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“Ha!” Holsapple pounded the top of the box mounted to the back of the Flivver. “Can’t even get your story straight, can you?”
Bludergard raised his hand. “Perhaps if you gave him a chance to rehearse it some more—”
“You set those booby traps, Stibbins! You wrecked those motorcars!”
“Those are scurrilous accusatories, guv’nor!” Stibbins tried his best to appear outraged. “You’ll be hearin’ from my solicitor once this race is over!”
“He has a solicitor?” I said to Macalley.
“The poor fellow must get hazard pay,” Macalley observed.
“Now, Professor,” Bludergard said calmly, “there's no need for such harsh words. Let us finish the race, and then we can discuss this further over afternoon tea.”
“Tea?” Holsapple seemed dumbfounded.
“I think he's one of those coffee drinkin’ types, guv’nor,” Stibbins said.
“That would actually explain quite a bit,” I said to myself.
“One does not take tea with blackguards!” the Professor shouted.
Bludergard raised an eyebrow. “Even if there are biscuits?”
“There’s only one way to deal with cheaters! Lulu!”
“Professor?” Lulu said from the front seat of the Flivver. “We could wait until after the race is over to report them.”
“Justice does not wait for the finish line!” Holsapple exclaimed. “Activate the Astounding Eldritch Blunderbuss!”
Lulu nodded and tapped a red button on the side of the dashboard. “Blunderbuss activated.”
I watched with a growing dread as the box next to Holsapple opened. A large device that resembled a narrow, streamlined cannon emerged from the box, tubes and canisters feeding dwimm into the barrel. The Blunderbuss was mounted on a stand, and as Holsapple spun the wheel, it swiveled towards the motorcars behind him, including mine. As the Blunderbuss buzzed like a swarm of especially crabby hornets, the barrel started to glow a brilliant turquoise.
I suspect that, at that moment, I had gone paler than a ghost with a bad case of influenza. “Macalley?” I said weakly.
“Yes, madame?”
“Duck.”
“Excellent suggestion, madame.” Macalley crouched in his seat, lowering his head to what would hopefully be safety.
Just enough time for one more thing...
What could this possibly mean? Find out next week!
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