“Maybe it’s this her that Kender heard the traitors talking about,” Simon said.
“Can’t you make the prisoners tell you?” Alysha asked.
“You can’t go around shoving a handful of electricity into everyone’s face demanding information,” Gilio said. “Besides, a Board member took the traitors away last night, soon after I contacted them. Which is odd—the Board is usually slow, with maddening procedures and paperwork. I thought it would be days before they came.”
“The BOA will tell you if they find out anything, right?” Owen asked.
“One would hope,” Gilio said.
A tapping sound came from a window at the far end of the dining room. Gilio walked over and spoke quietly with the source: a large sunflower leaning over from the garden. A moment later, Gilio returned to the table.
“That’s . . . interesting,” he said. “I have animals patrolling the beaches near the dome. They keep an eye out for nosy Outsiders or suspicious-acting Union members that haven’t been invited.”
“Except Sirabetta,” Alysha said.
Gilio ignored her. “A seagull sent word through the chain of command: an item was left on the beach at the exact spot the X was left for you three.”
“What was it?” Simon asked.
“A pizza box, prepaid and delivered from a pizzeria in the nearest town.” He frowned. “That’s going to raise suspicions; I’ll move the dome by midday.”
“So someone left a pizza on the beach, big deal,” Alysha said.
“Ah, but this pizza had black olives carefully placed to spell out: ‘Simon, hurry: visit Narrator’,” Gilio said. “Take note, Owen Walters—they even had anchovies for punctuation.”
Simon coughed on the juice he was drinking. “It’s Greygor!” He ignored Gilio’s puzzled expression and turned to the people at the table. “Anyone up for a trip to New Jersey?”
CHAPTER 41
IF THIS KEEPS UP, I’LL NEED A BIGGER APARTMENT
“I’m glad you’ve already eaten,” I said as I opened the door. “There’s not enough pizza in the world to feed you lot. Now come in quickly before my neighbors complain that I’m having a party.”
I shut my door behind the group as they shuffled in. I sensed the newcomers’ disapproval of my garb. “This bathrobe is standard issue for all Narrators.”
Flangelo raised his eyebrows. “If you say so,” he trilled. “Is that also your excuse for this layout?’ he asked, gesturing to the interior of my apartment.
“If you have a problem with my decor, you may perch outside on the windowsill.”
Flangelo frowned but said nothing. Score one for Greygor!
There were a few awkward moments as the four Biology members gaped in astonishment at the sight of themselves and the rest of us on my Viewing Screen. Then Kender broke the tension. “Can you get basketball on this?”
“Not really what it’s for,” Alysha said. “But I’ll let you in on a little secret: when he’s not doing a Chronicle, the answer is yes!”
I sighed. It was true; when the kids weren’t making me replay their exploits, they were getting me to show their favorite movies or the latest sporting events. Alysha was definitely a scream-at-the-television sort of sports watcher, too.
Simon made the necessary introductions between the Biology members and me, but, of course, they weren’t necessary for me. I was, as ever, the perfect host, welcoming them into my home with refreshments and access to my knowledge. Of course, some people have a one-track mind.
“Hey, Greygor, can we watch some highlights?” Owen asked. “I want to see the fights!” He turned to Kender, who’d won the recliner debate. “We fought these giant elephants. What were they again, Flangelo?”
Flangelo warbled with exasperation. “Columbian mammoths. Big, mean, smelly. Ho-hum. Can we discuss something besides the dumbos beating up the Dumbos? Such as why we’ve been summoned here?”
Flangelo’s snarky way was even more difficult when it was aimed at me, but he was right: I had much to tell them.
“I have much to tell you,” I said.
Kender, seated in my recliner, leaned forward to look at the Recording Monitor. “There it is, just like you said, Owen,” he said, touching the screen.
“Do you mind?” I asked as I stomped over to him and turned the Monitor away from him. “If our speed-talker has told you of the Monitor, he’s surely told you I don’t like people reading as I narrate.”
