with a noisy bang.
And poor George, frightened half out of his wits, scooted into themousehole and ran and ran without stopping, through the mouseways asfast as he could, until he reached the train. But, of course, thetrain was no longer moving. All the telepathic mice had cut everycable, telephone line, power line and telegraph line, had also cut thewires on every plane, tank, vehicle, train and ship. They also haddestroyed every file in the world.
So George had no alternative but to walk back to the plant, which hadbeen preserved as a memorial to great-great-grandfather Michael.
* * * * *
It took him three weary weeks to make it, and the first thing henoticed when he got there was the trap in front of the door.Naturally, there was no bait in it and the spring wasn't set, but thetrap was still there.
"George," Clara said to him the moment after she kissed him, "you mustspeak to the janitor about the trap."
So George went outside right away, since he could hear the janitorswish-swashing the dust around.
"_Hello!_" he shouted.
"Hello yourself," the janitor said. "So you're home again."
"My wife wants the trap moved," George said. "She's afraid thechildren might get hurt."
"Sorry," the janitor replied. "My orders were to put a mousetrap byeach mousehole."
"How come you didn't go away with all the other people?" Georgeshouted up at him.
"Stop shouting," the janitor said. Then, "I'm too old to change," headded. "Besides, I have a farm down the road."
"But haven't they stopped paying you?" George demanded.
"What's the difference," the janitor countered, "money can't buyanything any more."
"Well, what will I tell my wife about the trap?" George asked.
The janitor scratched his head. "You might tell her that I'll take itup with the supervisor, if he ever comes back."
So George went inside and told Clara.
"George," she said, stamping her foot, "I can't go on with that trapout there! You know that supervisor won't come back, so you've got togo out and find him."
George, who knew that there weren't many people around anywhere anymore, walked over to his favorite easy chair and sat down. "Clara," hesaid, as he picked up a book, "you can leave or stay as you wish, butthere is nothing more that I can do. I've wasted a full month overthat trap without accomplishing a single thing, and I'm not going tostart that business all over again."
--STEPHEN ARR
* * * * *
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