Master George looked at him sharply, then glanced away as if trying to hide his alarm at the question. “That, I don’t know. We can only hope she’s…” He didn’t need to finish.
“Maybe when Sato’s well enough-” Rutger began, but was cut off by Mothball.
“Pipe it for now, little man. One worry at a time.”
Master George stood up. “Paul and Sofia, I need the two of you to prepare to return home. I’ll send several specially prepared science books with you so that you can study beyond those things you’ll learn in normal schooling. I need a little more time with Tick, and I need him to help me resolve the matter of”-he pointed a thumb over his shoulder in the direction of the holding cell-“our captive, Reginald Chu. Tick may be the only one who’ll be able to tell which Chu it is.”
Paul stood as well, trying to ignore the hurt growing inside him. He really didn’t want to say good-bye to everyone. “Yeah, what’s the deal with the Chu thing? What happened back there?”
Master George stared at him, his face serious. “Two Alterants met, lad, face to face. Such a thing is a disaster-a complete disaster, always.”
“Why? What happens?” Paul asked.
“One survives, while the other is thrown into…” Master George looked about nervously. “Well, we don’t know for sure. But Reginald himself always called it the Nonex, and it’s something I hope to never encounter. Whenever Alterants meet like that, it causes a terrible disturbance in Chi’karda and the Realities. I wouldn’t be surprised if an entirely new Reality, perhaps even solid enough to be a main branch, was formed from this. Dreadful, really.”
Paul rubbed his eyes and temples. “My head hurts.”
“Yes, yes, off you go,” Master George said, shooing them away from Tick. “It’s time for you to go home. Rutger, please fetch my Barrier Wand.”
Chapter 51
Awakening
Tick didn’t know how much time passed between the instant he grew aware of himself and the moment he opened his eyes. An hour maybe. Possibly two.
It was the pain that kept him hiding in his own darkness. Terrible, terrible pain, right in the middle of his skull, as if he’d spent the last week lending his head out as a neighborhood speed bump.
But he finally slid his eyelids open, scared the light would only make it worse but having no choice.
Master George sat in a chair to his left, leaning over him with a huge smile on his ruddy, puffy face. Sato sat to Tick’s right, his face swollen but somehow cheerful-for him, anyway.
Tick started to get up, but only made it an inch before thumps of pain slammed his brain like hard fists.
“Now, now, Tick,” Master George said, placing a hand on Tick’s arm. “Let’s not be hasty. You’ve been through quite an ordeal.”
Tick had squeezed his eyes shut again, but forced them open. “What
… what happened? Chu was there… and Mistress Jane… and a huge Barrier Wand-”
Master George patted his arm. “Yes, yes, we know much of what happened, thanks to Sofia. Though I’m quite anxious to debrief you about what happened from the time you left your two friends to the time Sofia knocked you senseless. Quite anxious indeed.”
“Tick,” Sato said, almost a whisper.
Tick tilted his head to the right, raised his eyebrows. “Yeah?”
“You’ve made me very unhappy. As soon as you’re better, I’m going to punch you in the ear.”
“Huh?”
Tick could only remember Sato smiling once during the few times they’d been together, but something close to a grin broke across the boy’s face.
“Twice, now, you have saved me,” Sato said. “You’re making me look bad.”
“I saved you?” Tick asked, then looked at Master George. “The antidote hit the thing? It worked? Last I remember, the whole place was about to fall down.”
“Atticus,” Master George said. “You’re in no condition right now to learn the things you need to about what happened in Chu’s black mountain. Just know that you’re safe and Dark Infinity is destroyed, as are the nanoplague bugs it was controlling. Though things did get a bit hairy, it’s all worked out in the end.”
“Well, what about-”
Master George shushed him, then held up a thick, messy binder stuffed with papers, some folded, others ripped. “It’s all been documented here for you to read while you recover. I’ll also be sending you home with a big stack of Realitant textbooks and manuals. Now that you’re a Realitant First Class, you can begin further study.”
“First Class?”
