18. Harold and the Purple Ballpoint Pen

CHAPTER 18 HAROLD AND THE PURPLE BALLPOINT PEN Everything seemed hopeless. Captain Underpants had slipped and fallen into the mouth of the Turbo Toilet 2000, and now the giant toilet was coming after George and Harold! "Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!" laughed the powerful porcelain predator. "Once I have eaten you two kids up, I will take over the world!" "Not if we have anything to say about it!" yelled George.

George and Harold ran into the school and locked the door behind them. The Turbo Toilet 2000 banged against the door with its fists, shouting, "You boys can't hide in there forever!" George and Harold ran to the gym. "I've got a plan," said George. "We need to invent a character who can defeat a giant robot toilet." "How about a giant robot urinal?" asked Harold. "We can call it The Urinator!" "No way!" said George. "They'll never let us get away with that in a children's book. We're skating on thin ice as it is!"

"All right," said Harold, "how about a giant plunger robot? He can carry a really big plunger, and—" "That's it!" cried George. So Harold took out his purple ballpoint pen and began to draw. "Give him laser eyes," said George. "All right," said Harold. "And give him turbo-atomic rocket boosters," said George. "Got it," said Harold. "And make him obey our every command," said George. "I'm way ahead of you," said Harold.

Harold finished his drawing, and George inspected it carefully. "This just might work," said George. "Yeah," said Harold. "If the PATSY 2000 can hold out." The boys turned and looked at the dented, cracked, and beaten-up machine laying on its side in the corner. George and Harold pushed the PATSY 2000 upright and dusted it off. "Come on, PATSY, old girl," said George. "We really need you now!" "Yeah," said Harold. "The fate of the entire planet is in our hands!"