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Mink Morris
Drill is the apparent leader of an alien force, who successfully convinces Mink—and the rest of the children in America (or perhaps the world) under ten years old—to help the aliens invade Earth. He never appears in person in the story, and is only revealed by what Mink says about him. Drill seems to have a keen understanding of what children want, promising the children more privileges and fewer rules. In claiming that the post-Invasion world will be run by kids, and that there will be later bedtimes, more television, and no baths, Drill wins the children’s loyalty. Drill is somehow able to communicate with Mink through a rosebush, and Mink later tells her mother that, according to Drill, parents “are so busy they never look under rosebushes or on lawns.” Drill has managed to capitalize on parents’ indifference to what their children do or say, consequently allowing an Invasion to unfold right under the adults’ noses.
Drill Quotes in Zero Hour
The Zero Hour quotes below are all either spoken by Drill or refer to Drill. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
“Zero Hour” Quotes
“I wanna play,” said Joseph.
“Can’t!” said Mink.
“Why not?”
“You’d just make fun of us.”
“Honest, I wouldn’t.”
“No. We know you. Go away or we’ll kick you.”
[…]
Joseph showed reluctance and a certain wistfulness. “I want to play,” he said.
“You’re old,” said Mink firmly.
“Not that old,” said Joe sensibly.
“You’d only laugh and spoil the Invasion.”
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In this passage, a twelve-year-old boy in the neighborhood asks to join in the game, and Mink rejects him on the grounds that he will “just make fun” of the younger kids because of his age. Mink is adamant that the older kids can’t play the Invasion game because they’ll “only laugh and spoil the Invasion,” which is likely ideology that Drill has ingrained in her. Of course, the older kids probably would “spoil the Invasion,” as they’re likely to be more rational and less naïve because of their age. Drill and the other aliens probably understand that if the Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptate
Mink talked earnestly to someone near the rosebush—though there was no one there.
These odd children.
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Here, Mrs. Morris watches Mink and the other children out her window. The kids bustle about, preparing for what Mrs. Morris logically believes is a pretend alien invasion. This passage is one of the many times that a rosebush is evoked—each time, Mink is either talking to it or about it. It later becomes clear that Mink is somehow communicating with Drill, the leader of the aliens, through the rosebush. He dictates directions, like how to build the strange contraptions and apparatuses that the children are constructing out of pots, pans, and other housewares, and she relays those directions to Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus volup
Mink rebelled. “You’re laughing! You’ll kill Drill and everybody.”
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In this passage, Mink is inside for lunch, telling her mother about Drill and the Invasion. Mrs. Morris clearly thinks Mink is just being a theatrical, imaginative child and thus fails to stifle her laughter and smiles at the odd things Mink says. In response, Mink is sharp and defensive, claiming, “You’re laughing! You’ll kill Drill and everybody.” For some reason, Mink associates Mrs. Morris’s laughter with Mrs. Morris desiring to kill “everybody.” This strange leap in logic emphasizes that Mink is only seven years old and is thus impressionable and struggles to think rationally and critically. In addition, it Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. No
“They couldn’t find a way to attack, Mom. Drill says—he says in order to make a good fight you got to have a new way of surprising people. That way you win. And he says also you got to have help from your enemy. […] And they couldn’t find a way to surprise Earth or get help. […] Until, one day,” whispered Mink melodramatically, “they thought of children! […] And they thought of how grownups are so busy they never look under rosebushes or on lawns!”
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Here, Mink is having lunch inside while telling her mom about the aliens’ strategy for the Invasion. Rosebushes appear again in this passage, reemphasizing the lack of attention that adults give to children, and how this has dangerous repercussions. Like most “grownups,” Mrs. Morris can’t be bothered to “look under rosebushes.” If she did, she would presumably find out how Drill and Mink are communicating (and, of course, realize that Drill and the alien Invasion are real). Furthermore, Mrs. Morris doesn’t look “on lawns,” where the children are building strange and highly technical apparatuses out of household objects to help Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corpo
“And there’s something about kids under nine and imagination. It’s real funny to hear Drill talk.”
