The Third Movement

by Neil Patrick Harris

  “I’ve seen,” Mr. Vernon interrupted with a smile. The atmosphere in the shop returned to normal. He raised an eyebrow at the group. “How was the latest rehearsal? Tricky, no?”

  “We were doing fine until Theo dropped the teddy bear,” Ridley stated.

  Theo felt his skin tingle with embarrassment. “I think Mr. Vernon was talking about when those boys were bothering us.” He pointed at the stain on his shirt.

  “I was,” Mr. Vernon answered. “Are you all right, my friend?”

  “He’s fine,” said Olly.

  “It’s just that his mind has been wandering,” said Izzy.

  “My mind is fine,” Theo said, trying not to sound frustrated.

  Mr. Vernon crouched to meet Theo’s eyes. “Are you certain? Is something worrying you?”

  He did not wish to talk about it with Emily there, but Theo finally let his shoulders sink. “I thought I saw Kalagan today. That was why I messed up my act. A man dressed all in black with a cape and top hat was standing in the town green. Watching us.”

  The Misfits glanced at one another nervously.

  “Kalagan?” Mr. Vernon asked. “That seems highly unlikely. You might consider another possibility.…” He gestured to himself, dressed in black, with a cape and top hat gracing his shoulders and head.

  “Wait…” Theo scrunched up his forehead. “It was you?”

  Mr. Vernon’s eyes twinkled. “Let’s just say I wanted to get a closer look at your progress.”

  “So Kalagan wasn’t spying on us?” Carter asked.

  Screeeeeeech!

  Everyone jumped as the monkey again demanded attention. Ridley moved toward the bookshelves. “Emily, close your eyes for a second!” She grabbed the volume that triggered the door, and suddenly, Change-O was racing around the shop. Ridley put the book back and the door slid shut.

  With her eyes still closed, Emily asked, “Who is Kalagan?”

  “A bad man who has been trying to do bad things in Mineral Wells,” said Theo. “His story is long and sordid.”

  Emily opened her eyes. “You’ll have to tell me more sometime.” Change-O leapt onto the counter beside her, and Emily shrieked, then laughed.

  “Mr. Vernon,” said Carter, “would you hand me Change-O’s food sack?”

  “I’m afraid I cannot,” answered Mr. Vernon.

  “Da-aad,” said Leila. “Don’t be silly. The bag is right behind the counter.”

  “Who’s being silly? Certainly not me. Certainly not when the food sack is right where it should be. Don’t trip!”

  Carter wobbled as his heels banged into the food sack, which had suddenly appeared on the floor behind him. He chuckled. “Thanks, Mr. Vernon.” He untied the bag and poured some of the grains and nuts into Change-O’s bowl. The monkey dashed forward and began greedily stuffing his mouth. From the balcony overhead, Leila’s yellow-naped Amazon parrot let out a jealous screech.

  Leila held out her hand. “Presto, come!” The bird flew down and landed on her shoulder. Emily reached out carefully, and Presto nuzzled her knuckles.

  “Hula girl, spoil magic-skull! Battle lava vapor!” said the bird.

  Emily looked impressed and confused at the same time, but the Misfits were so used to the parrot’s occasional strange ramblings that none of them even blinked. “How did you move that food sack without us noticing, Mr. Vernon?” she asked.

  “By staying one step ahead of the game,” Vernon proclaimed, his hand on his chest. “Something I would recommend to you talent show contestants.” He went on, “Aspiring magicians should be ready for anything. And they must prepare several outs in case of the unexpected.”

  “What’s an out?” asked Izzy.

  “The opposite of an in, of course,” said Olly, poking her shoulder.

  Carter shook his head. “It’s that a magician should always have a plan in case things go screwy. Right, Mr. Vernon? Me and my uncle Sly learned every exit whenever we went into a new boarding home… I mean, house.” Carter was still getting used to living with the Vernons. His scam-artist uncle had moved them around so much that Carter still slept on his bedroom floor sometimes, worried that he might need to wake quickly. At least, that was what Carter had told Theo the last time he decided to open up about his past.

