A LOST MOMENT
"Anyone know what this. goo is?" Malone held out a beaker of green gel under Veronica's nose.
"Better ask Challenger, before you go messing with any of that stuff." Veronica took a quick whiff of the substance and immediately wished she hadn't. She pushed it back to Malone. With a reporter's instinct he held the vial to the light and proceeded to smell it himself. Setting it quickly back on the table, he took a step back from it.
"Challenger?" Malone eyed the container suspiciously. "Why would he leave his experiment in the kitchen?"
"Dunno, but it looks like what Marguerite cooked last night for dinner." Roxton glanced at it and frowned. He picked-up the book he had been reading from the table near the beaker and he continued across the room and to his favorite chair.
"Everybody had better start being a little nicer to me, or I will just refuse to cook any more." Marguerite was sitting in her favorite chair, which was coincidentally located directly opposite Roxton's choice. He looked at her from the corner of his eye. A small hint of a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"Finally!" A triumphant shout sounded from Challenger's laboratory below.
"Guess that Challenger doesn't appreciate your culinary skills either." Roxton grinned at Marguerite over his book. 'Hope she knows I'm kidding,' he thought to himself. His smile faded cautiously at the glare that now marred her expression.
"I hope you are kidding." Marguerite's eyes narrowed.
"Just what I was looking for!" Challenger appeared in the doorway. Black and green smudges scattered over his face and clothes indicated a hard night's work and more than one minor explosion. Grinning widely, his teeth shone from the dirt on his face like spotlights. Challenger rushed to the table and snatched the vial from its resting place. The smile widened further as he examined the contents and compared it to the information in his science journal.
"Kidding?" Marguerite hissed again to Roxton.
"Listen Marguerite," Roxton leaned closer to her and whispered in her ear. Marguerite's eyes widened briefly, then she smiled. She motioned for him to turn, so that she could whisper her reply. As he turned his head, she leaned forward, ever closer until Roxton could feel her gentle breath on his ear. When he thought he could bear it no longer she turned and kicked the chair from under him.
"Marguerite!" Roxton looked up at her. His eyes were full of both surprise and pain. Marguerite, unable to stand that look in his eyes, turned to leave the room. Before she took a single step, however, she stopped and turned back to him. Still he looked at her. She looked away, but was unable to resist. Marguerite offered her hand to help Lord Roxton off the floor. He smiled yet again and accepted her hand. With a single tug, Roxton pulled her down on top of himself. Marguerite pulled back slightly, ready for a fight, but at the smile on his face, all she could do was laugh. Roxton leaned forward and whispered again in her ear. This time her only response was to kiss him.
"Now children," Veronica called. "Do we need to separate you two?"
"Oh please!" Malone added from behind her.
"People! I have important information here." Challenger waved the beaker in the air. "Doesn't anyone want to know what I've found?"
"Quick, everyone, gather 'round the Professor." Roxton called from the floor, then whispered again to Marguerite, who giggled at what he said. "What's so important Challenger?" Roxton pushed Marguerite off himself and struggled to stand.
"Really!" Marguerite looked up at Roxton and offered her hand. Eyeing it dubiously, he helped her up.
"Such Chivalry," Malone smirked as he moved to where Challenger still stood waving the beaker of green goo.
"Too bad you wouldn't know anything about it," Veronica snapped as Malone pushed between her and the table.
"Usually I get a better response to one of my discoveries." Challenger finally lowered his arm.
"Very sorry old boy," Roxton and Marguerite moved closer as well.
"Well, what is it?" They asked all at once.
"Xynathiax!" Challenger pronounced it to the group and awaited the thrilled reaction. Still waiting for the adoration that was sure to follow, he looked around the group. In response to the blank stares, he explained in a rather deflated tone. "Xynathiax. it's an artificial compound that, when properly produced and applied to an organic substance, creates a rather substantial sweetening effect. but." Here Challenger paused for what he knew would be a dramatic climax, "Without the calories!"
"Yes." Malone began after a moment or two. "But what do we use it for?"
"Zangas! That one, what was his name? Astarbuk! He would pay a fortune for something like this!" Marguerite said with an all too familiar glint in her eye.
