Her life was at a crossroads. The plan she’d had to essentially destroy and rebuild the Realities from the ground up had been foiled. She’d accepted that. Perhaps it was a little easier to take since immediately afterward, there’d been the threat of spending the rest of eternity in that awful, awful Nonex. Making it back safely had been a breath of fresh air that took the stink off the failure that had led to it.
But life could be so ironic sometimes. Now there was something beyond her control that threatened to annihilate the Realities. If the Void succeeded, that may be that. Destruction with no hope of rebuilding. Although, deep down, she didn’t believe it. There was always a solution. Always a way. Everything was an opportunity. She and Chu had made a bargain in the Nonex. A plan to see both of their destinies fulfilled. The breach of the Fourth Dimension had at first seemed to put that plan on hold, but now she wasn’t so sure. Not so sure at all.
Beneath her mask, she smiled. All she needed was a little rest. The growth of the Void would take some time. She could use a couple days of eating and relaxing and healing.
A couple of days of scheming.
Mistress Jane fell asleep.
Tick waited in the conference room; he was the first one to get there. Master George had said they could take exactly thirty minutes to shower, rest, and gather their wits. Rutger was supposed to be putting together a meal for them all—something Tick couldn’t wait to get his hands on. That little guy could cook. Tick’s stomach rumbled and bounced and gurgled, desperate for anything. Even a slice of boiled cabbage sounded good right then.
He was still worried about his mom. And Lisa. And Kayla. And Dad. He should’ve ignored George’s curt command and gone home really quickly to make sure everything was okay. But then again, maybe not. If he was going to be a Realitant, then he needed to act like one. He’d have to trust that they’d—
He stopped. Suddenly and absolutely, he felt like he’d made the biggest mistake in the world. This was his family they were talking about. His family. How silly that he couldn’t just wink back to Deer Park really fast, check on everybody, then make it back here. How could his peace of mind and the safety of the four most important people in the universe—to him, anyway—be relegated to the bottom of the stack? In fact, it made him mad. How could Master George expect that of him?
Tick stood up and looked at the door. No one was even there yet. He was supposed to sit and wonder about his own family while everyone else took their time primping and relaxing. The last hour or so suddenly seemed absurd to him. He’d sent off his mom without asking her! Sent away his sister! All so Master George could rest assured that his number one weapon was close by and ready for service.
Forget that.
Tick closed his eyes, focusing and pooling his power. Then he winked himself to the woods that ran along the road to Deer Park. He winked himself home.
Rutger huffed and puffed as he carried the stacks of plates down the hallway. Why Master George didn’t buy him some kind of rolling tray to make this easier was beyond him. Of all the Realitants to be carrying heavy plates full of hot and scrumptious food down the length of hall between the kitchen and the conference room, he was the least qualified. But every time he pointed that out to the boss, the old man just said it’d probably be awhile before another event, and that next time, he’d help Rutger personally.
Of course, that never happened. The buzzard always had something more urgent to attend to until the very second. By then, Rutger was all done. Even his best friend, Mothball, would magically disappear when the time came to transport the food. And what food it was.
Savory thrice-baked potatoes. Succulent steak with mushroom sauce. Crisp, bright green asparagus soaked in butter and lemon juice. Freshly baked rolls with honey butter. He expected to hear many, many, many compliments after the meal. The anticipation almost made him forget that the entire universe was on the cusp of being devoured by a giant gray fog. Well, it wouldn’t happen today, at any rate.
Paul and Sofia were there when he brought in the first round. They offered to help, but he declined, suddenly liking the idea that he did it all himself. Sally was there the next time. Then Master George. Mothball popped in after he’d brought in the last of the meal, giving him an “Oh, would ya need some ’elp there, little man?” He just gave her a knowing look and continued about his business, making sure everything looked nice and pretty on the table. Steam rose to the ceiling, and the smells made his considerable belly ache to be fed.
When all was set, he rubbed his hands together, feeling very satisfied indeed.
“Well,” he said, “looks like we’re ready to partake. All we need is Tick.”
“Forget that,” Paul said. “He must’ve gone outside or something—he left the dorms way before I did. And I didn’t see him anywhere. Let’s dig in!”
“Absolutely not!” Rutger roared. “After all he’s done for us? I won’t hear of it. We’ll wait until he gets here.”