A Most Unusual Artifact (11)

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A venture capitalist turned out to be surprisingly easy to locate, with a little help from the public library. McGinty was struck by how close together most of them were, in a little cluster just a few miles from the university.

Getting past the receptionist to see someone also proved not to be overly difficult, with judicious use of the spray. What was becoming hard, however, was answering the commonsense questions of the m with the high forehead and piercing blue eyes seated in the chair opposite him

"How did you come to think up a product like this?"

The question was not asked in an intimidating tone.

"Well, ah, actually, I didn't think of it--I just noticed it."

The other man peered over the tops of his reading glasses.

McGinty readjusted himself in his seat.

"Actually, I wouldn't think you'd be surprised by that. I mean, didn't Styrofoam start out as a laboratory mistake?"

The other man nodded. "True enough. But what were you trying to make?"

"Well, uh, I was just..."

Excuse me?"

McGinty tired of the attempt at evasion.

"Actually, I wasn't trying to formulate anything at all. I just fell asleep, and when I woke up, there it was."

The other man stared past him at the back wall of the room. When finally his gaze returned to McGinty, his expression was patient.

"I'm afraid I'm not getting this. Obviously there weren't genies, or lamps, or that sort of thing..."

McGinty made a strained attempt at a smile.

"No," he said. "There were just my grandchildren. And a couple of their friends. And a chemistry set."

He swallowed with difficulty. "And I guess whatever else may have been in the house."

He couldn't read the other man's reaction. He continued on with a kind of sheepish tenacity. "I was supposed to be watching them. I dozed off in my chair."

Now the man looked visibly astonished. "So you're not even a chemist?"

McGinty shrugged apologetically. "If I were, I could have figured out what this stuff is and how to make it myself."

© COPYRIGHT 1994 ROBERT WINTER.  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.