The Top Secret Toys Page 9
Vincent pointed to the electrical outlet in the wall. “Tesla invented the alternating current that comes out of that wall. And it hasn’t changed—”
Vincent stopped. He could hear his dad’s voice in the hallway. He looked back at Stella. “Just trust me.”
Stella reached down and plugged in the cord.
“Help me slide this in.” Vincent raised the metal tube over the top of the tower and lowered it down as Stella guided the tube into the Tesla coil.
“A perfect fit,” she said.
“The straps!” Vincent pulled out his sketch. “Tesla had straps on the tower to keep the tube from touching the sides. There are no straps!”
“Vincent? What happened to you this morning? What are you two doing here?” Norton asked as he walked into the room with Mr. Dennis, Calli, Royal, Earl, Fayman, Mr. Jilliver, and a man Vincent didn’t recognize.
“Oh, hey, Dad.”
The group crossed the room.
“Wow, you weren’t kidding, Norton, there is a ton of great-looking stuff,” the man in the dark suit said.
“Mr. Jilliver. Mr. Whitworth. This is my son Vincent and my daughter Stella. Mr. Whitworth is the director of the Museum of Modern Art. Mr. Jilliver is the director of the Met. And, of course, you two know everyone else.”
“Ah! So you’re the one who caused all the commotion at my museum last night.” Mr. Whitworth’s voice echoed through the room.
“Yes, sir. Sorry about that.”
“Yes. Vincent has very bad migraines that can actually make him lose his balance,” Norton interjected.
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Yes. Well, they’ve been better lately. Haven’t they, champ?”
“Norton, what are your kids doing here?” Mr. Jilliver interrupted.
“Ah, I’m not sure. What’s going on, guys?”
“Vincent just wanted to show me all this cool stuff. You know, before it was gone,” Stella said. “Well, speaking of gone. We should get going, Vincent.” Stella started walking toward the door. Vincent followed.
“Well, as you can see, it is a formidable collection,” Mr. Jilliver said.
Vincent stopped at the door.
Stella whispered, “Come on, Vincent. Let’s get out of here.”
“No. I can do this.” Vincent bent down and picked up one of the boxes of toys from Howard’s lab.
“Well, I know this is going to sound strange,” Vincent said, walking back toward the group. “But I think I know what Howard was working on when he died.”
Vincent set the box of toys down in front of Mr. Dennis.
“Oh?” Mr. Dennis said.
“What is he talking about? We don’t have time for this, Norton,” Mr. Jilliver said.
“Vincent, I don’t think this is the right time or place for this. Let’s talk about this later, okay, buddy?” Norton said, with an uneasy laugh.
“No, Dad.” Vincent put his hand on the tower. “Later it will be too late.”
“PLEASE, DO NOT TOUCH THAT!” Mr. Jilliver scolded. “That is part of a very expensive and very important collection, young man.”
“I know what this is. And I think I know what it does. Please, Dad! You have to believe me.”
“Vincent, ahh, was very fond of Howard Whiz. And of Nikola Tesla,” Norton tried to explain.
“I see,” Mr. Whitworth said.
Vincent turned to Mr. Dennis. “I really think I can make this work.” Vincent sounded desperate as he motioned to the tower. “The vacuum tube Tesla coil and this turbine tube are all part of it. They seem unrelated, but I believe they’re all part of Tesla’s great invention. Mr. Whiz had all the right pieces. He just hadn’t put them together the right way. Yet. I really think it will work, Mr. D.”
Mr. Dennis looked down and noticed that the cord was plugged into the wall. “You really think it will work?”
“Good heavens! You haven’t been playing with this—have you?” Mr. Jilliver asked. “Norton, please! This is extremely inappropriate!”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Jilliver. I’m sorry, Mr. Whitworth,” Norton said. “This has been a difficult week for everyone. Please, Vincent! Let’s go!”
“No, wait a minute.” Mr. Dennis raised his hand. “I still own all this stuff, right? Go ahead, Vincent. Let’s see if it works.”
