Jane shook her head in anger. “Grow up, Atticus. Are you really that dense? Even I’ve noticed the things you’ve done the last couple of weeks.”

Tick looked over at her. “What are you talking about?” He winced; his voice was way too loud.

“Just stay close. Trust me—your abilities will come out. And when they do, I’ll channel them against Chu.”

Tick almost stumbled. The floor seemed to bounce with ripples as he felt his head swim. “I don’t get what you’re—”

Jane held a finger to her lips and picked up the pace. The hallway stretched to infinity before them.

Tick kept walking.

~

For the first time in a long time, Paul felt like he might not die of pain after all. Doctor Hillenstat, a wiry old man with a droopy mustache and enormous teeth from the Second Reality, had barely said a word after Rutger had winked him in to work on Paul’s arm. Paul had been grateful for the silence, because he’d been in no mood to talk.

The pain worsened before it got better, but once the medicine kicked in and the bone settled in the thin white cast, life became bliss. Despite everything—the near-death experiences and the disappearance of his good friend Tick—Paul felt on top of the world after having suffered for so long.

Now, still lying on the soft bed in the infirmary, he decided he better pay attention to the frantic discussions going on between the people sitting in chairs around him—Master George, Rutger, Mothball, Sally, Sofia, and Doctor Hillenstat, who’d insisted on staying around until he was sure Paul was on the mend.

“All right, Sofia,” Master George said after shushing everyone from talking over each other. “The matter of greatest concern at the moment is this: the odd melding of materials you saw on several occasions these past weeks. I want you to take a minute now, think about it very hard, picture it in your mind exactly as it was, and tell us every detail. Can you do that for us?”

Sofia rolled her eyes. “How many times . . .” She didn’t finish, Master George having given her his gentlemanly stare of death, eyebrows raised. “Fine, okay.”

“Splendid,” Master George whispered, rubbing his hands together as he leaned forward in his chair.

Sofia took a second before running through it all again. “The first time it happened was back at Tick’s hometown. We were in the woods, and we met that psycho teacher of his, Mr. Chu. He strapped the things on our arms—”