Chapter 30

Wentworth James stepped up to the podium before a small assembly of reporters.

His arm was still in a sling, but otherwise he was none the worse for wear after the accident that had destroyed the power plant.

The complex at James Laboratories, however, was still devastated by the explosion.

This press conference was therefore being held in the

company's administrative building, which had been spared the wholesale destruction of the secure

labs. It had been arranged in haste, and most of the support staff didn't seem to fully understand

what was being announced today, but if Wentworth James wanted a press conference, they were not

about to question him.

Jack Peters yawned and wondered what could possibly be so important about some stuffed shirt inventor that he had to roll out of bed at this hour of the afternoon and shove aside the cub reporter

the Chronicle had intended to send to this event. But the voice who called herself Mother Hen

had been most insistent.

It had to be him, and it had to be now.

He had a terrible sudden thought and hoped she did not intend that he should be prepared for action.

Jack Peters did occasionally get into trouble of the life and limb variety on behalf of the Red Panda,

but he was not the sort of agent who was assumed to be carrying a gun unless instructed to the contrary. At least he hoped that was still the case. James nodded,

passed the small, disinterested group of reporters to a cluster of a dozen men in white coats at the

back of the room. On his signal they began to walk past the podium and toward a door at the back of the room which led to the inner workings of the room. On his signal, they began to walk past the podium and toward a door at the back

of the room which led to the inner workings of the complex.

Gentlemen of the press, James began. No doubt you are aware of the disaster that rocked this

facility just a short time ago, and the setback this explosion caused to one of our ongoing

projects, a revolutionary new power

...