Elrod Pendergast possessed an oversized moustache, an alarming lack of common sense, and a cat named Sir Pounce-a-Lot who dressed exclusively in tiny knitted vests.

Elrod hated that cat. He had inherited it from his ex-girlfriend (source of the vests), and hadn’t been able to foist it onto anyone else.

It was a Tuesday when Elrod weaponized his robotic vacuum cleaner, which he named “Duster.” He fastened a MacGyvered device to the top: a fly swatter that jutted out and was connected to a small motor that caused it to swat vigorously from side to side. Behind the swatter, he taped an angry-looking plastic iguana, and uploaded a custom voice pack he bought for $5 on a sketchy internet forum. The voice pack replaced Duster’s polite beeps with the aggressive, booming battle cries of a medieval warlord.

“The kingdom shall fall!” Duster roared, its mechanical wheels whirring to life as it rolled off its charging........

© Peterborough Examiner