Benjamin Franklinstein Meets the Fright Brothers Read Free

began to speak.
    â€œI am here today to talk about reports we have received of what some are calling giant monster bats flying over Philadelphia. In fact, some citizens have even called my office suggesting these may be vampires. Clearly, this is an overreaction to something that no doubt has a simple explanation. Still, I assure you that we take this issue very seriously . . .”
    â€œA female mayor?” marveled Franklin. “Fascinating!”
    â€œI’ve asked two authorities, Gilbert Girard from the Federal Aviation Administration and Dr. Robert Kane of the Philadelphia Zoo, to head up a special investigation. They will report directly to my office. In the meantime, we have established a toll-free hotline . . .”
    â€œOh, yeah, I read about this,” said Victor. “Enormous bats flying around the city? It’s preposterous.”
    â€œA short time ago, I would have told you that instant pudding was preposterous,” said Franklin. “How can you be so certain?”
    â€œTrust me.”
    â€œSo there are no giant bats? No . . . vampires?”
    â€œOf course not,” said Victor. “It’s probably just a publicity stunt. We don’t have giant bats in Philadelphia, and there’s no such thing as vampires.”
    THAT NIGHT . . .
    Glenda Milstead, mayor of Philadelphia, poured herself a cup of tea and carried it out to the patio. A long day at City Hall had left her with a bad headache, and she needed to relax. She settled into her deck chair and gazed at the night sky.
    It was dusk, and the stars were just beginning to emerge. Overhead, a bat flitted by, followed by two more. She watched them zigzag across the sky, chasing insects too small to see.
    Bats. The last thing she wanted to think about.
    All day long, her office had fielded more reports of giant bat sightings. Just this morning there had been almost sixty calls. Hopefully, the investigation would yield results. Something strange was definitely going on, and she planned to get to the bottom of it.
    A soft rustling sound came from the bushes.
    â€œWho’s there?” Mayor Milstead called.
    Silence.
    The wind whispered and shook the trees.
    Mayor Milstead let out a long sigh. All this talk of giant bats had her spooked. She turned to head back inside, then paused. Something still didn’t feel right.
    Fwoooooooosh!
    Mayor Milstead felt a sharp bite on the side of her neck.

CHAPTER TWO
    A Simple Solution
    Wednesday was the Fourth of July. Victor rose bright and early and suddenly knew exactly what he had to do. It was an idea so simple, so obvious, he couldn’t understand why he hadn’t thought of it before.
    There was no way Victor and Ben could be around twenty-four hours a day to listen for a call from the electrophone. But . . . they could invent something to do the listening for them. An alert system.
    Still in his underwear, Victor raced to his desk and began to sketch some ideas. He knew the electrophone had a distinctive electrical charge when it was in use. All they’d need to do would be to attach a simple sensor to the pickup coil, and that sensor could connect to his laptop, and the laptop could send an alert to his phone . . .
    One by one, the pieces snapped into place. The idea was simplicity itself. And with Ben’s help, they might even be able to get it up and running before the parade started. Victor threw on some clothes and grabbed his laptop.
    Downstairs, he knocked on the front door of Franklin’s apartment. It was early, and there was a good chance the old man was still asleep. But this idea was so good, Victor was certain his friend wouldn’t mind being disturbed.
    Technically, Franklin didn’t sleep. Whereas a normal person’s body was more than half water, Franklin’s coursed with electrified harmonic fluid, a wondrous substance that had allowed him to survive for centuries in suspended animation.
    Unfortunately, the harmonic fluid lost