‘I mean,’ said Tom, ‘Time’s still moving. Nothing’s changed. Running home, I looked at all the lights around us and none of them had gone out. I saw some policemen in the distance, down the street, and they hadn’t been stopped. I kept waiting for all the lights to go out or something to happen to show that we’d really done something. But instead it looks as if someone might have been hurt. I mean, when you think about Will and Bo and the others, kinda limping home from the courthouse. I’ve got a feeling nobody’s gonna sleep tonight and maybe when they do get to sleep, they’ll sleep late, my gosh, they’re gonna lie around, doing nothin’, staying in bed, keeping quiet, and here I am for the first time in years, wide awake. I can’t even shut my eyes. What are we going to do about it, Doug? I mean, you kept saying we had to kill the clock, but how do we make it live again, if we have to?’

‘The clock wasn’t alive,’ said Doug softly.

‘But you said,’ said Tom. ‘Well, I said. I guess I started it. We all kept saying that we had to do it in, so we did, but what now? It looks like we’ll all be in trouble now,’ Tom finished.

‘Only me,’ said Doug. ‘Grandpa will give me a talking–to.’

‘But we went along, Doug. It was swell. We liked it. We had fun. But now, if the clock was never alive, how do we bring it back from the dead? We can’t have it both ways, but something’s got to be done. What’s next?’

‘Maybe I’ve got to go down to the courthouse and sign some sort of paper,’ said Doug. ‘I could tell ’em I’ll give them my allowance for eight or ten years, so they can fix that clock.’

‘Ohmigosh, Doug!’

‘That’s about the size of it,’ said Doug, ‘when you want to revive a big thing like that. Eight or ten years. But what the heck, I guess I deserve it. So maybe tomorrow I’ll go down and turn myself in.’

‘I’ll go with you, Doug.’

‘No, sir,’ said Doug.

‘Yes, I will. You’re not going anywhere without old Tom.’

‘Tom,’ said Doug. ‘I got only one thing to say to you.’

‘What?’

‘I’m glad I’ve got you for a younger brother.’

Doug turned, his face flushed, and started to walk out of the room.

‘I think I can make you gladder,’ said Tom.

Doug halted.