It took Paul a second to break his stare from the impossible sight of two identical men coming toward them—one limping, the other moving at full speed. Both seemed oblivious of the other, each wanting to reach the Realitants and unaware of his twin.

“Come on!” Sofia yelled, grabbing Paul by the arm and pulling him as they ran after Mothball. “I think I know—”

An ear-piercing noise cut her off just as a surge of blinding light flashed behind them. A terribly loud boom rattled the air, the sound of a million amplified horns going off at once. Paul had heard that sound before.

He’d barely had the thought when a rush of tornado-force wind hit them, knocking him and Sofia flat on the ground. The wind passed over them, a solid wave of air that was almost visible as it tore at trees and bushes and benches, traveling outward in a wide arc. It knocked over the other fleeing Realitants and kept moving along its destructive path.

All was still for a single moment. Then the ground started violently shaking, far worse than before. Trees crashed to the ground. Sounds of breaking glass and bending metal filled the air as the mountainous palace of Chu started collapsing all over again.

“Tick!” Paul yelled over the deafening noise. “He must’ve woke up!”

“No!” Sofia shouted back. “I think it has something to do with Chu meeting his Alterant.”

Paul risked a glance over his shoulder and saw that only one Chu remained—the injured one. He limped toward them, struggling all the worse because of the earthquake.

Sally suddenly bolted past Paul and Sofia, running for the man. Like picking up a bag of sticks, Sally grabbed Chu and flopped him over his shoulder just like Mothball had done with Tick. He ran back toward them, stumbling left and right as the ground shook.

“Get up! Get up!” Sofia shouted, pulling on Paul’s good arm.

He obeyed and ran after her, his mind twisting in a million different directions.

The earthquake worsened, throwing Sofia to the ground. Paul helped her up and they kept running, losing one step for every two they made forward. Sally caught up with them, moving as if Chu weighed only ten pounds.

Eventually, the Realitants gathered in the designated spot, every last one of them staring back toward Chu Industries in awe and fear. Mothball still held Tick, and she was shouting something over and over.

“Wink us out, George! Wink us out! Ruddy wink us out!”

Sounds of splitting and cracking and shattering glass rocked the air. A thunderous roar ripped across the ground, and Paul felt his heart wedge itself in his throat.