Television is a swell way of projecting
ideas to an audience. But Archy created chaos
when he used it to project real live monsters!
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
Imagination Stories of Science and Fantasy
December 1957
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
For over two weeks, the projections were a national emergency, and the
nation got pretty sore at Archy House.
Archy was on camera when it happened. He always closed the Home Hour in
person, partly because nobody else did it quite as well, partly because
it flattered the audience to see him.
His delivery was almost shaken, the night the thing happened, by the
appearance of Otto Kahler, chief engineer, just out of camera-range,
his hair in his eyes and a wildness about his mouth.
Arch closed his patter smoothly, set a smile through fadeout, and
turned to Kahler.
"What's up, Otto? You look like a ghost that saw a ghost." He let
annoyance enter his voice. He was surrounded by the best men money
could buy, and sometimes they ran around like children.
"The scrambler blew," said Otto. "Somebody spilled a pail of water on
it."
In an office a phone began ringing. "Mr. House," somebody shouted,
"it's the White House calling."
Archy gave Otto a shove. "Dammit, man, switch on the auxiliary. Do I
have to tell you?" Otto just stood there as Archy turned and yelled
into the confusion off the set, "Tell Washington I'll be right with
'em."