Chapter 13

13 TEDISON AND MR. CHIMP SIT QUIETLY ON A PICNIC BLANKET, perched on the ridge above the Midville Woods. A single cricket chirps in the fading light. "Ahhhhh, Midville Wind Farm..." T. Edison picks a daisy, sniffs it, then crushes it in one hand and throws it into the weeds above the line of shattered wind-turbine parts and broken blades.

"...done!" T. Edison pulls out his notebook and makes his second black check mark of the day. "Just the Midville Solar Array left." T. Edison and Mr. Chimp look out over the motionless piles of Midville Wind Farm rubble. The lone cricket rubs out one more weak chirp. "Good work today, Mr. Chimp." "Oooh-ooh," Mr. Chimp agrees. "Let's celebrate." T. Edison hands Mr. Chimp a brown paper bag with MR. CHIMP written on it. He opens the other bag, trying to hide the TOMMY written on the front. "Mmm, let me see what we— Oh, yuck! Salami-and-banana sandwich? I hate salami and bananas!" Mr. Chimp reaches into his bag and happily chomps his snack.

"What do you have?" Mr. Chimp signs:

"Trade me," says T. Edison. Mr. Chimp shakes his head no. "You have to trade me. I'm your boss." Mr. Chimp shakes his head again. He signs:

"Don't tell me what I will like and won't like. I. Am. The. Boss. Trade me now!" Mr. Chimp looks at T. Edison. Mr. Chimp likes bananas and he likes salami. Mr. Chimp shrugs and trades snack bags. Edison grabs a stalk of peanut butter and raisin–filled celery and stuffs it into his mouth. "MMMrrrr rrrrummm ahhh," says T. Edison with his mouth full. Mr. Chimp watches and waits. T. Edison chews, stops, frowns, sticks his tongue out, and grabs something alive and

wiggling in the half-chewed peanut butter and celery. "BBBLLLAAAaaaaaaaaaaahhh!" screams T. Edison, jumping up and spitting everywhere. "Bllaaaahh! Ptttwwaaaaa! Bluuuuhhh! What is that?!" Mr. Chimp makes soft, short panting noises. "Ahhhhhhh! Yuck, yuck, yuck!" T. Edison stomps around the picnic blanket, still spitting.