by Mark Young
“Bread with tomato sauce and melted cheese,” Shelly answered.
“Pizza is the best,” Rotwang said.
“So, what does it do?” Newton asked. “Does it sing? Or float like the food in the Airy Café? Or will I speak another language if I eat it?”
Shelly shook her head. “Nope. The mad science isn’t in what’s in this pizza but in how it’s made. Fizzy is a physicist who measures the precise water content of the cheese. He rolls out the dough to the perfect size—thirty-five-point-five-six centimeters. Then he bakes it for precisely four minutes and seventeen-point-two seconds at a temperature of three hundred and thirty-two degrees Celsius. The result is the most perfect pizza on Earth.”
“Since you’ve never had pizza anywhere else, you’ll have to take Shelly’s and Rotwang’s word for it,” Theremin said to Newton.
“I wouldn’t care if it was the worst pizza in the world. I’m so hungry right now,” Higgy said, and two slices disappeared down his gooey gullet.
“So, Newton, what did you want to talk to us about?” Odifin asked.
Before Newton could answer, Higgy burped loudly. Then he spoke up.
“If you don’t mind, Newton, I have an announcement I’d like to make,” Higgy said.
“Sure,” Newton said.
Higgy pointed to the pile of dirty clothes on the floor—his coat, boots, scarf, hat, and goggles.
“I’m not hiding behind my bandages anymore!” he announced. “I want to be seen for who I am: an awesome, green gooey kid who can do cool stuff, just like Goo Guy. I’ve been hiding myself because I was scared. But I’m not scared anymore!”
His friends all cheered for him.
“That’s awesome, Higgy!” Shelly said.
“Yeah, dude, you go for it!” Theremin added.
Odifin chimed in. “I’ve never tried pretending I’m not a brain in a jar—well, not until today,” he said. “I think you’re going to be fine.”
Newton nodded. “I’m happy for you, Higgy.”
His friend looked happy—at peace with himself. Will I ever feel like that? Newton wondered. Or will I always be searching to find out who I am?
After Higgy finished high-fiving everyone, he turned to Newton. “Thanks for letting me get that off my green gooey chest,” he said. “What did you want to talk about?”
“It’s something Shelly said earlier,” Newton answered. “That the book in the museum, The Invincible Man, might be some kind of clue about where I came from. Maybe it could even be a clue about where Odifin and I both came from.”
“I mean, it could just be a coincidence,” Shelly said. “But that pod from the book really triggered you, so I think it’s worth checking out.”
She took out her tablet and searched for the book. “Here it is,” she said. “The Invincible Man by Zoumba Summit. It says here that Summit wrote two other books two decades ago: The Bird Women of Planet Avia and The Immortal Administrator. They were published by an independent book company and not many copies were printed, but her works are legendary among science fiction fans. All her books are out of print and hard to find.”
“Maybe The Invincible Man is in the school library?” Odifin suggested. Shelly tapped on the screen. “Nope. It’s not in the library database.”
“Does it say anything else about the author?” Newton asked.
Shelly read from the screen. “It says Summit is a mysterious recluse. Nobody knows where she lives or even if she’s still alive.”
Newton sighed. “I guess it’s a dead end, then.”
“It doesn’t have to be,” Shelly said. “We should find a copy of the book and read it. There might be answers in there somewhere.”
“If you give me some time, I can try connecting my database to the inventory of every used-book store in the world,” Theremin offered. “If we find a copy somewhere, then we’ll figure out how to get it.”
“I’d like that,” Newton said. “Thanks.”
“It’s a plan!” Shelly said. “How long do you think it will take, Theremin?”
“I’m not sure,” Theremin said. “But I’ll work on it overnight. I’ll give you guys a report at breakfast.”
“Are you all done talking, I hope?” Rotwang asked. “I’d sure like to eat that pizza before it gets cold. It looks so good.”
“Oh, sure,” Newton said. He opened the first box—and it was empty. “I think Higgy finished this one, but we can hit the next box.”
The second box still held almost-piping-hot pizza, and Newton took a slice and bit into it. His eyes widened. “Wow! That tastes better than chocolate-covered crickets.”
