Chapter 3

3 IN THE HILLS ABOVE THE TOWN OF MIDVILLE, A KID WITH SIZE-FIVE WING-TIP shoes, a floppy bow tie, and a bad haircut stands on top of the dam at the western end of Lake Midville. The way he is waving his arms up and down, it's hard to tell if he is happy or angry or both. But he is definitely talking to the chimpanzee standing next to him. The chimpanzee wearing pin-striped pants, a white

shirt, a dark tie, and no shoes. "I'm still mad at you for running off and letting Frank Einstein and his idiot robots wreck my Antimatter Motor," says the kid with the bad haircut, T. Edison. "But I have to say—your idea to buy the Midville Power and Light Company is pretty smart. For a monkey."

Mr. Chimp checks his phone, then puts it back in his pocket. He gives Edison a sidelong glance and signs:

"Watch this," says Edison. He flips open the cover to the dam's control panel. He punches the green button under the label OPEN SLUICE GATE. Underwater, on the lake side of the concrete dam below their feet, an iron gate slides up with a low rumble and lets a rush of water thunder into the penstock tube. Edison and Mr. Chimp watch the water in

front of the dam swirl and form a gigantic whirlpool that disappears down under them. "Pretty amazing, huh?" says Edison. "Nothing but moving water. Water that spins the turbine. Water that turns the electrical generator shaft. Water that sends electricity to the transformer. Water that delivers my electricity to my suckers... oh, I mean customers. Customers who have to pay whatever I tell them to pay." Mr. Chimp motions with two hands, as if throttling himself. "Well, of course," says Edison. "Once we buy and close all the other electricity- producing companies, we will have the customers in a choke hold." Edison and Mr. Chimp watch the dark whirlpool, feel the rumbling hum spin of the heavy metal turbine blades and shaft, imagine the electricity speeding through the wires. Mr. Chimp draws his index finger slowly

across his throat. Edison leans back in surprise. "And then we kill everyone?!" Mr. Chimp rolls his eyes. He frowns and shakes his head, as if to say, No, you idiot. I just meant close the sluice gate. Mr. Chimp punches the red CLOSE SLUICE GATE button. "Let's close the sluice gate," says Edison. He doesn't see Mr. Chimp roll his eyes again. Edison and Mr. Chimp head back to shore. Edison turns to look at what is now his hydroelectric dam. "My plan will make all of Midville depend on me for all their energy!" Mr. Chimp signs: