“To the Land of Kings,” Ono repeated.

“Do you know how we can get a ladder?” Tess asked the robot.

“How would the robot know where we could get a ladder?” Theo said, irritated again, though he had been trying to be as patient with Tess as she had been with him. Ono reached up with its stubby robot arms. Except they weren’t so stubby anymore. The ends of the robot’s arms burst with new silver blocks, adding to their length with a tiny snap! snap! snap! Theo glanced left and right and left again. The few people in the lobby were slumped on benches or staring bleary-eyed at the board that listed the incoming and outgoing trains. No one was paying attention to these “workers.” The three of them might as well be invisible.

“Wait, is it me or are its arms getting longer?” Jaime said, peering into his pocket.

“Try putting it on the ground for a minute,” said Tess.

Jaime set Ono on the ground. As soon as he did, Ono’s arms grew and grew—snap-snap-snap-snap—and so did its legs—snap-snap-snap-snap. Between the arms and the legs, horizontal rungs burst and bolted themselves across the verticals. Jaime caught both of Ono’s “feet” and held them as Ono’s limbs extended until they reached the clock, then another set of verticals extended back to the floor, making it into a standing ladder.

Jaime shook his head in wonder. “I shouldn’t be surprised by anything by now, but . . .”

Again, Theo glanced around, but still, no one was looking at the three of them and their magical Morningstarr ladder. Maybe workmen dragged ladders out here all the time.

“Do you think it will hold the weight of a person?” Tess said.

“Yes,” said Theo and Jaime at the same time. Nobody laughed.

“I’ll go,” said Jaime. “I’m the strongest.”

“You’re the strongest, but I’m the lightest,” said Tess.

“I’m the lightest,” Theo said.

“We’re about the same size,” Tess said. She was trying to be kind. She knew he wasn’t one for heights or tricks or acrobatics or skinny robot ladders reaching up a story or two or or or or. But Theo and Tess were not about the same size, not anymore. Tess had grown a lot, but Theo’s height was still mostly in his hair.

“Theo might be the best person to stop the clock,” Jaime said.

“So let me try,” said Theo. “If I can’t make the climb, then one of you can.”

“Are you sure?” Jaime asked.

“No,” he said. “Give me all the tools you’ve got. I might need them.”