“We’re very close to having it solved,” Rutger said. “Since the whole power of this plague lies in its ability to be controlled from Chu’s headquarters, we think we can kill it in one swift stroke. All we have to do is inject our antidote into the home source, whatever that may be.”

“That easy, is it?” Mothball asked.

Master George cleared his throat. “Easy, Mothball? I’m afraid not. This . . . device, this thing, that controls those infected with the nanoplague will be well-protected. Ironically, its vulnerability will be the very thing that ensures its invulnerability.”

Sally merely blinked, and Master George had to suppress a smile.

“We can only assume that the device is what Reginald has referred to as Dark Infinity, and there’s simply no hope or chance of us ever seeing it in person.”

“Then what you figger we’s gonna do?” Sally asked.

Master George paused, staring at Sally for a very long moment before finally speaking. “Our only hope is to get the antidote, once it’s completed, to Tick and the others. Then they must win Chu’s contest and get on the inside.”

Mothball sniffed. Rutger coughed. Sally scratched his ear.

“Our only hope is for Reginald Chu to summon the very thing that will destroy him.” Master George reached down and stroked the soft fur of his beloved cat, who was still snoozing. “But how we will do that without losing our dear young friends, I just don’t know.”

Chapter

32

~

Monkeying Around

Paul was getting steadily worse. His arm had ballooned to twice its normal size, blue-purple streaks scratched across the tight skin. As bad as it looked, his moans of pain were worse; he sounded as if he were minutes away from dying. Whatever the case, his condition rattled Sofia’s nerves.

“It can’t be much farther,” she said. “All that whining is only going to make it hurt more.”

“Thanks for your concern, as usual,” Paul replied, his voice strained. “Let me break your arm—see how you like it.”

Sofia huffed. “I was in the train too.” She held up her hands, shook them. “Don’t see anything wrong here, do you?”

“It’s gotta be up there somewhere,” Tick cut in, trying to prevent an all-out war between his two friends. “Just keep walking.”

They did. Over huge roots, under branches as thick as three men, through thorn-spiked bushes, past swampy pools of sludge. Scraped and bruised, Tick felt his thin hopes vanishing altogether as trees gave way to nothing but more trees. The forest thickened; the animal hoots and howls increased in volume; the air darkened with shadows. Nothing gave the slightest hint they were approaching a city or any kind of civilization whatsoever.

All the while, Paul’s grunts and groans made life miserable for everyone—worrying about his condition seemed almost as bad as being in the condition itself.

“Hey, something’s up there!” Sofia shouted.