"Anyone know what this. goo is?" Malone held out a beaker of green gel under Veronica's nose.
"Better ask Challenger, before you go messing with any of that stuff." Veronica took a quick whiff of the substance and immediately wished she hadn't. She pushed it back to Malone. With a reporter's instinct he held the vial to the light and proceeded to smell it himself. Setting it quickly back on the table, he took a step back from it.
"Challenger?" Malone eyed the container suspiciously. "Why would he leave his experiment in the kitchen?"
"Dunno, but it looks like what Marguerite cooked last night for dinner." Roxton glanced at it and frowned. He picked-up the book he had been reading from the table near the beaker and he continued across the room and to his favorite chair.
"Everybody had better start being a little nicer to me, or I will just refuse to cook any more." Marguerite was sitting in her favorite chair, which was coincidentally located directly opposite Roxton's choice. He looked at her from the corner of his eye. A small hint of a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"Finally!" A triumphant shout sounded from Challenger's laboratory below.
"Guess that Challenger doesn't appreciate your culinary skills either." Roxton grinned at Marguerite over his book. 'Hope she knows I'm kidding,' he thought to himself. His smile faded cautiously at the glare that now marred her expression.
"I hope you are kidding." Marguerite's eyes narrowed.
"Just what I was looking for!" Challenger appeared in the doorway. Black and green smudges scattered over his face and clothes indicated a hard night's work and more than one minor explosion. Grinning widely, his teeth shone from the dirt on his face like spotlights. Challenger rushed to the table and snatched the vial from its resting place. The smile widened further as he examined the contents and compared it to the information in his science journal.
"Kidding?" Marguerite hissed again to Roxton.
"Listen Marguerite," Roxton leaned closer to her and whispered in her ear. Marguerite's eyes widened briefly, then she smiled. She motioned for him to turn, so that she could whisper her reply. As he turned his head, she leaned forward, ever closer until Roxton could feel her gentle breath on his ear. When he thought he could bear it no longer she turned and kicked the chair from under him.
"Marguerite!" Roxton looked up at her. His eyes were full of both surprise and pain. Marguerite, unable to stand that look in his eyes, turned to leave the room. Before she took a single step, however, she stopped and turned back to him. Still he looked at her. She looked away, but was unable to resist. Marguerite offered her hand to help Lord Roxton off the floor. He smiled yet again and accepted her hand. With a single tug, Roxton pulled her down on top of himself. Marguerite pulled back slightly, ready for a fight, but at the smile on his face, all she could do was laugh. Roxton leaned forward and whispered again in her ear. This time her only response was to kiss him.
"Now children," Veronica called. "Do we need to separate you two?"
"Oh please!" Malone added from behind her.
"People! I have important information here." Challenger waved the beaker in the air. "Doesn't anyone want to know what I've found?"
"Quick, everyone, gather 'round the Professor." Roxton called from the floor, then whispered again to Marguerite, who giggled at what he said. "What's so important Challenger?" Roxton pushed Marguerite off himself and struggled to stand.
"Really!" Marguerite looked up at Roxton and offered her hand. Eyeing it dubiously, he helped her up.
"Such Chivalry," Malone smirked as he moved to where Challenger still stood waving the beaker of green goo.
"Too bad you wouldn't know anything about it," Veronica snapped as Malone pushed between her and the table.
"Usually I get a better response to one of my discoveries." Challenger finally lowered his arm.
"Very sorry old boy," Roxton and Marguerite moved closer as well.
"Well, what is it?" They asked all at once.
"Xynathiax!" Challenger pronounced it to the group and awaited the thrilled reaction. Still waiting for the adoration that was sure to follow, he looked around the group. In response to the blank stares, he explained in a rather deflated tone. "Xynathiax. it's an artificial compound that, when properly produced and applied to an organic substance, creates a rather substantial sweetening effect. but." Here Challenger paused for what he knew would be a dramatic climax, "Without the calories!"
"Yes." Malone began after a moment or two. "But what do we use it for?"
"Zangas! That one, what was his name? Astarbuk! He would pay a fortune for something like this!" Marguerite said with an all too familiar glint in her eye.