complaints from people who find bones in their Fudgy-Nut Bars. You’re going to have a lot of explaining to do!”
“Dumb!” the blonde groaned.
Assuming that Max, 99 and Hymie would soon drown, Means and Ways and the blonde departed.
“Max, this is terrible!” 99 said.
“Oh. . I don’t know, 99,” Max replied. “Look on the bright side. Before long, we-or, parts of us, anyway-may be appearing in a Fudgy-Nut television commercial. That’s
“Max, that isn’t what I want out of life,” 99 fretted. “What are we going to do?”
“How should I know?” Max asked. “Ask Hymie. He’s the agent-in-charge. He got us into this, let him get us out.”
“Max, it wasn’t Hymie’s-”
“99,” Max interrupted, “the agent-in-charge must assume full responsibility. If I were in charge, I’d be glad to take the blame for this. And I expect Hymie to do the same.”
“If it’s my responsibility to get us out,” Hymie said, “will you do what I tell you?”
“And wind up in the vat of butterscotch?” Max replied, sarcastically. “Considering, Hymie, I don’t know how you have the gall to ask us to trust you again. But-” He shrugged. “-how could you do any worse than this? All right-what do you want us to do?”
“I’m going down to the bottom of the vat,” Hymie replied. “When you see bubbles appear, that’s the signal. Max, you stand on my shoulders.”
“I appreciate the gesture, Hymie,” Max said. “But forget it. It’s too late. . I no longer have the desire to appear taller.”
“No, Max-”
“You go ahead, Hymie,” 99 said. “I’ll explain it to him.”
Hymie dived toward the bottom of the vat. A few moments later, bubbles appeared on the surface of the chocolate.
“Now, Max, you stand on Hymie’s shoulders,” 99 said.
“All right. . but I’m going to feel silly. When you’re drowning in chocolate, it’s a little late to start working up an act for the Ed Sullivan Show.”
“Are you on his shoulders, Max?”
“Yes, 99, but- 99! What are you doing?”
“I’m climbing up on your shoulders, Max.”
“Hey. . you know! Ed Sullivan might be interested in this at that-if we kept the vat of chocolate in the act, that is.”
From Max’s shoulders, 99 could reach the rim of the vat. She got hold of it, then, dripping chocolate, climbed out. Next, she reached a hand to Max and pulled him out. Then 99 and Max helped Hymie out of the vat.
“You’re very fortunate, Hymie,” Max said. “If you’d told me your plan before you tried it, I think I could have proved to you that it couldn’t work. Let that be a lesson to you.”
“Max, are you going to let Hymie be in charge now?” 99 asked.
“I have nothing to do with it, 99. The Chief put him in charge, so that’s it-he’s in charge. However, I would like to point out once more that if I had been in charge we would never have fallen into that vat in the first place. Let me tell you how I’d have handled the situation. Now, you see. . Means and Ways and that blonde were over there. . and you and Hymie were over here. In other words, you were partly in my line of fire. So, I had to get you behind-99. . Hymie. . behind me, please. I can’t show you how I would have handled the situation if you won’t cooperate. That’s right. . behind me. Now. . the minute I had you out of the-”
Max had the feeling that he was talking to himself. He turned and found that 99 and Hymie were no longer behind him.
“Where the-”
“Max! Help!”
Max looked up. He saw 99 and Hymie riding a conveyor belt that was taking them toward the ceiling of the factory, where the belt then dumped its contents into a funnel-like container.
“I’m coming!” Max cried, scrambling up the conveyor belt.
“Max!” 99 wailed when he reached them. “You should have stopped the machine!”
“Why didn’t you say so?” Max grumbled. “You called for help. And that’s what I’m doing. I’m here to help. Anyway,” he said crossly, “how did you get into a predicament like this?”
“You made us get behind you, Max. And behind you was the conveyor belt.”
Max nodded gloomily. “Put a robot in charge and you can expect anything. When the Chief-”
At that moment, they were dumped into the funnel. The funnel was filled with a sticky liquid that was slowly being fed into another vat. As Hymie, who was first in line, was squeezed through the narrow end of the funnel, he got a hold on the rim of the second vat, pulled himself up to a walkway, then caught and rescued 99 and Max as they were extruded.
“That was close,” Max said. “Look, my arms are stuck to my side.”
His arms suddenly came unstuck and flew out. The left arm hit 99 and the right arm hit Hymie. They tumbled backwards off the walkway and landed on another conveyor belt.
“I’m coming-don’t yell!” Max called, leaping onto the belt.
“Up ahead!” 99 cried, as Max landed. “We’re being fed into the nut chopper!”
“Too bad old Means isn’t here to see this,” Max commented.
Hymie, still first in line, was drawn into the chopper. Fortunately, Hymie was made of the finest steel. The blades of the chopper hit him-and shattered. Max and 99 then passed through the chopper mechanism without a scratch.
“Well, that certainly made up for all those other bloopers you’ve made, Hymie,” Max said. “I think we’ve discovered where your true talent lies. You aren’t cut out to be a leader, you were born to be fed into nut choppers. I just hope you’ll remember your place from now-”
“Max! What’s that!” 99 cried.
Max peered carefully at the machine into which the conveyor belt was carrying them. “I’m not an expert on candy-making machinery, 99,” he said. “But, offhand, I’d say that’s a-”
One after the other, Hymie, 99 and Max disappeared into the machine. A moment later they emerged, dumped one on top of the other into a large basket. They were neatly sealed in Fudgy-Nut wrappers.
“-packaging machine,” Max said, completing his statement.
“Max! Where are you? It’s dark in here! I can’t see a thing!”
“Unfold yourself at the end!” Max called back.
There was a jangling sound.
“Your shoe is ringing!” 99 said.
“I’ll bet that’s the first time anybody ever said that to a Fudgy-Nut Bar,” Max commented, breaking out of his wrapper.
99 and Hymie had also freed themselves.
“Max. . your phone,” 99 said.
Max removed his shoe and spoke into the sole.
