8. He Triggered It
Los Angeles knew all about the Creativity Bowl; Graisseux
himself would present a cube of gold to the winner during
a nationally televised prime-time extravaganza.
But the headquarters turned out to be a huge deserted
warehouse. I picked the lock and Thalia and Mortensen and
I saw long rows and high tiers of wooden crates. Mortensen
pried the top off a crate; it was filled with four-inch cubes
of brass. Each cube was stamped AWARD OF HIGHEST
MERIT. Thalia picked one up and said, "They're hollow."
Suddenly a bandged face loomed. "So you have discovered our little plan,"
said Graisseux. "Every entrant in
the Creativity Bowl will win second prize."
Noneck and Singlebrow herded us into a windowless
office. Graisseux took the brass cube from Thalia and said,
"We'll ship these prizes into every corner of the graphics
world." He threw the cube against the wall. It fell apart
and a cascade of squirming maggots fell to the floor.
"The maggots will thrive on the ideas in the creative
departments throughout the land. They'll grow...and then
one day they will emerge from their cocoons as adults, and
I will have enough bugs to end all new ideas everywhere!
"But first, Mr. Mortensen, please assist me in a, final
demonstration." He signaled; Singlebrow tossed a cageful
of adult bugs into the office and slammed the door. The
bugs swarmed around us. I still had Graisseux's gun--I
aimed and pulled the trigger, but nothing happened.
Thalia and I slumped to the floor under the bug attack,
but Gordon, with the thickest cloud around him, took the gun
and pulled the trigger. We were blinded by a brilliant flash.
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