's only one clock in
Gotham City that is called "he."
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53. Saints alive.
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54. Big Benjamin in the Wayne
Memorial Clock Tower.
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55. And it fits in with the plan.
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56. Do not ask for whom the
bell tolls. It tolls for thee...
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57. - You mean...
- Exactly.
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58. And if my surmise is correct...
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59. the ghastly fate that
Bookworm planned for me...
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60. he has twisted to Robin.
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61. Chief O'Hara, we haven't one
Big Benjamin second to lose.
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62. Mere seconds before he strikes.
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63. I'll shoot out the works.
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64. Argh. Didn't even dent it.
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65. No time for a Bat-climb.
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66. We have one last
desperate chance.
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67. Help me set up the Bat-zooka.
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68. The lightning rod on top.
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69. Fire!
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70. Bull's-eye.
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71. Second shot. The
hands of that clock.
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72. Fire!
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73. Mother Machree, done it again.
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74. Quickly. Now to get the ends
of these two conductive lines.
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75. What are you doing, Batman?
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76. Attaching lines to the
nuclear power source...
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77. both lines to the
positive terminal.
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78. As you may recall from school, like
charges of electricity repel each other.
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79. Now to rev up
the power turbines.
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80. I still don't get it, Batman.
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81. Pray. Pray, Chief O'Hara...
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82. that the clapper and the bell
will be positively charged...
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83. and thus repel each other!
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84. I hope so, Batman. I hope so.
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85. Funny, all I hear
is a nightingale.
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86. Inconceivable but true.
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87. The precocious
pest has escaped us.
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88. But how could he, Bookworm?
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89. How could he?
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90. Book 10, chapter three, quote:
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91. "Facts are stubborn
things," unquote.
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92. Now, the fact is that our
bats have flown the belfry...
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93. unaccountably still squeaking.
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94. Gee, and us with our
super-crime not pulled yet.
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95. Ah! Ah.
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96. Ah.
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97. Ah. Do not fret, my sweet
Lydia. Oh, do not fret.
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98. My brain-drenched
mind has done it again.
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99. Oh! A most delicious Bat trap.
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100. Mwah. Oh!
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101. And in Wayne Manor, stately
home of millionaire Bruce Wayne...
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102. and his youthful
ward, Dick Grayson...
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103. the plot is about to
take a strange new twist.
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104. Oh, what is it, Alfred?
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105. It's a gentleman from the
bookmobile service, madam.
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106. Oh, how nice. Bring him in.
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107. This way, sir.
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108. How do you do?
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109. What do you recommend this week, something
for reading before going to sleep?
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110. Oh, well, I believe that you will find this
volume extremely effective, Mrs. Cooper.
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111. Oh.
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112. "Congressional
Record, March 1919"?
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113. Oh, it's the illustrations,
Mrs. Cooper.
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114. They are so piquant.
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115. - Oh, you don't say.
- Mm.
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116. Look, Alfred.
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117. Hmm.
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118. Hmm.
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119. Oh, well.
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120. Subject found to be member of...
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121. - Yes, commissioner?
- Bookworm has struck again, Batman, brazenly.
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122. - Where?
- The mansion of millionaire Bruce Wayne.
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123. He stole a single volume, a
priceless first-edition cookbook.
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124. - Was anyone in the Wayne household hurt?
- Fortunately, no one.
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125. Goodbye, commissioner.
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126. I'll be at Wayne Manor faster
than anyone can imagine.
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127. - Batman, wait, that's not the only thing.
- What else?
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128. In the middle of the street, at Cedar and 5th,
there's been a sudden monstrous apparition.
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129. The biggest cookbook
anyone ever saw.
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130. Goodbye, commissioner.
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131. - Aunt Harriet and Alfred?
- They're not hurt, he said.
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132. Our duty is to the
public. Let's go.
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133. What a twisted skein of events.
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134. Typical of the frustrated author
Bookworm is, over-plotting.
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135. Either the robbery or a giant cookbook
would've attracted our attention.
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136. Foolish amateur has to try both.
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137. Holy tome!
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138. Back, everybody.
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139. Back, back.
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140. Take cover in the side streets.
Take cover in the side streets.
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141. The recipes in this
book could be explosive.
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142. Stay back.
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143. - I bet it's hollow inside, Batman.
- We'll soon find out.
