row
between those two ensued.
“I reached into the fray to break them up, and in so doing I lost my balance—for
this is the way with people of advanced years: they sometimes lose their equilibrium
and stumble and fall—and I did so in a most inconvenient and destructive way!
For I fell directly into the Age Altertron and jangled loose its circuitry board
and caused a
little unintended arcing between its electrodes, and this produced a little
fire, which grew into a slightly bigger fire, and before I knew it, I was spraying
my arcing, flaming, smoke-belching Altertron with a fire extinguisher. And when
the smoke cleared and all the extinguisher foam had dissolved away, there was
nothing left before
me but a broken, wrecked shell of what that machine had once been—a testament
to fatigue and stupidity and the tendency of dogs when attacked by cats to defend
their canine honor at all costs. “Everyone was counting on me and I let them
down. I let you down.” The Professor shook his head and closed his eyes
and became very quiet.
Rodney and Wayne and their friends exchanged looks of concern. “You didn’t let
us down, Professor,” said Wayne. “No,” agreed Becky, “you just made a mistake.
Everyone makes mistakes.”
“We just have to build ourselves a brand new Age Altertron— an Age Altertron
II!” said Rodney with forced cheer.
“How long do you think that will take?” asked Wayne. Professor Johnson opened
his eyes. “You boys will have to be the ones to build it. Under my direction,
of course. Because I am much too weak and frail to do anything but to tell you two what to do. Do you think that you can do it?”
Rodney and Wayne nodded. “Excellent. Then all is not lost. But first, let me
sleep, for I am very tired. I must have twenty-four hours of rest to recuperate.
While I am sleeping, boys, go down to my laboratory and take an inventory of
all of the parts of the wrecked machine.” (Yawn.) “Set aside those which you
think we can reuse and throw out those you think we cannot.” (Yawn.) “And feed
Tesla and Gizmo their breakfast.” (Yawn) “And tell your mother, Grover, that
she isn’t to overly tax herself at her now-advanced age, and may come to my
house to cook for me only when she feels she is able.” (Yawn) “For that matter,
I cannot eat much solid food in my present state anyway, but will be nutritionally
satisfied with some oatmeal or Cream-of-Wheat or some other form of soft cereal
or custard. If my cupboard is bare, then please go to Toland’s Market, Grover,
and procure soft foods that I can gum. Goodnight, children. I will speak to
you again in twenty-four hours.”
CHAPTER TEN
In which Jackie Stovall finds his voice and a worthy mission
o there it is,” said Rodney, using one of his father’s
favorite phrases.
“Yes, there it is,” said Wayne in agreement.
The two boys stood in the Professor’s laboratory surveying the damage from the
stumble and the fire. It was morning now, and Grover and Becky and Petey had
gone home to rest. “We should get back home ourselves and make breakfast for
Aunt Mildred,” said Rodney, stepping over Gizmo, who was crunching her cat food.
In the other corner of the laboratory Tesla was eating dog kibble, but keeping
a wary eye on his now-mortal feline enemy. “Let’s stop at the market and pick
up some food that Aunt Mildred can eat.”
The boys passed the Professor’s key-rack mounted on the wall next to the door
to the garage. A special key chain hanging there caught Wayne’s eye. He stopped
and pulled it down to give it a closer look. The key chain dangled from a woman’s
head sculpted in metal. The woman’s hair was flowing straight back as if she
were facing a strong wind. “Hey, look at this, Rodney! It’s just like the hood
ornament on the Professor’s car.”
“That’s because the key chain is probably made by the Nash Car Company. Put
it
between those two ensued.
“I reached into the fray to break them up, and in so doing I lost my balance—for
this is the way with people of advanced years: they sometimes lose their equilibrium
and stumble and fall—and I did so in a most inconvenient and destructive way!
For I fell directly into the Age Altertron and jangled loose its circuitry board
and caused a
little unintended arcing between its electrodes, and this produced a little
fire, which grew into a slightly bigger fire, and before I knew it, I was spraying
my arcing, flaming, smoke-belching Altertron with a fire extinguisher. And when
the smoke cleared and all the extinguisher foam had dissolved away, there was
nothing left before
me but a broken, wrecked shell of what that machine had once been—a testament
to fatigue and stupidity and the tendency of dogs when attacked by cats to defend
their canine honor at all costs. “Everyone was counting on me and I let them
down. I let you down.” The Professor shook his head and closed his eyes
and became very quiet.
Rodney and Wayne and their friends exchanged looks of concern. “You didn’t let
us down, Professor,” said Wayne. “No,” agreed Becky, “you just made a mistake.
Everyone makes mistakes.”
“We just have to build ourselves a brand new Age Altertron— an Age Altertron
II!” said Rodney with forced cheer.
“How long do you think that will take?” asked Wayne. Professor Johnson opened
his eyes. “You boys will have to be the ones to build it. Under my direction,
of course. Because I am much too weak and frail to do anything but to tell you two what to do. Do you think that you can do it?”
Rodney and Wayne nodded. “Excellent. Then all is not lost. But first, let me
sleep, for I am very tired. I must have twenty-four hours of rest to recuperate.
While I am sleeping, boys, go down to my laboratory and take an inventory of
all of the parts of the wrecked machine.” (Yawn.) “Set aside those which you
think we can reuse and throw out those you think we cannot.” (Yawn.) “And feed
Tesla and Gizmo their breakfast.” (Yawn) “And tell your mother, Grover, that
she isn’t to overly tax herself at her now-advanced age, and may come to my
house to cook for me only when she feels she is able.” (Yawn) “For that matter,
I cannot eat much solid food in my present state anyway, but will be nutritionally
satisfied with some oatmeal or Cream-of-Wheat or some other form of soft cereal
or custard. If my cupboard is bare, then please go to Toland’s Market, Grover,
and procure soft foods that I can gum. Goodnight, children. I will speak to
you again in twenty-four hours.”
CHAPTER TEN
In which Jackie Stovall finds his voice and a worthy mission
o there it is,” said Rodney, using one of his father’s
favorite phrases.
“Yes, there it is,” said Wayne in agreement.
The two boys stood in the Professor’s laboratory surveying the damage from the
stumble and the fire. It was morning now, and Grover and Becky and Petey had
gone home to rest. “We should get back home ourselves and make breakfast for
Aunt Mildred,” said Rodney, stepping over Gizmo, who was crunching her cat food.
In the other corner of the laboratory Tesla was eating dog kibble, but keeping
a wary eye on his now-mortal feline enemy. “Let’s stop at the market and pick
up some food that Aunt Mildred can eat.”
The boys passed the Professor’s key-rack mounted on the wall next to the door
to the garage. A special key chain hanging there caught Wayne’s eye. He stopped
and pulled it down to give it a closer look. The key chain dangled from a woman’s
head sculpted in metal. The woman’s hair was flowing straight back as if she
were facing a strong wind. “Hey, look at this, Rodney! It’s just like the hood
ornament on the Professor’s car.”
“That’s because the key chain is probably made by the Nash Car Company. Put
it
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