Kender, for lack of a better word, sulked as he settled back into my chair.
I told them what they needed to hear (leaving out my conversation with Miss Fanstrom, of course). I revealed Loisana’s suspicious behavior, I shared the identity of the mysterious her who was allied with Sirabetta and how she had failed to restore Sirabetta’s age, and I told them where I last saw Sirabetta and Aleadra: the Order of Chemistry.
“A former Biology Keeper?” Alysha asked.
“How can we fight a Keeper?” Owen asked. “Isn’t she all-powerful?”
“Doesn’t sound like she’s a Keeper anymore,” Simon said.
“Right,” Alysha said. “Don’t they lose their powers or something?”
“Officially, when they give up their Book they do give up most—if not all—of their formulas,” I said. “Their names are crossed off the Book’s Keeper list, and they shouldn’t be able to communicate with the Book at all.”
“When I met the Teacher’s Edition of Biology,” Simon said, “I felt Gilio’s mind linked to it. But I didn’t feel anyone else’s. Unless she’s got a way of hiding that.”
“To do what she did with Sirabetta, she must have had substantial Biology abilities,” I said. “More than any retired Keeper should. Aleadra said the man in the shadows was connected to Sirabetta getting her tattoos and her abilities, too.”
“Great,” Owen said. “We have at least two enemies who can break the rules of the Union and do whatever they want, and another mystery guy who hates us.”
“I did research Aleadra, though,” I added, walking over to my bookshelf. I took down the proper volume dealing with the Council of Sciences. “She was Keeper right before Gilio and retired about thirty years ago.” I rubbed my chin. “She stepped down willingly like Ralfagon; the official record states that she claimed she had personal matters to tend to. Sorry to be so vague, but that’s all it says.”
“That could mean anything,” Simon said.
“There is a footnote,” I said. “It’s just a rumor, though. Supposedly, she became involved with someone in a position of great power and responsibility.”
“Maybe our mystery guy?” Owen said.
I shrugged. “I couldn’t say. That’s all I was able to find out.”
“Okay, now what?” Alysha asked.
“We can go to the Order of Chemistry to get her,” Simon said.
“Keeper Olvero Lombaro’s a good guy; he’ll help us,” Targa said. “I know him from my Chemistry orientation—my formula’s technically Bio-chemistry, you know.”
“There’s a problem,” I said. “I don’t know where at Chemistry they were; the Order is spread throughout a big city with many places to hide and plenty of ways to flee quickly. It would be harder to search than Biology’s dome.”
Targa nodded, confirming this.
“Then what do we do to stop these guys?” Targa asked.
“We?” Alysha asked. “Are you guys volunteering?”
“You kidding? That fight was ka-razy; I can’t wait for the next one!”
Kender chuckled. “Ironic, isn’t it? Targa’s an adrenaline junkie. As for me, I can muster up a fresh shell. I’m sure I can be of some help.”
“Don’t know what good a bunch of mushrooms will be,” Cassaro said. “But I’ll do what I can.”
“And you’d be helpless without me,” Flangelo chirped.
“Now we just need to find someone to point your beak at,” Alysha said.
“I’ve been thinking about that,” Simon said. “I can still sense Sirabetta
with my space-time connection. Not well enough to pinpoint her exact location, but maybe there’s a way to pull on that link and bring her here.”
“You’re kidding!” Alysha said. “Couldn’t you have thought of that before we traveled through Biology and fought everyone and everything inside?”
“It’s tricky,” Simon said. “I’m thinking about something called a wormhole: it’s like a tube between two spots in space and time that can take you long distances very quickly. It’s not as neat as the Gateways or the Biology pools, but hey, teleportation’s teleportation, right? Problem is, I still don’t know much about the formula.”
“Besides,” Owen asked, “would it even work so far away from her?”
Simon’s mind raced with ideas about the space-time continuum: the complex network of space and time that enveloped the entire universe.
What do you say, Book? he asked mentally. Is there a way to reach her?
