XVI.
Vanellope led Ralph unto
a lightly-guarded factory;
she showed a door—'twas Ralph's own size—
and massive, all of metal made.
"Break down this door; there's karts within,"
said Van to Ralph; but he did pause:
upon the very door itself
there stood a sign: "NO GLITCHES HERE"—
and a drawing, crudely rendered,
of Van's face, with red slash through't.
"Why, you're a full-on criminal!"
said Ralph, looking at this array.
"We shook on it—you cannot welsh!"
And Ralph, once more, see'ng no other way,
did as she bid—smashed door to bits.
"Thank you, Jeeves", she brightly chirped—
"now come with me—let's get to work."
Into a dark room she did lead—
'twas odd, she seemed to know the way,
though banned from here; Ralph puzzled thus.
"Where are the karts?" inquired he.
"We gotta make one—follow me!"
"Wait! Bad idea! To make is not
my expertise; I only wreck."
"I need your help—I cannot work
controls like this, without your strength."
She chose a kart; a button pressed;
machinery, it came to life.
"Welcome to the Bakery!
Let's bake a kart!" a bright voice said.
"Now what is this?" Ralph asked, confused.
"A mini-game—come on, let's go!"
First came selection of the parts
that make up candy racing karts.
Then batter mixed; then on towárds
an oven, there the mix to bake.
All the while, they ran into
difficulty doing this.
Somehów, they kept upon the path—
they did not fail; and, at the last
did decorate the kart to Van's
enthusiastic, "Frosting! Oh, a
buttload, please!" Ralph did comply;
but true to form, broke the machine
'fore task was done. All frosting from the
holding tanks went on the kart—
what would this mean?
They waited for the kart to come;
behind a door, was where it sat.
The door drew back—and it rolled down
assembly line, and came to rest.
A big old mess, if truth be told;
Ralph said, making apology:
"Look, kid—I tried to tell you that
I can't make things; just things, I wreck."
She neared the kart with measured tread.
He was afraid she'd cry, or yell;
but to his great surprise she said:
"I love it! Love it! Yes I do!
I finally have a kart! Yahoo!
The engine's real! Look at these wheels!
This work of art, we both must sign!"
And picked two cake pens, blue and red,
for them to place their names. Ralph
smiled then; this warmed his heart;
he always liked, this helping those
whose need was dire.—
"Perhaps the kid is not so bad;
the short end of the stick she's had;
she's rough at times, but can I not
say same of me? No: I cannot."
They signed the kart: she blue, he red
(approximating to their clothes—
hers was mint green; his, orange was;
yet both did sport acoutrements
the other's color scheme did hold—
her hoodie, it had strings of red;
his undershirt peeked out: mint green).
While he did sign, she gently guyed—
"I didn't know you had a smile."
He smiled back—they shared a laugh.