Master George looked troubled, his mouth opening and closing several times before he finally explained. “We expect things to be quite . . . chaotic once you get to Chu’s industrial palace. Though you must do your part to fight whatever forces Chu might throw at you, I must ask you to consider that your second priority.”

“And the first?”

“Yes, yes, it’s difficult to say. Sofia, I need you to run through the chaos, get past Chu’s forces, and enter the main complex at all costs. Our spies will do their best to ensure the locking mechanisms and sealants are sabotaged when I give the signal. I need you to get in, locate Chu’s research and development laboratories, which is where I expect Master Atticus to be, and find our troubled friend.”

“Why? What am I supposed to do?”

“I’m afraid Tick may lose control of his powers when he confronts whatever Chu has planned for him. I fear it will be worse, far worse than anything that has happened during your adventures these past days. He may do irreparable damage—damage that could grow and trigger chain reactions, doing very nasty things to matter both there and in the other Realities if it seeps through the borders.”

Sofia felt a knot tighten in her stomach even before Master George said the next part.

“You need to find him, Sofia. You need to place the tip of that pen against his neck and push the button. It will traumatize his system terribly, sending him into a coma, but it will also block his body from his mind, his emotions, his anger and fear. That should cut him off from the massive surge of Chi’karda that I expect. But I promise you, Sofia, it will not kill him.”

Sofia felt a cyclone of emotions storm inside her—pride at being chosen for a special mission, fear of doing it, concern for Tick and his out-of-control powers, sadness that she’d have to inject him with something horrible. Though she felt it in her nature to argue, to push back, she didn’t. Master George was right. He had to be right.

“Okay,” she said, feeling like she should say more but unable to find the words.

Master George nodded with a satisfied look, then reached out and squeezed her shoulder. “I debated this within my heart for many hours, Sofia, as well as with Rutger and Mothball. But in the end, I knew it had to be you. It must be you. I know you will succeed, as surely as I know Muffintops is up there”—he pointed to the complex above—“hissing at every Realitant who steps off the elevator who isn’t me.”

Sofia smiled, then looked at the dangerous pen. Finally, she slid it into her pocket.

“Let’s go up now,” Master George said. “It’s time to send you off.”

~