Simon tuned out the noise in my apartment while he waited long moments for a response. Finally, the Book answered. With the level of control you have, it will be difficult. Given your power over gravity and space-time, there are ways, but they must be for you to think of, Keeper. For you to figure out. And they will be dangerous.
Simon thought about it. He knew Einstein’s theory that gravity was caused by curves in the space-time continuum. He also knew gravity could reach anywhere in the galaxy—maybe beyond. It wasn’t as strong at large distances, but it should be enough to locate and grab Sirabetta.
Then he thought of the place where he’d first forged that space-time connection to Sirabetta. It would be the best place to do what he had in mind: poke a hole in the space-time continuum, then send a gravitational pull along space-time, dragging Sirabetta through the hole to where he was waiting.
Simon nodded to himself; it was as good a place for a fight as any. “This might not work, but it’s worth a try. And if it does work, we won’t have to worry about Aleadra or any other of Sirabetta’s buddies. We’ll have her—alone—against all of us.”
One by one the members of the group nodded or spoke their agreement. Simon, Alysha, Flangelo, and I all stared at Owen when he said yes.
“What?” Owen asked. “It sounds like a good plan to me. It’s not like I’m the one being teleported!”
“Good luck to you all,” I said. “I wish I could go with you and help.”
“It’s been nice meeting you,” Targa said, clapping me on the shoulder.
“This has been . . . interesting,” Kender said. “We never even knew Biology had a Narrator, much less had a chance to meet him.”
“Your Narrator is a she, I believe,” I said. “I’ve never met her, but she’s surely observing us right now.” They all looked around in a rather useless attempt to spot her. “I suppose you Biology folk are welcome to visit again. I’ve given up on trying to stop Simon, Owen, and Alysha . . . I might as well not even bother with you lot.”
Simon turned to Owen, Alysha, and Flangelo. “Okay then—we’ll just make a quick stop at the junkyard, and then I think it’s time to introduce our new friends to Dunkerhook Woods.”
CHAPTER 42
SOMETIMES NOTHING IS BETTER THAN SOMETHING
The group stopped just inside the entrance to Dunkerhook Woods, basking in the soothing Breeze and the energizing air that filled the place. Targa, Kender, and Cassaro stood in awe at their first entrance into the woods.
“It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before,” Kender said.
“And that air! It’s like super-epinephrine that you can inhale!” Targa said.
“And look at all the incredible mushrooms!” Cassaro said, pointing off the path. The others gave him a strange look. “Fungi are my thing,” he said with a shrug.
Alysha and Flangelo shared a look of disgust.
“Come on, let’s get moving,” Simon said. “We’ve got to prepare for this if we’re going to get it right.” They hurried along, with Alysha and Owen carrying duffel bags that clanked as they moved.
They hadn’t gotten far before finding they weren’t alone in the woods; a woman was waiting for them.
“Loisana!” Simon, Owen, and Alysha shouted at the same time. They spread out, ready for a fight. The Biology members reacted more slowly but did the same. I was pleased to see they were heeding my warnings about Loisana’s possible nasty intentions.
“Hey, guys,” Loisana said. “What’s wrong with you?”
“Wrong with us?” Alysha asked, generating a threatening electrical arc between her outstretched hands. “What about you?”
“What?” Loisana asked, taking a step back. “What do you mean?”
Simon stared. “Kind of convenient that you happened to be here.”
“Yeah,” Owen growled. “Who are you working for and what do you want?”
Loisana leveled an uncomfortable glance at the Biology members. “What are you talking about? And who are these guys? They’re not Outsiders, are they?”
“We’re asking the questions here,” Alysha said. “Why are you stalking us?”
Loisana put her hands in front of her in a “take it easy” gesture. “I have been waiting for you, but I swear I’m not up to anything sinister.”
“I don’t trust her,” Targa said.
“You don’t have to believe me,” Loisana said. “You can ask the person who asked me to watch out for you.” She carefully reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone. “Call the last number dialed,” she said.