“WHAT?” Mr. Whitworth exclaimed. “I’m not buying that if he wrecks it! NORTON! PLEASE CONTROL YOUR CHILDREN! THIS ENTIRE PLACE COULD GO UP IN FLAMES! WE DON’T KNOW IF—”
“Oh, quiet down,” Royal interrupted. “Let the kid try. Go ahead, Vincent, flip the switch.”
“Well, I can’t. Not right now,” Vincent said. “It’s missing the straps.” He motioned to where the straps should have been on the tower.
Mr. Jilliver threw his arms up in disgust.
“Mr. Shadow. Have I taught you nothing?” Mr. Dennis asked.
“Pop-Tarts,” Stella said, looking around the room. “It’s like the Pop-Tarts. What else could be a strap?”
“Pop-Tarts?” Mr. Jilliver said. “I give up.”
Vincent reached in his pocket and pulled out Howard’s tie.
“Thattaboy, Vincent.” Mr. Dennis smiled and repeated, “Thatta boy!”
“Would someone please tell me what is going on around here?” Mr. Jilliver demanded.
“OH, CAN IT, GEORGE!” Norton said. “And let my son concentrate.”
Vincent used Howard’s tie to secure the turbine tube in the middle of the tower. He bent down next to the vacuum tube Tesla coil and looked up at Stella. “Ready?”
“Ready.” She smiled.
Vincent flipped the on switch. The tower hissed and the turbine tube started to glow. Sparks leaped from the metal hemisphere. Everyone stepped backward.
“Happy now?” Mr. Jilliver said. “Nothing. It does nothing. Just like the rest of this junk.”
“Well, I don’t think I would call that nothing.” Vincent pointed to the rows of Tesla inventions.
Row after row of the inventions started spinning, grinding, buzzing, and shaking.
Multicolored lights were now coming from inside the boxes of toys at Mr. Dennis’s feet. The box began to shake violently.
“Good God!” Royal yelled over the noise. “What is going on?”
The box tipped over and a doll crawled out. Then a bouncing ball.
Norton yelled something as a yellow-and-black toy bumblebee buzzed past his head, leaving a trail of bubbles behind.
“Well, I’ll be,” Fayman said.
Smoke started pouring out of several Tesla inventions. Vincent bent down and pulled the power cord from the wall and the room went silent.
“What was that?” Norton asked.
“Unless I’m mistaken, I’m guessing that was high voltage!” Mr. Dennis said.
“Yup,” Vincent said. “Wireless power! First invented and demonstrated by Tesla in 1893!”
“And all those toys back at Whizzer? All the ones with no batteries? They’re all real? They all work?” Royal asked.
“Yup.” Vincent was beaming.
“So that is what Howard was working on all that time,” Calli said. “We have more than enough toys for a new Wondrous Whizzer Wishbook!”
“Yes,” Vincent said.
“You never cease to amaze me, Mr. Shadow!”
“Oh, no. It wasn’t me, Mr. D. This was all Howard,” Vincent said.
“And Tesla,” Fayman added. “Boy, do I owe that guy an apology.”
“Well, I’m not sure what just happened,” Norton said. “But I’m guessing the Tesla inventions are no longer for sale, right?”
“Right you are! Sorry for wasting your time this morning, Mr. Whitworth, but it looks like I have a toy company to run.”
“With more than enough toys to give that rat Spinowski a run for his money,” Earl added.
“Oh yeah,” Vincent said, turning to Mr. Dennis. “About that rat Spinowski. Dad, you may want to sit down for this one….”
“Kent Blo
omingtrip here reporting live from the Whizzer Toy Company. With me today is Vincent Shadow. Now, Vincent, you were the winner of this year’s Whizzer Toys contest. Is that correct?” Kent asked, holding the microphone up to Vincent’s mouth.
“Yes.”
“And remind the viewers, what was your winning toy invention?” Kent asked.
“Ah, they were bubbles that carried sound. I call them Pop Tunz,” Vincent said.
“Fantastic!” Kent said, looking directly into the camera. “Well, folks, it turns out that young Vincent here has invented more than just those winning bubbles. If the viewers at home will recall, I did a story a few months ago about a young toy-inventing phenom named Timmy Zimmerman. Timmy had claimed to be the inventor of a bunch of toys that he had sold to the Spinowski Toy Company.
