Hot and Steamy by Jean Rabe Page B

set of rubber-rimmed goggles with lenses several times thicker than his eyeglasses, and took out an oblong device the size of his hand. He turned a knob at the side. The device made a zooming noise and a glass-fronted gauge on the top lit up. Mr. Greenberg drew the regulator a little closer to himself and began to go over it carefully, taking readings from the gauge or peering even more closely with a large, handheld lens.
    â€œWho made this device, Miss Lind?” Mr. Greenberg asked, his face very close to the control panel. He ran a careful forefinger over the ceramic knobs and bakelite switches, and then moved on to the hissing pistons cycling up and down in the valves that drove the dynamo.
    â€œMy uncle, Professor Rabenski,” Rosa replied, watching him with growing curiosity. “He is an electrical engineer and inventor.”
    He turned, his wide eyes magnified enormously by the lenses. “Ah, yes! I have heard of Bruce Rabenski.”
    â€œAnd he of you, sir,” Aunt Jean put in, with a smile. “I asked him about you last evening when we returned home.”
    Mr. Greenberg looked pleased. “I would love to consult him about his design.”
    Aunt Jean shook her head. “I’m very sorry, but he is in Africa on a research trip. We consulted him by means of long-distance wireless. He will be back in a month. He’d be pleased to speak with you then.”
    â€œI hope that I can conclude my analysis long before then,” he said, ruefully. “I must go to America in two weeks to defend one of my inventions before the Patent Board. Might I see a schematic of the device?”
    â€œOf course,” Aunt Jean said. “There is one in his desk. I will fetch it.”
    With the document in hand he resumed his studies. Aunt Jean rang for tea. The parlormaid who brought the tray fixed an interested eye on the gentleman caller seated so close to Miss Rosa. Impatiently, Rosa waved her out of the room. The visitor would be the subject of much talk during the servants’ tea, and no doubt with the tradesmen. Aunt Jean should have sent for one of the mechanical valets, who, as they only had rudimentary prerecorded speech, never gossiped. It was a good thing they didn’t know how little interest the man had in her or they would have pitied her.
    â€œFascinating,” Mr. Greenberg said, referring between the regulator and its plans. “But so inefficient.”
    â€œI beg your pardon!” Aunt Jean boomed.
    â€œNo, please let me beg yours,” Mr. Greenberg said, taking off the goggles. He wiped them with an absent expression on his good-natured face. “I forget myself. Professor Rabenski’s invention is wonderful, but I feel that it could be a good deal more, er, compact.”
    â€œDo you know anything about heart stimulation machines?” Aunt Jean asked, annoyed. “This is the smallest portable unit available to date! Until we made this, my niece was tethered to her room, because the machine and its power source took up half of it!”
    Mr. Greenberg nodded. “But all it is meant to do is deliver a minute electrical charge, is it not? Your electric bell does the same thing, in a device a mere fraction of the size. I think I could adapt the design to work with my newest technology.” He held out the schematics to her. “I think vital economies could be made here, here, and here.”
    â€œCould you, sir?” Rosa asked. She had a momentary vision of her freed of her tether, to run down the streets like an urchin. “I would be in your debt.”
    He glanced at her, then down at the magnifying spectacles on his lap. “The debt is mine. Thank you for indulging my interest.”
    â€œGo ahead, if you wish,” Rosa said.
    Mr. Greenberg smiled. He flipped the small levers that held the faceplate on the control panel and began to examine the interior of the device with the aid of the plans. Though Rosa held her breath,