looked up to see the Baron studying her with interest. “You actually saw the event in the town?” he asked.
“Yes, Herr Baron, I was right in the middle of it.”
The Baron nodded. “Stay. I would like your observations of the event when I am done here.”
Beetle went pale. “Klaus, the poor girl has had a terrible shock! You must let her go home!”
Agatha tried to calm the distraught scientist. “Master, please! I’m all right. Really.”
Klaus nodded to signal that the affair was closed. “I’m impressed by your concern for your people, Beetle, but the young lady appears stable. Let us get down to business.”
He turned to Merlot and Glassvitch. He gestured towards a large, obviously half-finished device that sat in the center of the room. It was a bizarre collection of tubes and coils that bent and twisted back on themselves in a most peculiar manner. “Doctors. My Dihoxulator. Why is it not finished? I’d thought I’d explained the underlying theory rather succinctly.”
Merlot took a deep breath. “We do not know, Herr Baron. We were able to construct the machine up to a point, but then we hit a block.” Beside him, Glassvitch nodded vigorously. “We cannot reconcile the final linkages with the rest of the assembly,” he added. “We just don’t know what to do to make it work.”
The Baron stared at him steadily for moment. “I see.” He raised his voice. “Gilgamesh?”
The young man looked up from the device he was examining. “Yes, Father?”
“These fellows seem to be having some problems. Can you assist them?”
“I can try, Father. If you’d explain the theory?”
The Baron nodded, placed a hand on his shoulder and drew him over toward the device. Beetle followed. “The basic idea is to promote
Relieved that they were no longer under the Baron’s direct scrutiny, Glassvitch turned to his companion and whispered. “Silas, we’re doomed! We’ve accomplished nothing! They’ll ship us to the Waxworks!”
Merlot however, ignored him. He was staring at the Baron as a suspicion was growing in his mind. A very nasty suspicion. “…Of course.” He muttered, “The Baron knows we don’t have the Spark. We weren’t expected to finish this. It’s a test!”
Glassvitch looked even more distressed. “Then we’re failing!”
Merlot shook his head impatiently. “Not us, Hugo, his son! Gilgamesh Wulfenbach is the Baron’s only heir. I’ve heard rumors that the Baron is testing him, trying to determine if the Spark burns as brightly in him as it does in his sire.”
“And if it does not?”
Suddenly the Jagermonster loomed up behind them. “Dis is Baron Wulfenbach, sveethot! He vill break him down for parts and try again!” Having divulged this information, he gave them a sharp-toothed grin and sauntered off.
“Mon Dieu!” A shaken Glassvitch breathed.
Merlot shook himself. “Yes. Rather comforting to know there’s someone whose life is more wretched than our own, eh?” It was then that he noticed a peculiar buzzing hum that rose and fell in pitch. A scowl flashed across his features and he whirled around to face a distracted Agatha. “Miss Clay!” he shouted .”For the last time, stop that infernal humming!”
Agatha snapped back to the present and blinked wildly. “Hah? I… I’m sorry, Herr Doctor, but I was listening to the Baron, and something he said isn’t right, and—”
“Silence!”
Meanwhile Klaus had finished his explanation. Gilgamesh studied the half-finished device and slowly a frown creased his face. “Well?” Klaus prompted.
“Interesting, Father…” His voice trailed off as he scratched his head. “Hmm, I see what they were trying to do… but that won’t work… no… wait… hum… this makes no sense!” Gilgamesh stared at the device as if it had personally offended him. “No… this is all… wrong!” His voice began to rise. “This would work at cross purposes!” He wrenched off an armature and threw it across the room. “This is absurd! What are you fools trying to do? Can’t you see what you’ve done?” He began to rip apart the machine. “This is all wrong! I would expect a first-year student to do better! You have forces canceling each other out throughout the entire structure! Where are your plans?”
Merlot looked around, then quickly turned to Agatha. “The plans, Miss Clay! They were on the main board. Where did you put them?”
Agatha looked surprised. “Oh.” She said, “They’re in with—” She swung her attention to the storage room door in time to see a rivet pop out of one of the door’s straining cross bracers. She swung back and smeared a grin across her face. “A-heh. They’re in the files in the storage room, doctors. How about everybody goes and has a nice cup of tea while I dig them out?”
Gil strode forward and pushed her aside. “Bah! I’ll get them myself! I’m sure your pitiful filing system will be simple—” He turned the handle of the storage room door and yanked just as Agatha shouted “NOOOOOO!” and with a bang, the door flew open and a tidal wave of lab equipment roared out and over the young man’s head, smashing him to the ground and carrying him several meters back.
After the shower of material finished falling, Gil could be seen lying on his back, covered in debris. Clutched in his outstretched hands was a small goldfish bowl along with its grateful occupant.
Boris and the Jagermonster quickly clambered over the pile of equipment and began to dig him out and help him up. Agatha, Merlot and Glassvitch began to rush forward as well, and found themselves looking down the giant two-meter-long barrels of the clank’s guns, a steely “HOLD” their only warning. They skidded to a halt.
Gilgamesh slowly clambered to his feet. “That’s the worst filing system I’ve ever seen.”
Klaus rounded upon the huddled scientists. His voice was cold. “Beetle, this sloppiness is intolerable. Have these people—”
“No, Father, wait.” He was interrupted by a smiling Gilgamesh, “The thump to my head has cleared it, I think. I believe your theory is… incorrect.”
Klaus looked surprised. “What?”
Gil nodded. “Yes, what you want is possible, but your theoretical structure is flawed. There’s no way this machine could ever work.”
Klaus’ face darkened and he drew himself up. When he spoke his voice was glacial, and his words were measured. “Think carefully, boy. You’re saying that I am wrong?”
Gil paused, took a deep breath and squared his shoulders. He clutched the fishbowl to his chest protectively, but his voice was firm. “Yes.”
Klaus slowly relaxed and looked at him carefully before he swung his arm onto Gil’s shoulder and patted it twice. He smiled. “You are quite correct, my son.”
As one Merlot, Glassvitch and Agatha burst out with a loud “WHAT?”
Gil frowned in annoyance. “Another test, Father? I am beginning to find them tiresome.”
Klaus twitched an eyebrow. “Ah, it is much like raising children then. But I persevere for the moment.” He turned to the three shocked researchers. “Thank you, doctors. You will receive new assignments tomorrow.”
At this Agatha could no longer contain herself. “This was all for nothing? But they worked so hard!”
Glassvitch began to nod furiously in assent. “For three months we have toiled on this monstrosity!”
Merlot, who had seemed the most stunned, began to show signs of a growing annoyance. “We were simply… window dressing.” His voice gained energy. “I see. I understand.”
Glassvitch looked at him in surprise. “What? Silas, you’re the one who’s always going on about how little time we have for our own work.”
“Oh, yes—but now I understand why the great Dr. Beetle couldn’t be bothered to work on this oh-so- important assignment.” His voice began to break with emotion. “Unlike we mere mortals, he had real work to do.”
Dr. Beetle frowned and stepped up to the distraught scientist. “Merlot! I don’t like your attitude—”
“Then how do you like this?” With viper-like speed, Merlot spun, and his hand cracked across Beetle’s face, spinning the older man halfway around and sending his spectacles flying through the air.
The Jagermonster’s machine pistol lazily swung towards Merlot. “Ho!” He grunted, “I tink I bettah—”
A hand dropped onto his arm and Klaus shook his head. “Hold. Gil? You are about to receive an important lesson in employee relations.”
Meanwhile Beetle and Merlot had squared off, the aging scientist vibrating with rage. “How dare you! I’ll —”