“That’s right, old chap.” Master George held out a card, similar to the one Tick had been given in May, but dark red this time. Tick saw the words printed on it:
Atticus Higginbottom
Realitant First Class
“I’ve already sent Rutger and Mothball ahead to have a very long discussion with your parents,” Master George said after he placed the card in Tick’s left hand. “I’m afraid you’ll need to be schooled at home now, and watched very closely-”
“What?” Tick tried to sit up again, but this time Sato pushed him back, gently. Pain throbbed through Tick’s head.
Master George continued speaking. “No need to worry, good man, no need to worry. As you’re well aware, you have an uncanny link to Chi’karda, and it appears capable of spinning completely out of control. But we’ll all keep a close eye on you, and if anything troubling happens again, we’ll wink you straight in and take care of it. It’ll be quite simple, really, considering you’ll have plenty of Chi’karda surrounding you wherever you go.”
Tick groaned, so confused at the swirl of emotions inside him he didn’t know if he felt sad, angry, hopeless, or happy. But suddenly, all he wanted in the world was to go home and see his family.
“Just wink me back,” he said. “Please. We can figure it out later. Just send me home.”
“An extraordinary idea, Master Tick! Exactly what I had in mind. Paul and Sofia have long since gone, and it’s your turn. Don’t worry”-Tick’s mouth had opened at the mention of his friends-“they said they’d have e-mails waiting for you by the time you arrived in Deer Park. Muffintops, Sato, and I will miss you greatly, but I’m sure our next reunion will happen very soon.”
Tick nodded, the pain in his head making him feel nauseated. “Where’s your Barrier Wand? Can you wink me from here?”
Master George bit his lip. “Well… yes, yes, we can, but I need you to do one thing for me first.”
“What?”
Master George looked across the bed. “Sato?”
Sato stood and walked out of the room, slightly limping. His arms were severely bruised, especially around his wrists.
A long minute passed. Muffintops wandered into the room and jumped up onto Tick’s chest, purring as she settled into a comfy position, staring at him with her glowing eyes.
“You be good, cat,” Tick said, wincing at how stupid it sounded. “Take care of the old man.”
A sound at the door took Tick’s attention away. Sato had returned and right behind him, looking even more disheveled and bruised than Sato or Tick, was Reginald Chu.
Tick sucked in a gasp of air, bolted into a sitting position, and squirmed backward until he hit the wall. Muffintops shrieked and jumped to the floor; Master George stood, trying to grab Tick’s arm.
“Calm yourself!” the old man said. “Master Atticus, calm yourself!”
Tick ignored the pain that exploded inside him. He noticed handcuffs on Chu’s wrists, but that meant nothing. Nothing! The man had more tricks up his sleeve than-
“Tick.” Chu said it, softly, calmly.
Tick ignored him, glaring back and forth between Master George and Sato. “How could you just let him walk around here?”
“Tick,” Chu repeated. “Please. Please, look at me.”
Finally, still breathing heavily, Tick did. An inexplicable warmth spread through him, and then a realization hit him. “What did you call me?” he whisp
ered.
“Tick,” Chu said, acting as if he hadn’t heard. “Please tell these people who I am. I don’t know anything about what’s going on, or this other Reginald Chu they keep talking about. It’s me, Tick-please, tell them!”
Thoughts churned inside Tick’s mind. He remembered back in the woods by his house when Mr. Chu had appeared, looking haggard and desperate, acting like he wanted to help them. Something had seemed wrong then, something had been off. And now Tick knew what it was.
“That’s my science teacher,” he finally said, feeling so calm it seemed the pain had been cut in half. “That’s Mr. Chu, not… Reginald Chu. Or… you know who I mean. This isn’t the bad guy.”
Master George gave a knowing look to Sato, the slightest hint of a smile creasing his face. “I suspected as much, but wanted to be certain. Sorry to spring it on you like that, but I didn’t want any chance of you having preconceptions.”
“How do you know for sure?” Sato asked.
