Fortunately, the Milk

The time jump puts Professor Steg and the father in a dark and ominous place, populated by the unfriendly wumpires. Steg explains that they are on a mission: “I am trying to get back to the present. My assistant is trying to get home to the future for breakfast” (63). The mention of breakfast reminds the wumpires that they have missed their usual breakfast of “vigglyvorms, vith orange juice on them” (63). The father and Steg start to look like tasty vigglyvorm substitutes.

As the wumpires get ready to eat the father and Steg, one asks about the time machine box. The father tries to convince them it is just a sandwich box. One wumpire can’t resist pressing a button, zooming them six hours forward into bright sunshine, causing the wumpires to melt into “oily black smoke” (65). Professor Steg sets the time machine to the father’s present, but a man’s arm suddenly reaches through a hole in space and grabs the milk. A familiar voice says: “I’ll explain later. Fate of the world at stake” (65), before disappearing with the milk. Seconds later the hole reopens, and the milk is thrown back to the father.