“They’re made to be used,” explained Vly, discerning their thoughts. “You can’t get better machines than these today. The new stuff doesn’t last and can’t be depended on.”
Mark, the engine master of the trio, immediately thought of the precision instruments produced by Starlight Enterprise. He opened his mouth, but said nothing. He knew that SE made quality machinery, but little of it was iron. He didn’t want to make a fool of himself by talking about something of which he knew little. Instead he smiled and decided to take a closer look.
He leaned over the closest apparatus. His mild skepticism quickly turned to awe. “My goodness, Mr. Vly! This is incredible! These machines are beautiful!” Vly didn’t smile, but his face softened a little.
Joe and Zip were looking around the room. On two walls were hung various hand tools. Several shelves held cans of oil and paint, boxes of supplies, and dozens of samples of minerals and crystals. The other two walls were lined with books, half of them behind glass.
Zip turned his head to the side to read the titles of some of the books. He saw The Complete Works of William Shakespeare; Kon Tiki by Thor Heyerdahl; Homer’s Odyssey; and several advanced textbooks on mineralogy, metallurgy, engineering, and electronics. Zip’s eyebrows lifted. He was impressed.
Mark was looking at the books on the other wall. Basic Watercolor, he read. The Stories of Edgar Allen Poe was next to The Life of Johann Sebastian Bach. Mark whistled. “Not what I expected, Mr. Vly,” he said. “Not at all what I expected.”
“Uh huh,” murmured Montezuma Vly. “Let’s get down to business. Follow me.” He squeezed past Zip in the crowded little workplace, passed through a narrow door on the other side of the room, and through a passageway. The Starmen followed.
A small furry shape leaped through the air in front of Joe. “Ack!” exclaimed the lanky Starman, stumbling backward, knocking over a couple of small boxes as his arms flailed. Nuts and bolts scattered on the floor. Joe backed into another box and sat down hard on it.
“What—?” exclaimed Vly, turning.
“What was that?” cried Joe. “Something jumped across the corridor. I think it went into this recess here.” He pointed to an opening between a few stacked boxes.