Simon snagged the phone with a gravity arm, whipping it through the air to his hand. He did as she requested and was surprised to hear a familiar voice.
“Er, hello?”
“Ralfagon?” Simon said. “You sent Loisana after us?”
“After you what?” Ralfagon said through the phone. “Oh, you mean to follow you? Yes, my boy. I needed to observe you, and my skills at surveillance aren’t what they used to be.”
“It’s one thing to go all private when you’re chatting with the Teacher’s Editions,” Alysha said. “But maybe you can share this with us?”
“Sorry,” Simon said. He pressed the speakerphone button on Loisana’s cell phone. “What were you saying, Ralfagon?”
“What was I saying?” he replied.
“Needed to observe me,” Simon prompted.
“Ah, yes. How else was I to know if you were ready to take over as Keeper? I asked Loisana to practice with you to see your leadership skills in as natural a setting as possible: with your friends. You did beautifully.”
“Wait a second,” Targa said. “How do we know someone’s not pretending to be this Ralfagon guy?”
“I assume you’re from the Order of Biology,” Ralfagon said. “Would you like me to discuss some of your Keeper’s habits? Such as how Gilio always wants to watch It Came from Beneath the Sea each time there’s an Order movie night?”
“Anybody could have told you that!” Kender said.
“Told me what?” Ralfagon asked.
“It’s Ralfagon,” Simon, Owen, and Alysha said at the same time.
“Told you,” Loisana said.
“That’s great,” Alysha said. “So why is she here now?”
“After you took over as Keeper, I asked Loisana to offer her help to you,” Ralfagon said. “She missed the Gateway to Biology, though, and I figured it was better for her to wait here than to try finding you in that place. I get lost almost every time I go there. I’d have joined her in person, but I’m supposed to keep a low profile until the meeting with the Board this Sunday. I could risk it if you feel you’d need my aid.”
“No, but thanks, Ralfagon,” Simon said. He thought of how much faith Ralfagon had shown in his leadership and his control. “For everything.”
“My boy, it’s my pleasure. Be careful, though I know you’ll do well. I look forward to hearing the whole story later.”
Simon hung up the phone and floated it back to Loisana. “Sorry I doubted you.”
“You can’t be too c
areful these days,” she said. “So what’s going on?”
Simon introduced her to the visiting Bio members and shared their plan.
“You’re bringing Sirabetta here to fight?” Loisana asked. “Is that wise?”
“Even if she has her powers back, we outnumber her,” Simon said.
“We have the element of surprise,” Alysha said.
“But her allies? A former Keeper?” Loisana asked.
“They won’t even know what happened; she’ll disappear and reappear here, leaving them behind,” Simon said.
“I’ll stick around, if you don’t mind. An extra formula pitching in couldn’t hurt.”
“Sure, why not.” Simon said. He wasn’t too worried about Loisana’s lack of battle experience; after all, he figured this would be a quick and easy fight.
They continued along the path until they reached the spot where Simon had turned Sirabetta into a thirteen-year-old. “Here we go,” he said.
Kender generated his exoskeleton and stood between the target spot and the path to the entrance, ready to nab Sirabetta if she tried to run.
Cassaro spat out a cloud of spores on either side of the path and speed-grew them into huge mushrooms that would block Sirabetta from dashing into the forest.
Targa used her adrenaline powers to boost Simon, who’d need a lot of focus if he was going to make this space-time twist work.
Flangelo changed to emu form, ready to kick or head-butt as needed.
Alysha continued to draw in electrical energy from the air around her, storing up as much as she could muster. She wouldn’t mess with plasma; she didn’t want to risk any damage to the woods. Instead, she took two handfuls of assorted metal pieces out of the duffel bag she was carrying. There was plenty more to grab, if needed; she’d filled the bag at the town junkyard.
Owen stood between the path and the clearing. He took some metal rods and several small but heavy appliances from his and Alysha’s duffel bags, also gathered from the junkyard near his house. He could use them to batter or at least distract Sirabetta if she tried to flee through the other end of the woods.
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