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144. - Let's probe it with our high-energy radar.
- Roger.
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145. - Hollow, all right.
- Yes.
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146. Judging from the rate of reflection,
the cover contains high-tensile steel.
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147. - Let's open it up, Batman.
- Right you are.
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148. If the cover contains steel, we
can do it from a safe distance...
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149. - using the super-powered Bat-magnet.
- Great.
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150. - I'll work the power supply.
- Roger.
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151. Bat-pull 1200 pounds.
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152. Make it a ton.
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153. Oh, poor puny little bat-brains.
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154. I bet they think they
opened that book.
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155. But will they go in?
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156. Of course they'll go in.
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157. In the words of the poet:
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158. "Curiosity killed the bat." Heh.
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159. Ordinary paper.
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160. It must cover the
hollowed-out part.
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161. I wonder what's
on the menu inside.
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162. Only one way to find out, Robin.
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163. Let's take a bite.
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164. Smells like soup.
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165. Darn good soup.
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166. Right you are.
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167. Bat soup.
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168. And in you go.
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169. No! Holy stew pot!
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170. Bookworm to Batman.
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171. He's got this place wired. I'll bet
he's watching and listening too.
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172. Well, of course I'm listening.
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173. Bookworm, what are you up to?
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174. It's a curious old
recipe I discovered...
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175. in the Alchemist Cookbook,
Vienna, dated 1534.
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176. How to steam a bat.
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177. I think he means it.
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178. Of course I mean it, Boy Wonder.
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179. Watch now while I turn up my
radio-controlled double boiler.
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180. Double for dynamic duo.
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181. Cook well, my bat-eared friends.
While you are stewing down...
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182. I shall be pulling off the crime of the
century with the aid of your Batmobile.
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183. Happy juices. Heh.
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184. Quick, let's fly.
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185. Batman to Gotham City Police,
Batman to Gotham City Police.
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186. Red alert, red alert.
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187. We are trapped inside a
cookbook at 5th and Cedar.
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188. Red alert. Do you
receive me? Over.
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189. No answer.
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190. These high-tensile steel walls,
they're cutting down our transmission.
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191. - I'll get out my laser-beam cutting torch.
- Don't, Robin. No, no.
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192. It would superheat the steam
and boil us in a split second.
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193. Holy pressure cooker.
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194. Only way to crack this would be
the Bat Beam in the Batmobile...
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195. and Bookworm has it.
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196. We even left the engine running.
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197. With all your might
and main, men, let's go.
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198. They'll never get to us in time.
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199. There's only one hope.
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200. - Get them under there. Come on.
- Yeah, we're on it.
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201. - Well?
- We're getting nowhere, chief.
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202. Oh, harder, fellas, harder.
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203. Oh, give me that sledge, here.
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204. Sounds like steam in there.
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205. Dreadful.
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206. That fine pair of crime fighters boiled
in the entrails of a monster cookbook.
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207. Who could imagine
a more tragic end?
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208. Batman to Batcave.
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209. What's the use, Batman?
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210. It's just possible our own
super-sensitive antenna...
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211. may pick up the signal where
the police receivers could not.
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212. - Do you think Alfred's there?
- He's a creature of well-disciplined habits.
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213. It's his regular time for
dusting the Atomic Pile.
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214. Batman to Alfred, Batman to
Alfred. This is an emergency.
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215. Might I be of some
assistance, sir?
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216. Quick, Alfred, plug me into the voice-actuated
circuit of the master anticrime computer.
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217. Certainly, sir. At once, sir.
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218. Bookworm to bookmobile, Bookworm
to bookmobile. Do you read me?
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219. Devil to Bookworm. I read you.
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220. Rendezvous, the rear
of the Morganbilt Library.
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221. Over and out.
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222. The Morganbilt Library?
But that's uncrackable.
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223. It's defied every
burglar in the country.
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224. Yes, yes, my sweet Lydia, yes...
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225. but they did not have
the use of the Bat Beam.
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226. Plans and Views, folio
369, operate cross beam.
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227. I'm weakening, Batman.
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228. Hold on, Robin.
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229. Hold on, hold on. I'm
getting the answer I expected.
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230. Answer?
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231. About the source
of this steam...
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232. Plans and Views, cut out,
feedback, circuit three, operate.
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233. - Who's the best safecracker in our files?
