Chapter 11

11 KLANK BENDS THE LAST PIECE OF STEEL INTO PLACE. Klink wraps wiring to match a Tesla diagram. Frank locks the antenna into position. Watson drills another soda can with his peashooter. "Yes!" says Frank. He holds up his latest

invention. "The antenna will draw magnetic energy from the Earth and pass it through the wire coils inside. Just like in our experiment." "Right," says Watson. "Which will move the electrons in the wire coils to the transformer." "Check," says Watson. "Which will shoot out of the fingertip transmitter. With no wires." "Of course!" cheers Watson. "Hold this lightbulb and stand over on the other side of the lab." Watson picks up the oversized lightbulb and walks to the other side of the lab. "Why do you want me to—" Frank aims the new invention at Watson. "Hey, wait! No! Not me! This could be hazardous to my health! Make Klink hold it!" Before Watson can move, Frank pulls the trigger. The lightbulb in Watson's hand flickers, hums, and then pops on in a bright

white glow. Watson stares at the bulb in his hand, which glows without being plugged into anything. "It... it works!" "Of course it does," says Frank. "Hypothesis tested and confirmed," adds Klink. Klank shakes his big vegetable-strainer head. "I did not think that was going to happen." Frank points the invention at an unplugged clock. The hands spin to life. Frank electrifies a string of old Christmas- tree lights. They blink on and off.

Frank starts up a radio, a blender, a heater, and a fan. All wirelessly. "Nice," says Watson. "What do you call it?" Klink revs his vacuum motor. "It should obviously be called the Wireless Electromagnetic- Transmission Device. Because that is precisely what it is." "Ooh, oooh," says Klank. "You should call it... the Kooky Kootie Zapper!" "It's a real electro-finger," says Watson.

Frank looks up. "Hey, that's a perfect name, Watson. Can we use it?" Watson beams. He is thrilled to be part of Frank's invention. "Of course." "Great," says Frank. "Now come on. Let's take this thing out and show Midville some wireless electricity." Watson pauses. "Uh, Frank? Maybe we should think this thing through. Maybe make a plan so we don't get in trouble like we did last time. And the time before that. And the time before that." Frank rummages behind his workbench. "Why do we need a plan? We are giving people free electricity." "But what about... you know who?" Watson bends his head toward Klink and Klank. Frank finds what he was looking for—an old purple-velvet-lined saxophone case. "Klink and Klank? Oh, absolutely. They have to help us,

too." "No, I mean—" Watson starts. "Hooray!" booms Klank. He picks up Klink. He hugs Watson with one big metal arm. He squeezes Frank with another big metal arm. Klank spins everyone in circles, blasting his ROCK2 beat. Klink beeps, "Blleeeeeeehhhhhhh!" Frank and Watson spin around, yelling, "Ahhhhhhh-hhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Klank beats and spins and booms his crazy noises that sound like a washing machine screaming and a garbage disposal destroying a rocket engine. Which is exactly why Frank and Watson's classmate and pal Janegoodall, on her way home from baseball practice, busts into the lab and starts smashing Klank all over his steel body, wiry legs, and metal-strainer head with perfect, sharp, fast strikes of her aluminum bat to save her friends.