“It’s so strong that I can’t control it alone,” he continued. “I need another person, someone of proven strength, someone extraordinary. I’ve studied and searched every Reality, every region. I have narrowed it down to only two people. I don’t fully understand yet what sets these two apart, but I do know that one of them will do. And I only need . . . one.”

He paused, and Jane was dying to speak. She didn’t know what she had expected, but it was certainly nothing like this.

Chu continued. “One of the two is you. Your powers here do not exist solely because of the mutated Chi’karda in this place. Otherwise, everyone would be able to do what you do. There is something extraordinary about you, and I do not say that lightly.”

Who is the other? she screamed inside her head, completely ignoring the compliment.

“You might be wondering about your competition,” Chu said, smiling. “And here is the proposition. It’s very simple. I’m currently sending the other person through a series of tests. If he passes them and ends up where he’s supposed to, he will win the honor of standing by my side as we rule the Realities. Meaning, of course, you lose and will be disposed of.” He paused. “You may speak now.”

“I . . . I’m not sure I completely understand,” Jane mumbled, hating herself for appearing so weak. Chu had said she could be “disposed of” like a sickly fly. How dare he? And yet, she felt uneasy. “How do I win?”

Chu walked forward, holding out the Barrier Wand and gesturing for her to take it. She grasped the golden rod with its dials and switches eagerly, like a child grabbing for candy. It was cold and hard in her hands.

“Like I said,” Chu continued, “it’s very easy. If the boy makes it to me, you lose. If he doesn’t, you win. Only one of you will survive in the end—only one of you will be worthy to serve with me in controlling Dark Infinity. That’s it.”

“That’s it?” she repeated, her courage returning. “Nothing else?”

Chu nodded. “You’ve been given your test, and I assure you, it’s not a simple task. You must kill Atticus Higginbottom.”

Chapter

21

~

An Elevator in Stone

Come on,” Mothball said, stopping for the tenth time to allow Rutger to catch up. “You’re slower than a sloth with no legs, you are.”

Truth be told, Mothball appreciated resting for a spell. It was blazing hot in the Arizona desert, and she was hauling a big load of logs she’d gathered from the riverside. Carried down by the Colorado River, stray wood often lodged in one particular bend, and Master George had to have his fires, didn’t he?