I scan the crowd and see them. They’re wearing old-fashioned suits and hats. They clean up well. They are holding drinks, talking with one another, and looking up at the Golden Gate Bridge. I take small steps toward them, and Zoe follows. We get close enough to eavesdrop.

“Feels good, doesn’t it? To know we helped build that thing?” One of the brothers gestures to the other, and then takes a sip of his drink.

“Yes. It reminds me of when we first went into business. We could do anything together. No stoppin’ us.”

“Makes me wish we’d never found that token,” the first brother says. “I don’t think it did us any favors.”

“I agree. I wonder how that kid is getting along with it?”

It’s now or never, Arcade.

“Excuse me, Mr. Badger?” I barely squeak the words out. The brothers turn around. Zoe grabs my hand and squeezes it tight.

“Hey! Look who it is! The kid came to our rescue after all. I told you he would, Lenwood!” Kenwood steps forward. “So how has it been with the token, Arcade? That’s your name, right? Have you been traveling all over the world? How about the testing? Do you like being tested?”

“I hated that part,” Lenwood says.

I try to change the subject. “You guys built a nice bridge. Sorry I left you hanging. I didn’t know how to control the token back then.” I swallow hard. “But I got your letter . . .”

Lenwood’s eyes open wide. “You got our letter? Whoa. That was a long shot! Are you here to take us back?”

“Yes, I’m here to take you back to present day.” I finger my golden chain. “That is, if the token comes back and it listens to me again. It’s a little unpredictable.”

Kenwood chuckles. “Oh, you don’t have to tell us about that token. The thing made us crazy. But all is forgiven. Just like we wrote in the letter. We made up, and we’re ready to move on.”

“So, you’ve forgiven each other?” Zoe’s words echo a little in the night air.

Lenwood glances over at Kenwood. “Yeah. We’re working together now.”

Stay with your plan, Arcade.

Our conversation is interrupted by a large round of fireworks—the grand finale. Bursts of gold, red, and orange light up the sky, with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background.

“They’ve been having parties in this park all week to celebrate the opening of the bridge,” Lenwood says. “But today, we celebrate our return home!” He reaches out and puts his arm around Kenwood. “You think grandma will be happy to see us?” Lenwood turns to me. “Did you know Miss Gertrude is our grandma?”

“Yeah, she told me that once.” The warning in her letter flashes in my mind:

Do not try to bring them back.