  “Exactly,” said Mr. Vernon. “Before you walk on stage, you must practice and prepare for multiple outcomes. Expect the unexpected. In fact, this is helpful advice for living your lives as well. Start thinking this way, and I believe you’ll find that a dead end can be more than just a dead end.”

  “You mean like an ending is sometimes another beginning?” asked Leila.

  “Perceptive, Leila.” Mr. Vernon smiled mysteriously. “A dead end can also be a rallying point, or a secret door, or a trap for your antagonists.” He glanced around the group. “Not everyone can be as strong and agile as your new friend Emily here.”

  Emily shrugged, unembarrassed. “I’ve taken martial arts classes. I’m not that strong, but I do know how to push someone off balance.”

  “A worthy skill indeed. And it came in handy today while these magicians were backed up against a proverbial wall.”

  “Are you saying we need to learn karate, Dad?” Leila asked.

  “Only if you want to, my dear. But what I’m saying is, magic can work wonders too.”

  “And music!” Theo added, thinking of the way his violin could so easily distract and entrance spectators.

  “Speaking of which,” said Emily, “I should probably head back to the shop. My dad tends to worry when I disappear.”

  “Why would he worry?” Olly asked.

  “Whenever someone disappears, we applaud!” Izzy proclaimed with a flourish.

  Emily laughed and waved good-bye, even to Presto and Change-O, then slipped out the front door.

  “It was nice of you to invite her over, Leila,” said Mr. Vernon. “Everyone needs a friend or two.”

  “I agree,” said Leila, setting Presto on her perch next to the register.

  “Wait a second,” said Ridley, holding up her hands. “Who says that she’s our friend?”

  “She helped us,” said Leila. “That’s what friends do.”

  “But the Magic Misfits doesn’t need more members.”

  “She never said she wanted to be a Misfit,” Theo said. “She didn’t seem to want to do magic at all.”

  “I’ve learned that non-magical friends make the best audience members,” said Mr. Vernon, tilting his hat and letting out a small windup dragonfly, which zipped around the store just over everyone’s heads. “With friends, you can always be sure someone will show up!”

  “Well, I like her,” said Leila.

  “Me too,” said Olly.

  “Me seven,” said Izzy.

  Theo wanted to say the same (“Me too,” not “Me seven”), but for some reason, his tongue felt tied in knots. After a moment, he untangled the insides of his mouth and said, “If we ask her to… tag along… maybe she could protect us from jerks like that Tyler guy.”

  “We can protect ourselves just fine,” Ridley shot back.

  “Yes, you are quite lucky to be part of a group that looks out for one another,” Mr. Vernon said. He then went to answer the shop’s ringing phone.

  “Friendship doesn’t need a reason,” said Leila, reaching out and catching the mechanical dragonfly.

  “It’ll be nice to have a new person to play jokes on,” said Olly.

  “Whatever the reason,” said Theo, “I think we should invite Emily to our next rehearsal. She was…” Words flickered through his head. He landed on a harmless one: “She was different.”

  “Different?” asked Ridley. “Different than what?”

  Theo was careful about what he said next. “Than the usual. Nothing. Never mind.”

  Ridley rolled her eyes as she turned toward the secret door once again. Theo flinched. Why would she do that? He was used to Ridley’s brusqueness, but she’d seemed particularly agitated all day.

  A
t the front counter, Mr. Vernon’s tone shifted, grew intense. “Interesting,” he said into the telephone receiver. He noticed the kids glance over at him and turned his back. Still, Theo could make out bits of the whispered conversation. “Obviously, we need to address this immediately.… Yes, I can come.… Tonight…”

  After he hung up, Mr. Vernon looked worried. It was something Theo had seen in the older magician’s eyes only once before—during the battle in the magic shop weeks earlier, when the former frown clowns had attacked them.

  Leila dashed to his side. “Dad, what’s wrong?”

  “It seems I have to leave town.”

  “What? Why?” Carter asked.

  Mr. Vernon spoke carefully. “Remember the list of names from my ledger? The people in my magician society whom I was trying to protect?” The group nodded, almost as one. “Apparently some of them have been compromised. By Kalagan himself.”

  “I thought compromise was a good thing,” said Carter.