“Because he called me Tick. The evil Chu, back in Deer Park, kept calling me Atticus. My science teacher has called me Tick since the first day I met him. Never once has he called me Atticus. I can’t believe I didn’t think about that back then.”
“No matter,” Master George said. “I seriously doubted this could be the Reginald from the Fourth, but we had to be certain. Sato, please free the man.”
Mr. Chu sighed, his shoulders sagging in relief as Sato took off the handcuffs.
“I’m sure the two of you will have much to discuss as you get caught up on things,” Master George said. “Mr. Chu, I hope you’ll serve as a tutor to our young friend back in Reality Prime, help him grasp the complexities of the science that is so closely linked to his welfare.”
Mr. Chu didn’t look much happier than he had when he’d first entered the room, but he tried his best to smile. “I think Tick has a lot to teach me first.” He walked over and took Tick’s hand, and squeezed it hard as he shook it. “I’ll be expecting a full report, you hear me? And it’d better be good to explain everything I just went through. I think I’ll be avoiding dark streets and alleys for awhile.”
“Deal,” Tick said. “As long as you give me a full report too. I don’t even know why you’re here. ”
Mr. Chu laughed, his face finally winning a victory and looking genuinely pleased, like the teacher Tick had always known. “Yeah, me neither.”
“Very well, then,” Master George said. “Sato, please take Mr. Chu and debrief him one last time. I’d also like to speak to him before we send him on his way.”
“Follow me,” Sato said curtly, standing at the door.
Mr. Chu patted Tick on the shoulder. “Real pleasant people you associate with, Tick. Can’t wait to spend some more quality time with your friend Sato here.”
“Could be worse-could be Billy ‘The Goat’ Cooper.”
“Good point. See ya back in Deer Park. Take care, okay?”
“You, too.”
Mr. Chu hesitated, sharing a long look with Tick, then left with Sato, who closed the door behind him.
“Right, then,” Master George said, clapping his hands together. “Atticus, I’ll put all of your study materials, this binder, and your other belongings in a suitcase of sorts and wink it straight to your room. I’m quite good at that by now. I promise not to destroy any more walls. As for you-your parents are waiting for you to appear in the forest near your home. Near the heavy Chi’karda spot we’ve used in the past.”
Tick blinked. “Right now?”
The old man nodded. “Right now.”
Despite everything, a laugh croaked out of Tick’s parched throat. “Sweet. I’m ready.”
Master George’s face grew serious. He came closer and sat back down in his chair, leaning in toward Tick. “Atticus, my dear young friend. I just don’t know what to think. There has to be some secret about you we’ve yet to discover, some… well, something, anyway. Your abilities and influence over Chi’karda are just mind-boggling, and there has to be an explanation. I give you my word, we’ll not rest until we figure it out.”
“I know what it is,” Tick whispered. “I’m a freak. Mistress Jane only tried to help me because she wanted my freak-boy powers.”
Master George’s face reddened, his lips trembling. Then he composed himself before speaking again. “Listen to me, young man, and listen to me well. Though I fully expect to discover something uncanny about you and your relationship to Chi’karda, I also know this: a large part of it has to do with you, and the kind of person you are.”
“What do you mean?”
Master George leaned forward even more. “You, my friend, have an incredible amount of conviction. Courage. A sincerity of belief and principle. All of those things that make up the very essence of the power of Chi’karda. In other words, a considerable portion of your extraordinary gift comes from the simple fact that you very much want to do good. And for that, I’m proud to call you my friend.”
Tick wasn’t sure what he felt at that moment, but he knew if he tried to talk, it would come out sounding like a frog.
“And now,” Master George said, patting Tick’s hand, “off you go. I suspect your parents are quite anxious to have you home.”
Chapter 52
One Week Later
"Touchdown!”
Tick’s dad leapt off the couch, dropping his game controller onto the floor as he started doing a horrific dance, waving one arm about like an elephant’s trunk as he shimmied back and forth.
“Tippy toe left, tippy toe right,” Dad sang. “Our team’s the best, we’re outta sight!”