- Uh, the Riddler.
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234. Send a helicopter to the State
Penitentiary. Have him brought here.
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235. - Yes, sir.
- All right, everybody down.
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236. Come on, get them down.
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237. Ready?
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238. Fire!
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239. Yeah!
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240. Good grief.
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241. We're too late.
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242. Gone.
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243. Consumed, I fear.
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244. Totally consumed in this
diabolical hell's kitchen.
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245. The Morganbilt Library, unparalleled
repository of literary treasures.
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246. In an alley at the rear, there
are little foxes in the vines.
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247. Directly ahead
through that wall...
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248. the air-conditioned vault containing
treasures beyond imagination.
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249. Oh, some haul, all right.
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250. Seven Gutenberg Bibles, 11
first folios by William Shakespeare.
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251. Some wall too.
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252. Three feet of cement
over 18 inches of steel.
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253. Ah! To the Bat Beam.
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254. But what if something
goes wrong, Bookworm?
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255. Oh, it won't, it
won't, it won't.
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256. Best-laid plans of mice and men.
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257. I don't know where it's
from, but I know it's true.
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258. Schemes, schemes,
schemes, the best-laid schemes.
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259. Robert Burns "To a
Mouse," stanza seven.
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260. Schemes.
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261. You are graded C-minus.
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262. Now for the Bat Beam.
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263. - Ah. Melted.
- Fantastic.
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264. My fine twisty
worms, follow me. Ha.
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265. They'll follow you, Bookworm.
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266. Right back into the woodwork
of the prison carpenter shop.
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267. - Impossible.
- How did they escape?
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268. Thought you had us cooked, huh?
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269. We escaped through the
manhole under your stove.
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270. The one you used to introduce
your murderous steam pipe.
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271. It's an old mistake, Bookworm.
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272. Armoring the walls but
leaving the floor unprotected.
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273. How did they
discover our objective?
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274. Your talk in the Batmobile
was picked up by a secret mike.
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275. Relayed to us via the automatic
feedback circuit in our Batcave.
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276. Let's clean house, Batman.
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277. Now, Robin.
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278. Glasses off.
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279. All right, my fine
twisty worms, attack!
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280. Charge!
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281. Ooh!
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282. You should have learned
much sooner, Ms. Limpet...
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283. the oldest plot
and still the best.
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284. Crime...
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285. does not pay.
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286. A check for $5000 for
the state-prison library.
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287. - This is very generous of you, Bruce.
- I thought it was the least I could do...
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288. after reading about that dreadful business
in the newspapers of the Bookworm affair.
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289. And I feel our prison libraries
could use some new uplifting titles.
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290. Yes, yes, shocking.
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291. A man of Bookworm's education.
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292. How could such a fellow
turn to a life of crime?
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293. I'd say it's an example of the old precept
"a little knowledge is a dangerous thing."
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294. A wise observation,
Bruce. I'll remember that.
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295. - By the way, would you like to see him?
- Bookworm?
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296. He's outside, awaiting
conveyance to the penitentiary.
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297. Gosh, Bruce, I'd sure like to
see a real crook in the flesh.
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298. Well, I don't see any harm in it, Dick,
as long as he's under sound restraint.
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299. - Get them, Chief O'Hara.
- Yes, sir.
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300. - "Them"?
- His female accomplice too, a Ms. Limpet.
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301. Hmm. Very sad case, that one.
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302. All right, bring them in.
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303. Come on, boys.
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304. All right, you crooks, and remember,
be polite to Mr. Bruce Wayne too.
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305. "The World's Hundred
Greatest Crimes."
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306. You abandoned child.
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307. Is there no hope for you?
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308. As you can see, Bruce,
your gift was sorely needed.
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309. May I keep that as a
souvenir, commissioner?
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310. - Oh, yes, certainly.
- Thank you.
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311. What are you smiling at?
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312. Oh, I am so much cleverer
than all of you, you see. Heh.
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313. Oh, as the poet says, "They
who lose today may win tomorrow."
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314. Wrong, Bookworm, not the poet.
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315. That line's from Cervantes' Don
Quixote, part one, Book 1, chapter seven.
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316. Pfft. The devil.
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317. I think this fellow, he is
almost as obnoxious as Batman.
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318. All right, all right.
Out, out, out. Come on.
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