  Mr. Vernon shook his head. “Different kind of compromise, Carter. Kalagan’s reach is wider than we previously thought, and he’s managed to get information about our members that could be used against them. And he might have found another way to get to us. I need to meet with the members and plan a course of action.”

  “Let us come with you!” said Leila. “We can help.”

  “You’ll be more help to me here in Mineral Wells, where you’re safe,” he answered. “Besides, someone needs to keep an eye on all these animals.”

  “Who are you calling an animal?” Izzy asked, raising her fists in a mock boxing stance.

  “He means the actual animals,” Olly said, raising his own fists. “Top Hat. Presto. Change-O. And our mice back at the resort.”

  “Oh, I see,” said Izzy. “So why are we fighting again?”

  “If you’ll excuse me,” said Mr. Vernon, heading to the staircase, “I have to check the train schedule and then pack, and I must call the Other Mr. Vernon and let him know what’s going on.”

  “Can we at least go with you to the station?” asked Theo.

  “I suppose that would be fine,” said Mr. Vernon, “if it’s fine with all your parents. It’s getting rather late.”

  Theo grimaced. He was sure his parents would not be fine with it.

  But sometimes friends come first.

  FOUR

  Less than an hour later, the Misfits arrived with the two Mr. Vernons at the Mineral Wells train station. The Other Mr. Vernon had come home early from work in his wood-paneled station wagon. He drove Theo, Ridley, and Carter. Dante rode with Leila, Olly, and Izzy in a big yellow taxi. They all waited quietly as Mr. Vernon purchased his ticket, and then they followed him outside to the platform.

  Theo glanced up and down the track in both directions. The lines of the rails stretched off into the distance. He could not picture where Mr. Vernon was headed, mostly because Mr. Vernon had refused to tell them exactly where he was going. He suspected only the Other Mr. Vernon knew for sure.

  Theo had not called his parents. He glanced at the other Misfits, two in particular. Leila’s big eyes were watery, and Carter looked as worried as Theo had ever seen him. As friends, they were worth getting in trouble for.

  “Will you call when you get there?” Leila asked her dad.

  “I’m not sure if I’ll be able to,” said Mr. Vernon. “But I’ll try.”

  “Should we be worried about Kalagan coming here?” asked Carter.

  The Other Mr. Vernon placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Not while I’m around.” Carter squeezed the hand, but his face still looked troubled.

  “But, Poppa, you have to work at the resort,” Leila chided. “Isn’t it the busy season?”

  “Oh, it’s always the busy season.” He rubbed his trim beard. “My staff can pick up the slack. What’s most important is you all. We can make it work.”

  “I think we can take care of ourselves,” Ridley muttered. “We’ve done it before.”

  Mr. Vernon raised an eyebrow. “This is no time to develop a big head. Hubris is a vice.”

  “Who’s Hugh Briss?” asked Izzy innocently. “And when is he turning thirteen?”

  “I’m pretty sure he’s a clothing designer,” answered Olly.

  “Hubris,” Mr. Vernon repeated. “Pride. It makes a magician lazy. Remember what I said back at the shop: Expect the unexpected.” He glanced at Ridley. “You never know when a spectator will try to trip you up.” And at the twins. “Or when you might miscalculate your timing.” To Carter. “Or when you’ll draw the wrong card.” To Leila. “Or when you’ll tie the knots too tightly.” And Theo. “Remember to make sure that several objects on stage are light enough to float and fly, for when something goes amiss. Then practice and prepare for multiple outcomes. Notice I said when, not if. One day, something will fall inevitably out of place. Do not be caught unaware. Think things through. And try to keep control away from those who would wrest it from you.”

  “We will, Dad,” said Leila. “We promise.”

  “We promise,” the others echoed together. Then they glanced at one another and smiled at the coincidence.

  “And most important…” Mr. Vernon leaned down and lowered his voice. “Never lose sight of what bonds you. Your friendship, your loyalty, your love for each other.”

  “Love?” said Ridley. “Gross.”

  “It’s not, really,” Mr. Vernon answered with a soft smile. “I’m not talking about romance, Ridley. Love can also be about connection. You six will always be stronger together. Remember that.”