Mrs. Morris was tired. “Well, it must be funny. You’re keeping Drill waiting now. It’s getting late in the day and, if you want to have your Invasion before your supper bath, you’d better jump.”
“Drill says I won’t have to take baths […] He told all the kids that. No more baths. And we can stay up till ten o’clock and go to two televisor shows on Saturday ‘stead of one!”
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Mink continues telling her mother about why the aliens needed children’s help with the Invasion. Clearly, Mrs. Morris thinks Mink’s ramblings are wild and imaginative, as she sends Mink right back outside to continue helping with the Invasion. The narrator points out that “Mrs. Morris was tired” to reaffirm that she finds her daughter taxing to listen to and barely pays attention to what Mink says. This passage also reveals part of how Drill gained the children’s unflinching loyalty. In promising later bedtimes, more television (or “televisor shows,” presumably an invented futuristic device), and no more baths, Drill essentially promises Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Volupta
“We’re having trouble with guys like Pete Britz and Dale Jerrick. They’re growing up. They make fun. They’re worse than parents. They just won’t believe in Drill. They’re so snooty, ‘cause they’re growing up. You’d think they’d know better. They were little only a coupla years ago. I hate them worse. We’ll kill them first.”
“Your father and I last?”
“Drill says you’re dangerous. Know why? ‘Cause you don’t believe in Martians! They’re going to let us run the world. Well, not just us, but the kids over in the next block, too. I might be queen.”
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Mink is having lunch with her mother and explaining how the Invasion game is going. She voices her frustration with the older kids in the neighborhood (who are just slightly older than her, since they “were little only a coupla years ago”) and specifically complains about the way they make fun of her and the other younger children. Once again, Mink is incredibly sensitive to being made fun of and hates when she’s not taken seriously by someone she considers a “grownup” (even if that so-called grownup is about twelve years old). She strengthens the divide between the younger kids Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui
“Mink, was that Peggy Ann crying?”
Mink was bent over in the yard, near the rosebush.
“Yeah. She’s a scarebaby. We won’t let her play, now. She’s getting too old to play. I guess she grew up all of a sudden.”
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In this passage, Mrs. Morris notices one of the younger children, Peggy Ann, running away in tears from the other kids, who are still busy with their Invasion game. Uncharacteristically, Mrs. Morris intervenes in the situation, which is a brief moment of redemption for her. However, she once again fails to consider why Mink is “bent over in the yard, near the rosebush,” ignorant to the fact that this is how Mink is communicating with Drill. Mink’s claim that Peggy Ann ran away in tears because she’s a “scarebaby” and “grew up all of a sudden” feels contradictory. It seems Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque
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Drill Character Timeline in Zero Hour
The timeline below shows where the character Drill appears in Zero Hour. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
“Zero Hour”
...was Mink’s age. Mrs. Morris tells her daughter to eat slower, but Mink says she can’t—Drill is waiting for her.
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Mrs. Morris prods Mink to find out who Drill is and if he’s a new boy in town. Mink answers vaguely, telling her mom...
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Mink accuses her mom of laughing and claims that Mrs. Morris will “kill Drill and everybody.” Mink says she’s not sure which planet Drill is from, but “he’s had...
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Continuing, Mink explains that according to Drill, “to make a good fight,” one needs the element of surprise and help from the...
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...about four “dim-dims,” and Mrs. Morris realizes she means the four “dimensions.” Mink adds that Drill also said “something about kids under nine and imagination.” Tired of listening to her daughter’s...
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...Mink thinks they’re growing up, which makes them “snooty” and keeps them from believing in Drill. She says she hates them more than anyone else, and that “We’ll kill them first.”...
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...that “logic is knowing what things are true and not true.” Excited, Mink affirms that Drill mentioned that same word. She also asks about what “im-pres-sion-able” means, pronouncing the word with...
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Helen says her son, Tim, has a crush on a boy named Drill, and Mrs. Morris says that Mink likes him too, and that the word Drill “Must...
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Scowling, Mink mumbles that Drill is “stuck” and only made it halfway to Earth. She explains to her mother that...
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