{"product_id":"2940014044165","title":"The Sorcerer's Apprentice","description":"The fiasco at the big No. I Plant atop Pikes Peak began like this.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Hoskins,\" said the man known the world over as The Sorcerer,\u003cbr\u003eturning from the empty water cooler, \"will you pick up the phone\u003cbr\u003eplease and call the storeroom down at the ten-thousand-foot level and\u003cbr\u003eask them to send up a bottle of mineral water? This one is dry.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Yes, Sir,\" said Hoskins, obediently, and began flicking the\u003cbr\u003enumber. He clicked impatiently several times, then announced, \"The\u003cbr\u003ephone's dead.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"That's so,\" agreed The Sorcerer. \"I forgot. They are having some\u003cbr\u003etrouble in No. 31 Distribution Station. The phones may be out for\u003cbr\u003eanother hour. But I'm thirsty as hell. Won't you hop on the elevator,\u003cbr\u003elike a good boy, and drop down and bring up one yourself?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Y-yes, Sir,\" acknowledged Hoskins, reluctantly. He was the junior\u003cbr\u003emost of the six young scientists honored with the appointment of being\u003cbr\u003eunderstudies to the foremost scientist of all time. It griped him to\u003cbr\u003ebe asked to do what he regarded as menial things. It was not fitting\u003cbr\u003eto his august position. But he shoved away the mass of formulas he was\u003cbr\u003eworking on and got grudgingly to his feet. With just a show of\u003cbr\u003esulkiness--enough to be unmistakable, yet discreet--he slouched toward\u003cbr\u003ethe door.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Dumb egg, that,\" whispered Bob Hallet to Freddie Palmer, next to\u003cbr\u003ehim. \"How in the name of Einstein did he ever get this far?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Sh-h-h,\" cautioned Palmer. \"Didn't you know? He's Sol Hoskins'\u003cbr\u003enephew--\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"You mean the General Director of Production at Washington? Oh!\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd that is the end of that scene. Nearly an hour later The\u003cbr\u003eSorcerer rose, stretched and yawned.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Well, boys,\" be called, \"let's call it half a day and drop down\u003cbr\u003eto the Quick-and-Dirty and snatch a bite of chow. Looks as if the kid\u003cbr\u003efell down the shaft or something.\"","brand":"WDS Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47073899086064,"sku":"2940014044165","price":2.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940014044165_p0.jpg?v=1763599541","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940014044165","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}