Betty Jo Schuler

Chapter One: Testing the Ditto Box, continued

"You lay a paper on top of most copying machines," Jake said.

"This isn't most copying machines." Randy pushed a red button.

The box made a humming sound. A rainbow of light shone through the lid. Jake gasped. "The box is made of heavy wood. How can the light--"

Ditto.

"Who said that?" Jake gasped, looking behind him.

Grinning, Randy handed him the math. "What difference does it make? Your homework is done."

"Wow!" Jacob grabbed the paper. "It works great! But why did you make the box so big? No paper is that large."

"Who says the Ditto Box is just for papers? Run home and get your new ball glove."

"My ball glove?" Jake stared at him. "You're going to copy my new ball glove?" Randy nodded, and Jake grinned. "You love that thing, don't you?"

Without waiting for an answer, he left.

Randy watched from his upstairs window.

Jake's black hair whipped around his head in the breeze as he ran across the lawn to his house. Randy had asked his folks for a new glove just like Jake's. Mom and Dad said his old one was good for another season. Maybe it was, but Jake's glove was soft as pie, and the leather smelled good. It would take Randy until Christmas to save enough money to buy one.

He saw Jacob come out of his house and run back across the yard.

He pounded up the stairs. "Quiet," Mrs. O'Rourke called. "Suzy is trying to sleep."

"Sorry," Jake yelled. Ducking into Randy's room, he handed him the mitt. "Here. Do your stuff."

Randy laid the mitt inside the box and closed the lid. He pushed the red button. It hummed. A rainbow of lights flashed. Ditto, a voice said.

"My glove is done." Randy's voice shook. His green eyes sparkled.

"Let me see!" Jake jerked the lid open. "Hey! My glove's the only one in here."

Randy grinned. "Don't worry. Mine's right...here." A new glove slid out the end of the Ditto Box. Picking it up, he smelled the leather. "Mm," he said blissfully.

"Awesome," Jake said. "That copying machine is really something."

"Yeah." Randy doubled his fist and pounded it in the glove.

"Let me try it on."

"You have one just like it," Randy said, but he held out the mitt.

"There's something different..." Jake started to slip his hand in the mitt, and then stopped. "This glove is for someone who's right-handed!"

"So? I'm right-handed," Randy said, reaching for his new mitt again. It was soft as butter, and the color of butterscotch pie.

"But I'm left-handed," Jake said. "You know that."

"What's your point?"

"You dope. Your Ditto Box reversed the mitt."

"You don't have to shout!" Randy yelled.

"Whaa!" Suzy cried from her bedroom across the hall.

Randy paced the floor. He ran his fingers through his red hair. He scratched his head. "Backward worked out great for the glove. But it could be a disaster with some things."

"Like math?" Jake whispered.

Randy nodded. "Let's take a closer look at that paper. This could be bad news."

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