Within a remarkably short time after arriving in Berlin, Emil found himself at the center of an organized operation.
Gustav had assembled a small army of children who were bored and looking for exactly this kind of serious purpose.
They divided the work according to what each person could contribute and established clear lines of communication.
The youngest children ran messages because they were fast and inconspicuous in a city full of people moving quickly.
The older boys took up positions of observation and could not be easily moved or distracted from their assigned posts.
Pony Hütchen used her bicycle to carry urgent information between points that were too far apart for running to work.
Emil, who had arrived alone and lost, found himself suddenly at the center of something larger and more capable than himself.
They worked as a team.

The organizational achievement of the Berlin children in Emil and the Detectives is one of the novel's most remarkable and carefully observed elements.
Kästner depicts children who self-organize with impressive efficiency around a shared goal and a shared moral commitment.
There is no adult to assign roles or manage conflict or ensure that everyone pulls their weight appropriately.
Yet the organization that emerges is more functional than many adult-managed operations would be in similar circumstances.
Gustav has natural authority that comes from his energy and his network rather than from any assigned position or title.
Emil has moral authority that comes from being the one who was wronged and who made the initial committed decision to act.
Pony Hütchen has practical authority that comes from her bicycle and her willingness to go wherever she is needed most.
Together these different kinds of authority complement each other and produce a team that is genuinely more capable than any individual.
They worked as a team.