“Dad,” Tick groaned, not too happy about losing once again in Football 3000-in overtime, no less. The awful victory dance only made it worse, and the old man didn’t show signs of stopping anytime soon, shaking his larger-than-usual rear end from side to side.
“Watermelon, watermelon, watermelon rind! Look at the scoreboard and see who’s behind!”
“Dad, the neighbors might be watching through the window. Please stop.”
“Two, four, six, eight… okay, that’s enough.” Dad flopped back onto the couch, breathing deeply as if he’d just run a six-minute mile. “Whew, all that celebratin’ can really wear a man out. I wish you’d win more often and make it easier on me.”
“Hilarious. One more game?”
Dad leaned over to pick up the controller. “You sure enjoy punishment, don’t you?”
Just then, Tick’s mom walked in, and without saying a word, she sat next to her husband. Tick felt his heart drop when he saw the look on her face, like she’d just been told she had cancer or lost a child.
“Mom, what’s wrong?” Tick asked, feeling the controller slip out of his hands.
She didn’t answer for a moment, staring at the floor. Finally, she looked up, her eyes haunted. “Atticus, I can’t take it anymore. I have to tell you something. I told your dad several months ago-when he broke the news to me that you’d gone off to be recruited by the Realitants.”
“Honey-” Dad began, but cut off at a sharp look from Mom. “Well, I guess he does deserve to know.” He glanced over at Tick. “Don’t worry-it’s pretty neat, actually.”
“Neat,” Mom said in a deadpan voice. “Once again, Edgar, you’ve summed things up so eloquently.” She reached over and squeezed Dad’s hand. “Which is why I love you.”
“What are you guys talking about?” Tick asked, much louder than he’d meant to.
“Watch your tone, young man,” Mom said as she folded her hands in her lap. “It’s just that, well, I feel so bad for not telling you before. I think it might have helped you a little, helped you feel more confident. But then again, if I’d known before you winked away that first time, I might have locked you up in a dog kennel.”
“Uh… sweetie?” Dad said. “Maybe you should actually tell him what you’re talking about.”
Mom looked at Tick for several seconds without saying anything. Then, surprising him, she smiled. “I think the best
way to tell you is to show you.”
As Tick watched, he felt like the laws of gravity had just intensified, pressing him into his seat.
Through the neck of her red blouse, his mom pulled something out that was attached to a golden chain. A pendant. A Barrier Wand pendant, exactly like the one dangling against Tick’s chest. He reached up and touched it through his shirt, his eyes stuck on the pendant in his mom’s hand. His mouth opened, but no words came out.
“Now before you fall apart,” she said, gripping her pendant in her fist, “hear me out. I only kept this from you and your dad because I was under strict orders from Master George. He wanted to wait until you were old enough to accept it. Well, I think it’s high time-especially now that he’s sending Mothball and Rutger to us like ordinary mailmen.”
“Mothball’s a woman,” Tick whispered, and somewhere deep down inside, he knew it was exactly the kind of ridiculous statement that pops out of someone who is in complete shock.
“Sorry,” Mom said. “Mail persons. Anyway, yes, I was a Realitant recruit many years ago and earned my pendant. Back then, it was all about science-none of the dangerous things that are happening now. In fact, I left the group right after”-she paused, touching her lips as if holding back tears-“right after I met your dad. I wanted a normal family life, and Master George let me leave on amicable terms. I should have known that one day he’d go after one of my children.”
“I can’t believe it,” Tick said.
His mom folded her arms defiantly. “Well, why not? I know more about science and quantum physics than most people, thank you very much. And now that all of this is out, I can tell you one more thing. I expect you to hit those books Master George sent with a passion, and I’ll be on top of you every step of the way, quizzing and pushing. You’ve got a lot to learn, son. A lot.”
“How did I end up with all these smart people?” Dad asked to no one in particular.
“Hush, Edgar,” Mom whispered, patting him on the knee.
Dad looked at Tick. “I love when she says that.”
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