Doorways to Everywhere (Tourist Trap Book 2)

Chapter 29

It took them a couple hours but they eventually managed to find Sarah's purse and Bobby's ring in the pile of stolen goods. Max's flask was nowhere to be found, although he did find several valuable looking bracelets and watches, which he pocketed.

They walked back out to the main room where Dr. Octavius was studying the machine intently.

"So you got this thing figured out yet or what?" Max asked.

"I do believe we have found the source of the green drainage," Dr. Octavius said. "This dial right here features all the colors of the spectrum and it was set on green. When I put it to red I noticed the red color of my pocket laser started to fade."

"That's fantastic," Max said. "Why don't you set it to orange and get this stupid paint off of me."

"I have some turpentine back at the lab," Dr. Octavius said. "That would probably do the trick with less unintentional side effects."

"So how does this thing drain colors?" Sarah asked. "And why was it set to green?"

"That I'm afraid I don't know," Dr. Octavius said. "It's really quite a fascinating machine. It would probably take me months to learn all of its intricacies, let alone understand it."

"Study it all you want, Doc," Max said. "Just keep the setting off green, will you? You can set it to yellow if you want. Stupid yellow, thinking it's better than other colors. Primary color, my ass."

"You know yellow and blue make up green, don't you?" Sarah asked.

"That's a filthy lie and I won't stand for it," Max said.

"Well never mind the fact that draining yellow would probably leave you looking blue," Sarah said. "Whatever this thing is, it can't be good. Draining any color from a world has got to have some fairly harmful effects. And if these guys are willing to steal from ordinary folks just to power this thing, well, it's not like we're dealing with nice people here."

"I concur," Dr. Octavius sighed. "It really is a fascinating machine. It's a shame I'm going to have to do this." He pulled out a large wrench and began bashing the machine.

"Whoa, cool!" Max said. "You mind if I have a go at that, Doc?"

"There are a couple more wrenches against the wall over there," Dr. Octavius said. "Why don't you both give me a hand?"

They each grabbed a wrench and began hitting the machine with it. Before too long it stopped chugging and lay in a pile of broken cranks and gears.

"That was oddly satisfying," Sarah said. "Not a bad way to work out some pent-up aggression."

"It sure was," Max said. "It also made me work up quite a thirst. It's a good thing S.J. gave me his flask. Good old S.J. He's a mighty fine bloke. I'll tell you what.  This drink's for S.J." He put the flask to his lips and took a swig.

"So now what do we do?" Sarah asked.

"Well the fact that the machine's no longer working is bound to get somebody's attention. Hopefully someone a little higher up in the organization will be by soon to investigate. Since they seem to be so fond of traps I propose we set a little trap of our own and see what we catch."

*

Dr. Jonas Wentworth reacted quickly to the police officer's arrival. He leapt to his work desk where his mind control device was sitting. He scooped it up and pointed it at the cop. "You'll never take me alive, you fascist pig! And now, thanks to my mind control device, you shall do my bidding! My merest whim will be your command. And I believe the first thing I will have you do is shoot that no good wretch, Octavius in his stupid little pasty white legs. We'll see if he laughs at me when he has to walk around on worthless little stubs."