Setting: Halfway through CK’s demonstration of her Thetablender at the Loon Lake Middle School Science Fair.
Every time Butch changed his thought, it combined with CK’s and the center screen showed all kinds of silly things painting a house. The giggles grew louder. Kids stood up and craned their necks to get a better look.
CK’s image quivered and a line of static scrolled up the screen. She had trouble keeping her concentration.
The boys in the back hooted louder. Butch grinned. Mrs. Plattapepper appeared on Butch’s monitor. First just her face, and then, there was Mrs. Plattapepper painting a house in red polka-dotted underwear.
The auditorium roared. Mrs. Plattapepper was livid.
“Butch!” she screamed. “A dog! Now! Students! Quiet!”
For a moment, Butch did what Mrs. Plattapepper demanded and thought of a dog playing in a yard. CK focused hard on a man painting a house. There, on the center screen, was an image of a big black lab, jumping in a yard, dipping his tail into a pail of purple paint and splashing it here and there on a fine white house.
The kids went wild, springing to their feet, cheering and shouting. Even Mrs. Plattapepper, clapping vigorously, leapt up and screamed with delight. Pa beamed.
There was pandemonium in the auditorium.
The reaction was more than CK and Butch were prepared to handle. Butch thought about how in the world this girl, this geeky girl who looked like a boy, could have invented such a cool computer.
The screens flickered wildly.
CK lost her concentration, unsure of what was happening. She opened her eyes and looked toward Pa for support. The air behind him was visibly trembling now, to the same vibration as the Thetablender.
“Look behind you,” CK mouthed to Pa, pointing.