  A whistle sounded from far down the track. The train was approaching. The Other Mr. Vernon stepped between the group and the platform edge, motioning everyone backward to safety. Soon, the great black steam engine appeared, piping clouds of smoke up into the sky. It rumbled to a stop at the far end of the platform, a long line of passenger cars behind it. Out of nowhere, a crowd had formed, every person holding tickets and baggage and souvenirs from the Grand Oak Resort on the hill. A conductor bounced down a couple of steps from the closest car and called out, “Alllll aboard!”

  “And now it’s time for me to take my leave!” Mr. Vernon said dramatically. He kissed Leila’s cheek and the crown of Carter’s head and waved to everyone else. After embracing his husband, he flipped his cape off his shoulder and waved it in front of his bag. When he whipped the cape away, the bag had disappeared. The kids gasped, then cheered. The magician gave a gracious bow. He held the cape up before him. Seconds later, it dropped to the ground. But the man was nowhere to be seen, having vanished into the smoky air.

  “Dad!” Leila cried out, worried.

  In the window of the closest car, Mr. Vernon’s top hat rose up. Below the hat was his smiling face. He waved at the kids from behind the glass. The Other Mr. Vernon bent down and grabbed the rumpled cape from the platform. “Dante!” he called, holding it up. “Don’t forget this!”

  Mr. Vernon cracked the window open and reached out. The Other Mr. Vernon handed over the cape, holding on just a little longer than he needed to.

  “See you all soon,” Mr. Vernon said as the conductor climbed aboard, and the train pulled out of the station.

  “You’re late, Theo,” said Leo.

  “We had to set the table ourselves,” said Gio.

  “I set the table, Gio,” said Cleo.

  “And I am starving, Cleo,” said Fiona. “Let’s eat.”

  Theo’s older siblings had arrived home several days earlier for their yearly summer visit. They were Leonard, Giovanni, Cleopatra, and Fiona, but everyone called them Leo, Gio, Cleo, and Fiona. Leo was the oldest. He played cello in an orchestra in New York City. Gio was next in line, and he was the bass guitarist in a popular wedding band outside San Francisco. Cleo was the middle sibling. She taught piano at a prestigious music school in Boston. And Fiona, the youngest, sang mezzo-soprano in operas all around the world. Their talents were intimidating. Theo spent an excessive amount of time worrying that he would never live
up to their already vast accomplishments.

  From the dining room, they stared at him in the doorway. Ever since they had arrived, there had barely been enough room to walk down the hall without bumping elbows with one of them. “I am so sorry, everyone,” he said, warmth filling his cheeks. “My friends and I had to deal with an emergency.”

  Mrs. Stein-Meyer’s eyes went wide. “An emergency? Is everyone okay? Are you okay, Theo?” She rushed over to him and held her hand to his forehead.

  “I am fine, Mother,” he answered. “My friends and I were rehearsing for the town talent show. But then Mr. Vernon was called away at the last moment, and we had to see him off at the train station.”

  “What kind of emergency is that?” asked Leo. He shook his head.

  “And what happened to your shirt?” asked Gio.

  Theo glanced at the spot on his chest. It was still damp. He thought of the bullies in the park. “It got dirty, so I rinsed it off in the sink at the magic shop.”

  “Are you still playing around with that kid stuff, little brother?” chirped Fiona. “I thought by now you’d have grown out of magic.”

  Theo felt stung by his older sister’s condescending tone. What he wanted to say was I hope I will never grow out of magic. But instead, he answered, “I have not.”

  Mr. Stein-Meyer sighed. “Go clean yourself up and take a seat. Your mother and I made our famous cherry-walnut meat loaf. And it is getting cold.”

  Theo ran up the stairs to his bedroom, put on a clean, crisp white shirt, added his bow tie and jacket, and then joined his family downstairs.

  Finally, his mother smiled. “Oh, I am so happy we can all be together like this. I wish that each of you lived closer to home.”

  Theo found himself fighting with a nasty thought that was fluttering around inside his head: I wish the exact opposite.

  Later, after Theo had put on his pajamas and turned out his light, his mind began to wander. He thought of Emily Meridian and the move she’d done to take down that bully, Tyler. The swivel, the step, the twist. She was so skilled! But it was the memory of her smile that made him feel funny in his chest.