“Actually, the telescope is worth—well. Never mind that. The eclipse will only be a few minutes long. Obviously it will take us a bit longer than that to fully retrieve it, so every single moment is precious. We don’t have time for you to be running around willy-nilly with a shovel. We have to be sure,” said Leo.

“We are sure. That spot was the only place the metal detectors picked anything up,” I said.

Leo threw his hands in the air. “And perhaps it’s nothing! A faulty detector, a dropped quarter that got buried over the years, a pipe!” His eyes were blazing. This was serious business to him. Life or death.

“I think Simone should be there, too,” Leo continued.

“What?” Simone and I asked in unison.

“This type of manual labor may require two people,” he argued.

“No,” I insisted, “I can do it.”

“Besides, you need me to help coordinate your interviews,” said Simone. “Last time you talked to a reporter without me, you went off on a tangent about whether or not Pluto was a planet.”

“Well, that’s actually a fascinating—”

“The interview was about a meteor shower, Leo!” she said, exasperated. “You need to focus. See what I mean?” Sometimes, I couldn’t believe how Simone talked to Leo. It was like she was his mom instead of his employee. I wasn’t sure who needed who more.

“I can handle getting the telescope,” I assured him again. “I’ve got this.”

Leo fidgeted, crossing his arms. “The eclipse will begin at 2:12 p.m. on the dot,” he said. “We’ll be at the viewing party. Your town board has actually asked me to deliver a brief talk beforehand. Someone caught wind I was an astronomer. CNN will be there, too; I’m doing an interview. It’s the perfect alibi. While I’m speaking, you’ll be digging. Thirty minutes should be plenty of time for you to complete the task, if you’re that confident about your strength. We’ll meet directly after the eclipse back at Eagle’s Nest. You give me the telescope, I give you the previously determined payment of an introduction to Joanna. We part ways, both satisfied.”

Except I was missing the greatest astronomical event of my lifetime, and my dad would be having a heart attack.

Blair, I reminded myself. This was for my sister. Mom and Jade thought they could save Blair by looking at old pictures and buying a fresh coat of paint. I was actually doing something about it. Maybe she wouldn’t be a famous dancer, but we could show the world Captain Moonbeard. It wasn’t ballet, but it would have to do.

Leo stepped away from the telescope and motioned for me to have a look.

Those stars, that light—so far away. Already dead. But I couldn’t stop looking.

“It’s weird,” I said. “That they’re already dead.”

“What?” asked Leo, sounding confused.

“The stars,” I said. “They’re dead. We’re seeing them how they used to be.”

He shook his head. “No. Not always.”