Chapter 11

11 A KID WEARING SIZE-FIVE WING-TIP SHOES HUNCHES OVER A GIANT polished black desk, staring intently at one of six high- definition video screens. The screen labeled DRONEBUG'S-EYE VIEW. "Man, I hate this guy!" says the kid. "It's bad enough he invents two great robots. But then all he does with them is talk—'blah, blah, I love science this, blah, blah, I love science that.' What a moron. What an idiot."

"Eeeep, meep," replies the chimpanzee in the pin-striped pants sitting at the controls next to the kid. The big robot on the screen says, "Does a robot clank in the woods?" "What did he say?" Edison—because yes, of course it is T. Edison in his headquarters, because really, who else wears size-five wing-tip shoes?—looks even more closely. "Those robots are going to be tough to beat for the Science Prize. But Frank Einstein is not going to one-up me again!" Edison slaps his hand on the desk. "Wait. What is that? They are making plans for something else. Zoom in!"

"Don't tell me it's too noisy, you pooping primate. Zoom in!" Mr. Chimp toggles the joystick control on the master panel. The picture zooms in tight on Frank Einstein. On the screen, Frank pauses. "Wait. Did you hear that?" Mr. Chimp leans back in his office chair. He crosses his big, hairy bare feet on the desk. He pulls out the small metal antbox from his pants pocket and pushes a slender stick into the hole on top. "Hear what?" answers Watson on-screen. "The fish alarm didn't go off." Mr. Chimp pulls out the ant-covered stick

and licks up a quick snack. On the DRONEBUG'S-EYE VIEW screen, Frank Einstein pauses, then rolls out his plan. "I can't believe this," says Edison. "Is that what I think it is?" Mr. Chimp tucks his antbox back in his pocket, brushing a few stray ant legs off his white shirt and striped tie. "No!" screams Edison. "No, no, no!" He thrashes around in a tantrum, scattering papers, knocking pens and pencils flying.

该页暂无翻译

Mr. Chimp grabs the joystick with his toes and scans the DroneBug camera over the plans. He signs: "Yes, I know it is what I think it is, you mangy monkey! But, no, this cannot happen! That goober Einstein cannot win the Science Prize!" Mr. Chimp curls back his lips and shows his teeth again in what a human might think was a smile. But if you were a chimpanzee, you would know Mr. Chimp was thinking about biting your throat out, ripping your arm off, and beating you senseless with it. "So Einstein has a plan?" says Edison. "Well, I have a plan, too. Mr. Chimp, listen up!"