Bea reflexively snapped her two cupped hands around the flying white mouse, and deposited it back in the terrarium. Hortensia quickly secured the lid.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cNo,\u201d said Bea. \u201cNot good. The same thing is happening to Bob.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cBob who?\u201d asked Hortensia as she riffled through her notes on the counter.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cBob the fruit cart pony,\u201d replied Bea. \u201cHe\u2019s sprouting wing nubs. Just like these mice.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cAnd people are eating koohoo…\u201d said Hortensia reflectively. \u201cI wonder if it\u2019s affecting them?\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cWeird<\/em> stuff is happening,\u201d said Bea. \u201cReally weird stuff. Gordy\u2019s hair is turning red. Kitty\u2019s hair and her nails are growing like weeds.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cOkay.\u201d said Hortensia decisively. She grabbed a stack of papers, and straightened it with two short raps on the countertop. \u201cNow we are<\/em> going to keep our appointment with Mr. Scalmo at Bean-Tek, but we\u2019re not<\/em> going to be talking about research grants. He\u2019s going to have to recall all products containing koohoo, and he\u2019s got to do it now! Let\u2019s go.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tA clatter and thump came from the hallway, as if someone tripped, or dropped something.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cMiss Flannery!\u201d came the accompanying voice. Bea recognized that voice. She positioned herself protectively near the group of potted plants which seemed most vulnerable to being knocked off the counter, and stood back as Miles Oakenshaw entered the lab.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cMiss Flannery,\u201d he repeated. He was as awkward as ever, and his glasses were slightly askew. \u201cMay I have a word with you?\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d began Hortensia as she put on a jacket. \u201cMr…Oakley, is it? My sister and I were just leaving. I have an appointment to get to.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cOakenshaw,\u201d said Miles Oakenshaw. \u201cPlease…our office has received anecdotal evidence that there may be…um…concerns about the plant you\u2019re studying. Is there any way we could compare notes?\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tBea almost felt sorry for him. He was such a dork, but seemed so sincere.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cHere,\u201d said Hortensia, slapping a pile of papers into his hands. \u201cIt\u2019s a rough outline of what I\u2019ve found so far. And yes, there are problems. Sit down, take your time…or take it with you if you want to. But we have to go now.\u201d <\/p>\n \n\t\u201cMay I call you to discuss these later?\u201d asked Miles, as Hortensia and Bea disappeared into the hallway. <\/p>\n \n\t\u201cOf course you may,\u201d called Bea, speaking for Hortensia. \u201cBut I\u2019ll tell you what else…while you\u2019re here, you might want to take a look at the mice over in the corner.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tShe led the way into the elevator with Hortensia close behind, and the doors closed.<\/p>\n —–<\/p>\n \tBea and Hortensia caught the Number Eleven bus at the stop in front of the University Student Center. They traveled around Lake Stirling and through the bustling business district, until they reached a stretch of darkly industrial blocks where the streets were nearly deserted.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cGlummer Place!\u201d barked the bus driver as the bus came to a squeaky halt at the corner and the exit door opened.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cAre you sure this is right?\u201d Hortensia asked Bea. They stepped off the bus onto a barren gray sidewalk on an equally barren block of cliff-like, featureless gray buildings.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cLook at the letter,\u201d said Bea.<\/p>\n \nHortensia fished the invitation out of her satchel and Bea took it.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201c2151 Glummer Place,\u201d said Bea, fingering the letterhead. \u201cOk. So, this is Glummer Place, and that ugly but unremarkable building there,\u201d she continued, pointing to a blank granite block structure in front of them, \u201cis 2003 Glummer Place, which means…it should just be another block that-a-way.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tThe bus pulled away with a squeaky groan, and Bea resolutely proceeded up the block with Hortensia right behind. The blank building walls lining the streets were unmarked by signs, except for one poster-sized case mounted on the corner, just on the other side of the cross street, but even it appeared to be empty of any kind of advertisement. But as they stepped from the street to the curb, the blank glass case suddenly popped to life, revealing itself to be a colorful animated display screen, complete with sound effects.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWelcome to the International Headquarters of Bean-Tek Industries!\u201d<\/em> began a peppy announcer, as the sign displayed an animated sequence of happy people snacking on koo-bars. \u201cSign up for a factory tour! And be sure to visit our Koo-snack Emporiums, now open all over the city of New Stirling, for all your gift-giving needs!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \n\t\u201cKoo-snack Emporiums?\u201d repeated Bea glaring at the screen, which was now showing a tempting array of Christmas stockings spilling over with koo-bars.