EOIN COLFER wait while he had lunch with the baby faced Arkansas governor of Howard Stark's secretary Annabel sat behind her glossy wooden desk without offering so much as a word of sympathy or even a glass of water In fact the only thing she sent Tony's way was a disapproving glare so heated that Tony felt it was interfering with his elaborate hairstyle Come on Annabel he said Ease up on the daggers You're melting my head Annabel did not ease up If anything her glare grew more intense and she added a curled lip to the expression Tony felt he should challenge this blatant antagonism Is this about Cissy Is that what this is about Annabel snapped a pencil between her clenched fists My daughter's name is Cecilia not Cissy Hey she told me Cissy and I was not about to argue with such a pretty girl She told me Cissy so I went with Cissy Annabel jumped on that You went with her all right down to the beach in the middle of the night It was nine thirty said Tony I wanted to show Cis Cecilia the dolphin that swims into the cove That was it Nothing happened The dolphin didn't even show up Maybe nothing happened conceded Annabel but you have a reputation Tony Every mom in Malibu has your name on her watch list Come on objected Tony I'm fourteen Harmless Annabel actually snorted which was new for the 2
THE GAUNTLET you are normally demure secretary Harmless Boys like never harmless You are the opposite of harmless That would be harmful said Tony who had never learned the talent of keeping his mouth shut even while chewing gum That's right said Annabel And maybe you haven't done any harm yet But you will Tony was a little stunned He had been in this outer office maybe a thousand times and all Annabel had ever said to him was Good morning Master Stark or I'll tell your father you're here Master Stark Now it was all laser eyes and insults Could it be that Annabel had a point Could it be that he Tony Stark boy genius and all around charmer was actually harmful in some way Every mom in Malibu had his name on a list They would soon cross his name off that list if they knew what was in his backpack Cecilia is a great gal he said giving some of his all-around all-around charm a try I would never harm her Annabel straightened some papers on her desk that already looked pretty straight First she said don't call my daughter a gal This is twentieth century California not the Wild West Second maybe you won't harm her but you probably won't call her either That's how cruel boys like you operate isn't it Master Tony Tony squinted suspiciously When Annabel called him 3
EOIN COLFER Master Tony it did not sound like she meant Master Tony It sounded like she meant exactly the same thing that his mom meant when she called him Anthony which was pretty much the same as his father meant when he called him anything as though every variation of his name was an accusation of something Tony Anthony Master Stark All disapproving Tony could hear his father's voice now Tony Get your head out of the clouds Actually he could hear his father's voice as Howard Stark back from his three hour lunch steamrolled through reception the customary thunderhead scowl pasted on his face Tony let's have all day go This better be good because I don't Tony hitched his backpack a little higher It's good Dad Real good said Tony thinking He's gonna make me partner when he sees this It better be said Howard Stark pushing through the double doors into his office Annabel hold my calls he said over his shoulder then added For three minutes Shouldn't take more than that Tony swallowed It would take him two minutes to get the device set up That left one minute for the pitch 4
THE GAUNTLET He squared his shoulders One minute is all you need boy genius he thought and he followed his father into the office or as the employees of Stark Industries referred to it in whispers the Lion's Den Howard Stark was not a fan of California architecture Floor to ceiling windows were not his thing In his opinion opinion more looking out meant less looking in which for years Tony had thought was stating the obvious until he realized that by looking in his father meant thinking or inventing Having said that his dad was doing his share of looking out right now staring at Tony as though he were an alien who had just come through a wormhole the What the hell is that he said eventually pointing in vague direction of his son's head That's my head Dad said Tony And this Q A is not coming out of my three minutes Not your head Tony The thing on your head Are you wearing a wig A wig said Tony injured Come on Dad A little gel maybe but not a wig This is the latest style There's an English band called Duran Duran maybe you've heard of them No I have not said Howard Stark settling into his leather office chair Modern music is just old music dumbed down for a dumb generation though that governor guy 5
