THE FALL OF ARCHY HOUSE By Tom W. Harris Television is a swell way of projecting ideas to an audience. But Archy created chaos when he used it to project real live monsters! [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Imagination Stories of Science and Fantasy December 1957 Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] For over two weeks, the projections were a national emergency, and the nation got pretty sore at Archy House. Archy was on camera when it happened. He always closed the Home Hour in person, partly because nobody else did it quite as well, partly because it flattered the audience to see him. His delivery was almost shaken, the night the thing happened, by the appearance of Otto Kahler, chief engineer, just out of camera-range, his hair in his eyes and a wildness about his mouth. Arch closed his patter smoothly, set a smile through fadeout, and turned to Kahler. "What's up, Otto? You look like a ghost that saw a ghost." He let annoyance enter his voice. He was surrounded by the best men money could buy, and sometimes they ran around like children. "The scrambler blew," said Otto. "Somebody spilled a pail of water on it." In an office a phone began ringing. "Mr. House," somebody shouted, "it's the White House calling." Archy gave Otto a shove. "Dammit, man, switch on the auxiliary. Do I have to tell you?" Otto just stood there as Archy turned and yelled into the confusion off the set, "Tell Washington I'll be right with 'em." His eye swept the studio. "Where's June Manning?" Even in this tight moment, his breath gave the familiar balloon-lurch as Full-Projection Studio's top writer glided from the directors' studio in her blue sheathe gown. Her wheat-blonde hair was dressed in the latest style, a yard-long, loose-braided hank slung richly over her shoulder; and her face was part cherubic, part perverse. Another phone began ringing. "June, I want a 30-second yak to give the viewers. You have 90 seconds to get it on idiot cards; I'm going on with it right after the station break. The scramblers failed. Gimme something soothing to say. Got it?" She nodded and marched off. Otto cleared his throat. Archy spun. "What are you waiting for? Get switched to auxiliary! We've got projections prancing around living rooms in every suburb in the country." Another phone was ringing. "General Cox for Mr. House," somebody yelled. "Calling from Hawaii." Archy wished these jackasses would all drop dead. He shook Otto. "I tried the auxiliary," said Otto. "It's out." "Holy volts," said Archy.