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cAt least we know we\u2019ve come to the right place,\u201d said Hortensia, continuing down the sidewalk.<\/p>\n \n\tBea followed, still glancing back at the offending sign, so she was taken by surprise when a perky female voice, from nowhere, instructed \u201cPlease step onto the moving sidewalk!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \n\tIndeed, barely visible until it was at their feet, the blank concrete pavement was suddenly interrupted by a moving conveyor belt, hemmed in by the building\u2019s stone wall and a clear plexiglass railing.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cYikes!\u201d exclaimed Bea. \u201cOkay! Okay! Step on it Hort.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cOkay,\u201d said Hort. \u201cI\u2019m on, I\u2019m on.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cKoohoo,\u201d<\/em> said a voice which seemed to be piped right along with the moving walkway, \u201cthe amazing tropical bean that everyone\u2019s talking about…\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \n\t\u201cNot tropical,\u201d protested Hortensia, \u201ctropical montane.\u201d<\/em> <\/p>\n \n\t\u201c…and so good for you!\u201d<\/em> continued the voice. \u201cLook for Koo-Bars everywhere!\u201d<\/em> <\/p>\n \n\t\u201cThey aren\u2019t kidding about the everywhere part,\u201d said Bea as the moving walkway suddenly deposited them onto a small stone-paved plaza in front of the stone fa\u00e7ade of a building, marked, by means of brass letters affixed to the otherwise blank wall: BEAN-TEK CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS, 2151 GLUMMER PLACE.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWe have a slight problem,\u201d said Bea. She scanned the front of the building. \u201cThere\u2019s no doorway.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cNo doorway?\u201d replied Hortensia. \u201cHow can there be no doorway?\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tBut before Bea could answer, a short but proud fanfare blasted from the same invisible source, and a voice began to announce:<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWelcome to Bean-Tek!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \n\tAt this a circular hole, five feet in diameter, appeared in the center of the plaza. To the beat of a lofty musical refrain, a six foot tall statue of the smiling Bean-Tek bean rose from the hole in front of them and lowered one mechanical arm to display, in its oversized palm, several bright green, sample-sized koo-bars.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cPlease enjoy this complimentary sample,\u201d<\/em> instructed the invisible person, \u201cin our snappy new \u2018yum\u2019 size!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \n\t\u201cMore like, please bury this hazardous waste,\u201d said Bea, ignoring the outstretched mechanical hand. <\/p>\n \n\t\u201cSo what now?\u201d wondered Hortensia. \u201cHow do we get in the building? Hey! Mr. Bean-man!\u201d she said, as if the invisible voice might also have invisible ears. \u201cWhere\u2019s the door?\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cMaybe,\u201d suggested Bea, who was staring intently at the Bean-man, \u201cwe should push one of these buttons.\u201d <\/p>\n \n\tAbout waist-high on the mechanical bean-man, a panel of lit buttons glinted enticingly. A blue one labeled \u201cemployees,\u201d a yellow one labeled \u201cdeliveries,\u201d and a green one labeled \u201cvisitors.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cVisitors it is,\u201d said Bea, and she gave the green button a decisive push.<\/p>\n \n\tThe bean-man began to rise, and as he did the platform on which he stood became taller and taller, stretching into a cylindrical compartment with walls of glass, and a doorway, which slid open in front of Bea and Hortensia.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWelcome,<\/em>\u201d said the voice. \u201cPlease step into the module. And enjoy your visit to Bean-Tek Industries.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Bea reflexively snapped her two cupped hands around the flying white mouse, and deposited it back in the terrarium. Hortensia quickly secured the lid. \u201cNo,\u201d said Bea. \u201cNot good. The same thing is happening to Bob.\u201d \u201cBob who?\u201d asked Hortensia as she riffled through her notes on the counter. \u201cBob the fruit cart pony,\u201d replied […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[11],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.emilygillespieclement.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/339"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.emilygillespieclement.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.emilygillespieclement.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.emilygillespieclement.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.emilygillespieclement.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=339"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"http:\/\/www.emilygillespieclement.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/339\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":394,"href":"http:\/\/www.emilygillespieclement.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/339\/revisions\/394"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.emilygillespieclement.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=339"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.emilygillespieclement.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=339"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.emilygillespieclement.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=339"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}