“Turns out that young Timmy had fooled us all! Even this seasoned reporter! A judge has ruled that all of the inventions Timmy claimed to have invented were actually invented by Vincent.” Kent looked down at Vincent. “I guess that makes you the young phenom toy inventor, doesn’t it?”
“I guess so.” Vincent smiled.
“Well, Vincent. Now that you have your toys back, what are you planning to do with them?”
“Most of them will be part of the new Wondrous Whizzer Wishbook,” Vincent said.
“How exciting! I remember how much I loved the Wishbook when I was your age. When will the new Wishbook be out?” Kent asked.
“We’re hoping to have it out by the holidays,” Vincent said.
“And I’ve heard rumors that the new Whizzer toys won’t even need batteries. Is there any truth to that?” Kent sounded skeptical as he held the microphone up to Vincent.
“That’s right. Most of the new toys won’t require batteries,” Vincent said confidently.
“How is that possible?”
“Howard G. Whiz was working on a new kind of wireless power when he died. It was actually first created by Nikola Tesla over one hundred years ago. It’s pretty cool stuff.”
“I’ll say it is. So what will these wireless toys do?” Kent asked.
“Lots of things. There are glasses that let you see the world in cartoons. A device called the Whizzer Word Caster that lets you throw your voice… in up to six different languages. Uncatchable footballs. Puppets that interact with each other. Even a logrolling game!” Vincent said. “It’s going to be awesome!” “Wow! That definitely sounds like a Wishbook not to be missed,” Kent said, stepping toward the camera. “Well, you heard it here first, people. You can expect to see some amazing things from Vincent Shadow and Whizzer Toys this fall.
“For Action One News, this is Kent Bloomingtrip saying good-bye for now.”
Contents
FRONT COVER IMAGE
WELCOME
AUTHOR’S NOTE
1: BUNK BEDS
2: FAME AND FOG
3: PACKAGE FROM HOWARD
4: NOT-SO-SECRET LAB
5: LOBSTER TELEPHONE
6: ICE SPOON
7: MY HOMEWORK MELTED
8: KNOCK KNOCK
9: WIZARD OF THE UPPER WEST SIDE
10: LOST AND FOUND
11: LITTLE PINK BUNNIES
12: TIME IN A BOTTLE
13: ITTY BITTY AUNT BONNIE
14: MOSTLY CLOUDY
15: THE TOUR
16: MINNESOTA CALLING
17: ROYAL AND A POET NAMED EARL
18: GIDDYUP
19: THE SIXTH FLOOR
20: THE GREAT WAVE
21: THE BEST MEDICINE
22: THE SALUTE
23: THE WILL
24: A LONG DAY
25: UNCLE ERNIE’S FINNISH SECOND COUSINS
26: MR. STICKY AND HIS SUPERSONIC TONGUE
27: THOUGHTS OF PARIS
28: DANGEROUS ANIMAL FOOD BALLS
29: THE PERSISTENCE OF MEMORY
30: ALARMING
31: IN TROUBLE
32: UP EARLY
33: OUT OF TIME
34: A WISH COME TRUE
WHIZZER TOYS: The 21st Annual Wondrous Whizzer WISHBOOK
Screw Ballz
Belching Bob
Fun Fang Straws
Crazy Jack’s Logrolling Game
Fumble Fumble Football
Water Crackerz & Water Rocketz
Whizzer Trash Talkers
Sketch FX
Scratch & Sniff Paints
Yo-Tunes
Cartoon-O-Vision Glasses
Whizzer Windupz & Whizzer Windupz Wall Walkerz
Fairy Feather Princesses
Pop Tunz
Prickly Pete’s Porcupine Challenge
Whizzer iBoomerz
Whizzer Wireless Wow Glove
Whizzer Super Bionic Ear
Whizzer Juggle Balls
Whizzer Power Tower
Pump-Up Pickup
Mind Sketch FX
Whizzer Word Caster
Super Bubble Bangers
Contest Winner!
COPYRIGHT
Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright © 2012 by Kehoe Companies, LLC
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First Edition: February 2012
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ISBN 978-0-316-12090-6