Higgy’s stomach rumbled. “I’m still hungry,” he said. “Newton, do you want to go on my night raid of the cafeteria with me?”
Newton thought about it. He wasn’t tired, and hanging out with Higgy sounded like fun, even if it did entail crawling around in dark tunnels.
“Sure,” Newton agreed.
After they finished the pizza, Shelly, Theremin, Odifin, and Rotwang all said good night and left.
Higgy opened up the trapdoor in the floor and motioned for Newton to follow him. Newton took off his socks and crawled through the hole. He knew that his grippy feet and fingers would come in handy when following Higgy.
The hole dropped them into a dark tunnel that led to the main school.
“What are you going after tonight, Higgy?” Newton asked as they walked through the tube-shaped space. Pipes snaked along the tunnel walls, some of them dripping water. Lacy spiderwebs hung in the corners.
“I think a tub of peanut butter would be nice,” Higgy replied. “Maybe with one of those giant jars of grape jelly.”
The tunnel opened up into the school basement. Higgy pushed open a vent and slithered down the wall. Newton used his grippy hands and feet to climb down after him.
“I think I discovered a new shortcut,” Higgy said. “Follow me.”
They moved through the basement, sticking close to the wall. Stubbins Crouch, the school custodian, slept down there, and he was the one person they didn’t want to encounter.
Suddenly Newton felt the hairs on his body stand on end. He froze. Up ahead he could hear what sounded like muffled voices.
“Do you hear that?” he hissed.
“Don’t worry,” Higgy whispered back. “We’re about to pass under Mumtaz’s office. She’s probably just talking to somebody in there, and we can hear them through the vent.”
They slowly tiptoed forward, and the voices got louder. Newton recognized the male voice of Professor Flubitus, the green-haired professor who had come from the future.
“It’s inevitable, Mobius,” he was saying. “He’s a bright boy. He’s going to figure it out on his own, and when he does, that could be dangerous.”
Is Flubitus talking about me? Newton wondered. And who is he talking to?
“I need to think about this, Hercule.” It was Ms. Mumtaz—Newton had totally forgotten that “Mobius” was her first name. “After what happened today, I agree that we at least need to give him some guidance. He needs to learn how to control his abilities.”
Newton’s heart started to pound quickly. They were talking about him. They had to be.
“Newton, come on! Peanut butter, remember?” Higgy hissed.
Newton hurried ahead, his heart still pounding fiercely. The hairs on his body stood up again.
I feel like I’m closer than ever to learning the truth, he thought. But I can’t count on Mumtaz or Flubitus to tell me. I hope Theremin can find us a copy of that book!
CHAPTER 9 There’s No Place Like Home
“Thanks for ruining the class trip, Newton,” Mimi said the next morning at breakfast.
Newton’s eyes widened in surprise. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, hanging from the ceiling like some kind of joker,” she said, folding her arms in front of her.
“Come on, Mimi. It’s not fair to say he ruined the whole trip,” Shelly pointed out.
“H
e embarrassed the entire Crowninshield family. From now on he’s barred from any more Crowninshield trips,” Mimi said. She leaned toward Newton and whispered, “I’ve got my eye on you.” Then she looked at Higgy. “What’s up with you today? Are your clothes in the laundry?”
“I’m green and gooey and proud of it!” Higgy replied loudly, and the kids in the cafeteria who hadn’t already been staring at him turned to stare.
Mimi shrugged. “You do you,” she said, and walked away.
Newton shook his head. “I don’t get her. Sometimes she acts like she wants to be my friend, and other times she’s mad at me.”
“Don’t worry about Mimi,” Shelly said. “Theremin was just about to tell us what he found out.”
Newton, Shelly, Theremin, Higgy, Odifin, and Rotwang had all met up in the cafeteria that morning to get Theremin’s report.
“Right,” Theremin said. “Well, I found five hundred and six used copies of The Invincible Man at used-book stores around the world.”
“That’s great!” Newton said. “How do we get one?”
“Some of the shops let you order online,” Theremin said.
