much of the stuff it leaks out of their ears.
And not only from people, but from places as well.
Thereâs a great many places the vapor can dwell.
Â
All around the TV itâs especially thick,
which is why a TV can make some people sick.
It can also be found in the emptiest nooks
of bookshelves that no longer have any books.
Â
While this Tedium Steam, for whatever itâs worth,
is not really noticed, down here, on the Earth,
up on Graybalon-Four, the stuff is like gold!
It was mined from the ground. It was traded and sold.
Â
In fact, it was used as an energy source,
to power their trains (and their buses, of course).
All that Tedium Steam, through the night and the day
kept everything moving in every which way.
There were steam-powered toasters
and steam-powered drills.
There were steam-powered factories,
steam-powered mills.
There were steam-powered houses
and steam-powered cars,
and steam-powered everything under the stars!
Â
And so, over time, it would certainly seem,
that Graybalon-Fourâ¦would run out of Steam.
The politicians, you see, had stiffly decreed:
âThereâs a ton of the stuff! Even more than we need!
Thereâs more,â they declared, âthan at first it appears!
Thereâs enough to last upwards of billions of years!â
Â
So all of the people on Graybalon-Four,
built factories, houses and buses galore!
Because everyone thought, without even a doubt,
that their Tedium Steamâit would never run out.
Politicians, however, are commonly wrong,
and the Tedium Steam didnât last very long.
Where once the whole planet had âmore than enough,â
there soon was a worrying lack of the stuff.
Â
So the Graylians gathered on Parliament Hill.
Some were shaking their fists.
Some were solemn and still.
Â
âPrime Minister, sir!â the Graylians cried.
âYou said we had tons! But we havenât! You lied!â
Â
Unmoved, the Prime Minister uttered a snort.
In his mind, he was planning a pithy retort.
But before he could speak, he was rather amazed
to hear someoneâs voice being suddenly raised.
Â
âWait!â said the voice. âPlease! Hold on a sec!
Our situation is grim! Itâs a bit of a wreck!
But hereâs what Iâm thinking: If weâve got the guts,
then Iâve an ideaâand it might save our butts.â
Â
The Prime Minister, startled, looked over the crowd.
He adjusted his glasses and shouted aloud,
âWho said that? Who are you? Which one of you spoke?
I certainly hope you werenât making a joke!â
(You see, telling a joke or pulling a prank,
on Graybalon-Four, was like robbing a bank.
If you said to a stranger, âKnock, knock,â or âWhoâs there?â
youâd be dragged off to jail by the roots of your hair.)
Â
âOh no,â said the voice, sounding suddenly small,
âIt wasnât a joke! No-no, not at all!
I was telling the truth. Iâve thought of a way,
to keep everything working and perfectly gray.â
The Prime Minister paused. He squinted. He stared.
(He was old, after all, and his sight was impaired.)
âWell, whoever you are, before making your claim,
you first must come out! You must tell us your name!â
Â
The crowd moved aside. It was parted in two,
and the stranger came forward.
He pushed himself through.
He stood on his toes, to better be heard.
âIâm
Â
Dullbert,â he said,
âHohummer, the Third. . .â
Chapter 13
an insidious plan
Dullbert, hello,â the Prime Minster said, âso whatâs this idea that youâve got in your head?â
Â
âWell, now,â said Dullbert, âhereâs what I thought:
Maybe Tedium Steam can be borrowed or bought.
We could trade with some place
where the people are bored.
Then our energy needs might all be restored!â
Â
The Prime Minister nodded. He was stroking his chin.
His lips wrinkled up in a