The Octopus Effect (5 page)

“Like blood on those medical shows?” Owen asked. “Or like plasma TVs?”

“Like the TV but different,” Simon said. “Alysha absorbs electricity from the air, right? She does it by moving electrons into and out of atoms, making them ions.”

“Atoms with a positive or negative charge,” Alysha said.

“So, these ion-atoms become plasma?” Owen asked.

“If there's enough ionized gas, yes,” Simon said. “It's in lightning and the sun. But it doesn't
have
to be dangerous. The aurora borealis is plasma, and that's just a pretty light show.”

“Oh good,” Owen said. “So there's no danger of her blowing us up.”

Simon chuckled. “Bad news, Owen. I want her to try using plasma as a weapon. Alysha, concentrate on the ions in the air and make more. A lot more. Then see if you can blast the water globes.”

Alysha rubbed her palms together, closed her eyes, and started playing with the electrons in the air. She made more and more ions until finally a searing white ball of fiery light formed in front of her. It sizzled and swirled and, a moment later, ruptured with a
boom
that left a huge cloud of dust where Alysha had been standing.

Simon, Owen, and Loisana rushed over to check on her.

“I'm fine, I'm fine,” Alysha said, coughing from within the dust cloud. “My clothing's singed, and I'll bet my hair's a mess, but at least I'm dry now.”

“I think you're going to need some practice before that becomes useful,” Owen said, pointing at the clearing. Though the water globes had been destroyed, several tree stumps were scorched or reduced to piles of ash, too.

“Oh yeah,” Simon said. “I'm pretty sure that the more of the gas you ionize, the hotter the plasma.”

“Sorry, woods!” Alysha said. As if accepting her apology, the Breeze blew, clearing the burned smell from the air and refreshing the friends.

“It'll heal itself,” Simon said. “We've got time for less . . . explosive . . . practice.”

“I think that's it for me today,” Loisana said. “This was nice, but I've got things I have to take care of.” She smiled. “I'd love to join you guys another time, though.”

“Sure,” Simon said. Owen and Alysha nodded.

Loisana waved and walked down the path toward Van Silas Way.

“Kind of weird that she was here waiting for us,” Simon said. “Don't you think?”

Alysha snorted. “Come on, don't be so paranoid.”

Owen shrugged. “The Book did say bad things might happen.”

“Nah, she's probably right,” Simon said. “Now what do you guys think of this . . .” He started to discuss his next ideas for his friends and him.

Loisana, meanwhile, went around a bend in the path and out of the kids' sight. My Viewing Screen followed her from a distance, though. That's why Simon, Owen, and Alysha didn't see what I saw—a figure stepping out of the trees near the end of the woods.

I squinted but couldn't tell who it was, nor could I hear what they were talking about. But it made me very suspicious of the friendly seeming Loisana Belane and her mysterious appearance at Dunkerhook Woods.

I wished I could warn Simon and his friends about this, but I had no way to contact them. Besides, there was that stupid rule about Narrators not interfering! All I could do was watch and hope that this wouldn't prove a problem for them later on.

My Viewing Screen image shifted, taking me away from Simon Bloom and his friends. It refocused on a dim jungle with only the barest hint of light filtering down through the heavy vegetation. I could sense humidity so thick I was practically sweating from my living room. And I had the air-conditioning on!

I stared in confusion; where was this, and why was it in my Chronicle? Then a slight rumbling sound caught my attention. My first thought was of a mild earthquake, but I soon saw the source: a massive brown shape loping through the foliage.

It was a grizzly bear walking on all fours, growling low in the back of its throat as it lumbered along. The beast rose up on its hind legs. It was huge—almost eight feet tall. Its growl turned into a roar that shook the trees around it.

“Okay, okay, keep your fur on,” a voice said. A dusky-skinned, broad-shouldered man stepped out from a thick patch of greenery.

The grizzly bear's roar cut off abruptly, replaced with a
whuf
of recognition. It shimmered and shook, becoming an average-size man wearing a brown sweater and brown corduroy pants. “Greetings, Kushwindro,” he said huskily.

“Yup, good to see you, too, Grawley,” Kushwindro said, stretching as he yawned.

Grawley nodded. “Did I wake you?”

“Not a problem,” Kushwindro said. “The jungle never sleeps.”

“Seriously? You're awake all the time?”

Kushwindro chuckled. “I'm kidding; I just woke from a power nap. What's up?”

“It's finally happening.
She's
on her way.”

Kushwindro frowned. “
She's
coming here?
Here
here? I can't hide us all!”

“You don't have to;
she's
going to make a secret place for our forces. At most, you'll have to shift some foliage around.”

Kushwindro smiled. “That's not a problem.” He gestured, and a tall plant nearby dipped in response, dropping low enough for him to pluck a banana.

“We'll only be hiding for a little while,” Grawley said. “Until we're ready for the good stuff.” He laughed, a grumbling noise that sounded like construction work.

“You're not going to like it here, pal,” Kushwindro said. “Pretty hot and humid.”