“Hmm,” Higgy said. “All the incoming mail gets scanned and examined before it’s distributed. If that book has something of interest in it and Mumtaz is trying to keep it from you, you might never get a copy. Maybe it’s safer to go to one of the bookstores in person.”
“The nearest one is in Florida in the US,” Theremin said, “but we have no way to get there.”
“Is there one in London?” Higgy asked.
Theremin’s eyes flashed as he scanned the downloaded data. “Yes. At the Dusty Shelf Bookshop on Larchmont Street.”
“That’s just a few blocks away from our flat!” Higgy said. “This is perfect. I’ll ask Ms. Mumtaz for a portal pass for a visit home next weekend, and then I’ll get the book while I’m there.”
He took out his phone. “Let me text Mum right now. She’s been begging me to come home for a visit.”
He typed, and then a few seconds later he looked up from his phone. “Newton, Mum wants you to come with me! She says she’s anxious to meet you.”
Newton brightened. “Really? Am I allowed to go home with you?”
“We’ll have to ask Ms. Mumtaz, but Mum says she’ll put in a good word,” Higgy said. “Let’s go ask Mumtaz after breakfast!”
“Sure!” Newton said happily. Whenever he’d seen other kids use portal passes to visit home, he’d felt a tiny sting of jealousy, knowing he didn’t have a home to go to. But now he might be going home with Higgy. It wasn’t Newton’s home, but it was still something.
After they ate, Newton and Higgy made their way to the office of Headmistress Mumtaz. Even though it was the weekend, they knew they’d find her there—she seemed to rarely leave it.
Newton knocked on the door. “Ms. Mumtaz, it’s Newton and Higgy!”
“Come in!” she answered.
Mumtaz was perched behind her desk, studying a holographic screen in the air in front of her, filled with numbers and figures. She swiped it away with her hand and motioned for them to sit down.
Newton eyed the nameplate on her desk: HEADMISTRESS MOBIUS MUMTAZ. There was that name again. Mobius. Seeing it tickled a distant corner of his brain. But what could it mean?
“Ms. Mumtaz, I’d like a portal pass for next weekend, please,” Higgy said. “I haven’t made a visit home yet this semester, and Mum is anxious to see me. And she said to bring Newton, too.”
Mumtaz gazed at them through her cat-eye glasses. “Yes, your mother has contacted me, Higgy. I’m happy to give you the pass, but I’m not sure if it’s wise to send both you and Newton, after what happened at the museum.”
“But that wasn’t my fault!” Newton protested, his heart suddenly sinking. “And anyway, remember when I won that portal pass to anywhere, from winning the Mad Science Fair? I tried to go home with it, and it didn’t work, and you said it was a glitch. So maybe this could count toward that.”
Mumtaz frowned, thinking. “You make an excellent argument, Newton. And, Higgy, your parents are some of the most respectable mad scientists in the community. I’m sure they’ll keep you two out of trouble.”
“Does this mean you’ll let us go?” Higgy asked.
Mumtaz opened a drawer in her desk, and after a bit of rifling pulled out a brochure of the school. “This will get you both to London. You may leave at eleven a.m. next Saturday and return at precisely eleven a.m. on Sunday. If you are late, or there is any trouble, your portal privileges will be revoked for next semester. Got it?”
“Got it!” Newton and Higgy answered at the same time.
“Thank you, Ms. Mumtaz,” Higgy said, sliding off his chair.
“One more thing, Higgy,” Mumtaz said. “You’re going to be returning to the outside world. Please dress appropriately.”
Higgy frowned, but he didn’t object. “Okay.”
The two boys left the office and high-fived as soon as they got into the hallway. For Newton it was a soft and jiggly high five, but it was a high five all the same.
“This is perfect, Newton,” Higgy said. “One week from today we’ll have a copy of The Invincible Man in our hands! Well, your hands, actually. I’d just get goo all over it.”
“Thanks for doing this, Higgy,” Newton said, and Higgy grinned.
“Sure. That’s what friends are for!”
