Noel M. Loomis

“ Sometimes a person's unpleasant mood would be more painful to him than a spanking—well, that is to say, an ordinary spanking.
He had heard his father say only last night, "It's a chance to make a million—if I can trust him. And it won't take but a month," he had said wistfully. "We could move up to the mountains or down to the seashore. You wouldn't have to worry about Tommie getting picked on by the big boys next door, and you wouldn't have to quit playing bridge to come home when you lose your five dollars." His father had looked at mother fondly. ”

“ But he watched as the four hydrogen nuclei of his own set went together and formed a glowing blue helium nucleus.
Then he watched Bennie's set between his chubby legs. Presently the hydrogen nuclei, swirling in their orbits, ran together—and there was a flash of green light and an explosion. The four nuclei disappeared.
Tommie felt bad. Bennie was indignant. "What's the big idea—making them explode?" he demanded.
Tommie didn't understand.
"You must have some kind of electricity in you," said Bennie, "that makes 'em explode." ”

“ Being a prodigy was all right if one had a body to go with it. When a boy had a ten-year-old mind it was irritating to have a three-year-old body as clumsy as the body of a baby.
He lost an orange-colored electron just outside of the door, but he let it lie there for a moment. Mrs. Jones was too close to the door. Maybe Mrs. Jones would go back into the front room where dad was worrying so much. Secretly Tommie chuckled. Dad didn't like Mrs. Jones any more than Tommie did. ”

“ He set that up and turned on the little artificial sun and then just watched. It was fun to see the sunlight soak into the green liquid in the test tubes, and come out at the bottom as bubbles of carbon dioxide. It was quiet, too.
"So you think," his father was saying, "that we should have fifty thousand to start with."
"We should have about twenty-five cash, and twenty-five in reserve," Mr. Franklin said. He was a very handsome man.
"How long will it take us to get into production?"
"That all depends on you," said Mr. Franklin. "The only thing we have to worry about is getting the germanium. ”

“ Dad shook his head. "It would take twenty-five thousand to test it. We'd need a lot of equipment. And you can't take it to any of the big manufacturers, because you'd lose it fast if they discovered it would work. That's where the gamble comes in. I'd have to back it, sight unseen."
"There are lots of gyp artists going around," his mother suggested. ”

“ He'd known for some time that he could mentally suggest things for his parents to say, but he'd never tried it so openly before. He knew one thing, though. He'd better be plenty careful with this power, or he'd get walloped. ”