The man-grizzly, mopping at his sweaty forehead with one hand while tugging at his now-soaked sweater with the other, growled. “Clearly.” He shook his head. “
She'll
probably do some sort of climate control, too.
She
can do all sorts of things.”

“No doubt. Speaking of incredibly powerful, any word about Sir?”

Grawley shook his head. “I guess it's not time yet. But I'm sure it won't be long. And then, between the strength
she
has and Sir's killer tattoos, we'll be unstoppable.” He let out a rumbling laugh.

Kushwindro laughed with him. A moment later, he held out a fruit. “Banana?”

“Thanks, no. I'm a berries, fish, and honey man. And the blood of my enemies.”

“Okay, that was gross,” Kushwindro said. “All that tooth and claw stuff? No thanks. I prefer to let my friends do the dirty work.” Vines and branches around them flexed and grasped the air in response to another of his gestures.

Grawley shrugged. “Either way, as long as we get the job done.”

Both men grinned, and the jungle image faded from my Screen.

After Simon and his friends finished their playtime, they went back to Simon's house—around the corner from Dunkerhook Woods—to clean themselves up. At the appointed time they returned to the woods for the big meeting—Simon's official entrance into the Council of Sciences.

The Council was composed of different Keepers from the various Science-based Orders. The Keepers had to obey the rules of the Board of Administration, which was in charge of the entire Union, but the Council got to oversee most of the Science Orders' activities. Being admitted was a big deal for Simon; his friends and he were excited.

The trio waited just within the border of Dunkerhook Woods and took out their hooded raincoats—standard issue for Order members.

“How do you feel, are you nervous, I'd be nervous,” Owen said.

“I'm fine,” Simon said. Then he shrugged. “But stop asking me that every thirty seconds. You're
making
me nervous.”

Owen touched the sleeve of his blue raincoat. “Why do we have to wear these?”

Alysha rolled her eyes. “Owen, remember those Gateways? The big blue door-things that come up out of the ground?”

“Sure,” Owen said. “They let Order members teleport to places.”

“Right,” Alysha continued. “And it always rains before the Gateways appear so Outsiders don't notice.” She tapped her blue raincoat. “We need these to stay dry.”

“What?” Owen squeaked. “
We're
taking a Gateway?”

“How did you think we were getting to the Council?” Alysha asked.

“I don't know, but I was expecting something with a seat belt! I mean, teleportation? Do you guys know what that can do to you if it goes wrong?”

Before Alysha could respond, the sky outside the woods darkened. Gray clouds quickly covered all of Van Silas Way, and within seconds, the rain started to fall. Drizzle became downpour and then deluge. From where Simon and his friends stood, cozy and dry within Dunkerhook Woods, they could just make out the glowing blue doorway spring up, ten feet wide by ten feet high, nearby on the street.

A moment later, a tall but stooped man stepped out of the Gateway. This was Ralfagon Wintrofline, the
other
Keeper of the
Teacher's Edition
and the leader of the Order of Physics. Supposedly, he has learned and memorized most of the formulas inside the Book of Physics; he is said to be one of the most powerful men in the universe.

Ralfagon showed his age, leaning heavily on his cane as he limped over to the entrance to the woods, and stuck his head in. He swept back his hood and brushed aside strands of shaggily cut gray hair to peer through his bushy gray eyebrows at the kids.

“Hello there, friends,” he said with a smile. “Been waiting long?”

Simon shrugged. “No . . . you're early.”

“I am?” Ralfagon asked. “Hmm. Early for what?”

Though cramming all that physics knowledge into his head made Ralfagon mighty, it also made him a
bit
absent-minded . . . in much the way that fire is a
bit
warm. He was also a physics professor at nearby Milnes University (where people knew him as Professor Ralph Winter). His students have secretly called him Old Man Winter since one December afternoon when he spent a half hour trying to start up a snow-covered bush with his car keys.

“The ceremony?” Alysha said. “Simon's joining the Council?”

“They haven't changed their minds about letting him in have they?” Owen asked.

“Oh, that!” Ralfagon said. “Of course, of course. Not, that is. As in no, they haven't changed their minds.” He chuckled. “Okay . . . hoods up and follow me.”

The three friends walked behind Ralfagon and were almost instantly surrounded by sheets of rain. The raincoats were Union-made especially for this; the hoods let Simon and his friends see fine through the vertical flood.

Simon sloshed through the growing puddles as he went, marveling at how the coat somehow kept his ordinary, store-bought sneakers from getting wet. He felt a little cold and damp from the moisture in the air, but that was a lot better than getting drenched.

As they arrived at the Gateway, Simon realized this was his first time so close to one. He was astonished to notice it was almost two-dimensional . . . maybe as thick as a piece of paper. He was tempted to touch its side but feared it would give him a paper cut or, to be more accurate, a Gateway-cut.

Ralfagon's front leg moved forward, crossing the surface of the Gateway. Simon and his friends gasped: his leg appeared to have been cut off. Simon looked around the other side of the Gateway and saw no sign of the leg on the other side.

“Wait!” Simon shouted. Ralfagon paused in midstride, one leg planted firmly on the rain-coated street and the other . . . gone. “How do we use this?”