Chapter 14

14 APLEASANT NIGHT WIND COOLS THE CROWD OF MIDVILLE CITIZENS gathered at the Midville Park band shell, watching the end of the blackand- white movie Tarzan the Ape Man on the big screen. Fake palm trees wave in the light of the full moon. The Midville electric model elephant, donated by a former mayor, a crazy Tarzan

fan, nods its head and flaps its ears. This all looks a little odd sitting next to the Fall Festival display of hay bales, pitchforks, funny-shaped gourds, torches, and pumpkins. But this is movie night. And, as always, it's free. On-screen, Tarzan swings through the jungle on a vine. Cheeta the chimpanzee grabs another vine and swings after him.

A small robot in the very back row of the band shell beeps quietly. "This makes no sense. Why is the human acting like an ape?" "He's Tarzan," whispers Watson. "He was raised by apes." Klank's antenna blinks in amazement. "So he has decided that he is most happy when he is swinging through the jungle with his ape friends? That is nice." "That is not true," beeps Klink. "Humans do not live in trees." "I would love to live in a tree and study monkeys and apes all the time," says Janegoodall. "And someday I will." "OK," says Frank, "get ready. As soon as the movie ends, we jump onstage and give our Electro-Finger demonstration, just as we planned." Tarzan lands on a broad branch. He looks out over the tops of the jungle trees, cups his

hands to his mouth, and— The screen goes black. The model elephant stops its electronic nodding and flapping. The electric lights blink off, leaving the park lit only by moonlight. "Hey!" "What happened?" "Check the power!" But before the crowd completely freaks out, a small figure in an old-fashioned suit and a bad haircut walks to the middle of the stage, lit by a circle of light from the candle he carries in front of him. "Nothing to worry about, good people of Midville," says a familiar, creepy voice booming through a megaphone. "Just a friendly reminder from your power company that we all love electricity and we all need electricity." The figure blows out the candle.

"Lights!" booms the creepy voice. The band shell lights pop back on and illuminate the last person Frank and Watson want to see. Watson makes a face and says the kid's name like he is spitting out a bad taste. "Edison!"