CHAPTER 10 The Dusty Shelf
For Newton the week dragged on as slowly as a sloth crossing a street on a hot day. To take his mind off the upcoming trip, Newton dove into his schoolwork. For History of Mad Scientists he wrote a report on Ignatius Nakamura, the father of Heretical Electricity. In his Genetic Friendgineering class he worked on a chemical formula that would make your friend smell like pizza. In Physics of Phys Ed, he scored six points in a game of antigravity basketball.
Finally Saturday morning came. Higgy got dressed in pants, a blue plaid sweater, and a matching cap with a small brim.
“Ugh!” Higgy complained. “These clothes are so confining!”
“No bandages or goggles or gloves or anything?” Newton asked.
Higgy shook his head. “This is good enough. This portal will take us directly to my flat anyway.”
He looked at his phone. “It’s eleven. Ready to go?”
“Ready!” Newton replied. He’d filled a backpack with his toothbrush, a clean shirt, clean pants, and clean socks and underwear. He wasn’t sure what else you were supposed to bring when you were visiting somebody, but that seemed like enough.
Higgy folded the brochure, and just like in the gym, the brochure flew out of his hands and a swirling wind whipped up, and then the portal appeared. Higgy motioned to Newton.
“Friends first,” he said.
Newton nodded and stepped into the black hole. There was spinning and flashing lights, and then suddenly he was in Higgy’s flat, face-to-face with Higgy’s dad, mom, and little brother.
Higgy’s dad was a foot taller than Newton. He wore a cap and a plaid sweater like the ones Higgy had put on back in the dorm, and his goo was tucked into a pair of navy-blue pants and brown loafers.
Higgy’s mom wore a white lab coat and glasses with thick, black frames. What appeared to be a wig of red hair topped her head.
Wellington, Higgy’s little brother, wore a red-and-white-striped shirt with a collar, red sweatpants, and red sneakers. On top of his head was a baseball hat with the word RUGBY on it.
“Newton, so nice to meet you finally!” Mrs. Vollington said, embracing him in a squishy hug. “And where is my Higgy?”
Higgy popped out of the portal. “Hello, Mum!”
Mrs. Vollington gave him a big squeeze too. “Higgy, it’s been too long! Look at you!”
Mr. Vollington patted Higgy on the back, and then hugged him too. “Hello, Son! Did you have a good trip? Hope you didn’t fall,” he joked.
“Good ones, Dad,” Higgy said.
“Hi, snotface,” Higgy’s lit
tle brother said.
“Wellington! What kind of way is that to greet your brother?” Mrs. Vollington scolded.
“It’s okay, Mum. I deserve it,” Higgy said. “Before I left for Franken-Sci High, I kind of pranked Welly by filling his favorite sneakers with shaving cream. Sorry about that, Welly.”
“Apology not accepted,” Welly said, turning away from his brother.
Mrs. Vollington shook her head, but then turned to Higgy and Newton and smiled. “I’m so glad you boys are here. Newton, as Higgy may have explained to you, we’re a family of night owls, and we just woke up a short time ago. We made a big breakfast to celebrate your visit. Let’s sit down and eat and catch up.”
“I made the scrambled eggs,” Higgy’s father said. “I think eggs are so funny. You know why? Because they really crack me up!”
Higgy groaned. “Hope you don’t mind ‘dad jokes,’ Newton. My pop’s got a million of them.”
“I like them,” Newton said. He’d heard kids talking about dad jokes—corny jokes that fathers sometimes made. Since Newton didn’t have a dad, he’d figured he would never hear one. Mr. Vollington’s jokes weren’t hilarious, but they made Newton smile—and they were helping Newton feel at ease in this new place.
“I need to freshen up in my room before I eat,” Higgy announced, and he left the living room.
“Our room,” Wellington corrected him.
“Don’t be long!” Mrs. Vollington said. “Come, Newton, let’s eat while everything’s hot.”
Newton followed Higgy’s mom, dad, and brother into the kitchen, a room painted a cheerful yellow. The round table in the center was piled with food: an enormous bowl of scrambled eggs, a tower of pancakes, and a bucket of sausages.
“Take a seat and help yourself, Newton,” Mrs. Vollington instructed.
“Yes, take a seat but don’t take it too far away,” Mr. Vollington said. “We need it here in the kitchen.”
