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Mr Chu had talked nonstop without breathing and finally took a big gulp of air

"Sounds like it’dto act like a norhts were spinning out of control Different versions of the world! Though he couldn’t quite piece it all together, he knew this er came from

"Oh, trust me, it’s been done," Mr Chu replied "Especially the ti I’ve seen that I like yet" He yawned "I’ve talked your poor ear off for long enough, big guy If you’re really serious about studying QP, you should get a book or two from the library It’s fun stuff, especially for nerds like you, I mean, me" He s to you, Tick It’s always great to have students who actually care about what they’re learning"

"Yeah, thanks," Tick said as he stood to leave "See you to his backpack onto his shoulder and headed for the door At the last second before leaving, another teacher--Ms Myers--poked her head in froinald, do you have a moment?" she asked "I need to talk about parent-teacher conferences"

"Sure," Mr Chu replied "Co by"

Tick alinald, the coolness of their entire conversation fading into a disturbing, eerie feeling in his stoood-bye then quickly exited into the hallway

He couldn’t believe it, but he knew he’d never heard his favorite teacher’s first nainald Chu?

Tick suddenly felt very, very ill

Chapter

31

Paul’s Little Secret

Tick lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling of his roo a darkly golden glow to the air His stomach felt like someone had jacked up an industrial hose and puinald Chu

He had thought it was all just a coincidence, but that was before he’d learned Mr Chu’s first naer said the founder and owner of Chu Industries, the ones who s," was a inald Chu Could there really be two people with that name in the world, much less tho both loved science? And who had both crossed paths with a kid nainbottom?

No way

But thenhow could his favorite teacher be someone ned a major company the world had never heard of? Tick had looked up Chu Industries several ti Of course, he hadn’t looked up the naot up froht reveal so no fewer than five dolls in her ss he and Mr Chu had discussed after school One thing popped in his mind that seemed the most obvious answer to this dilemma

Time travel Mr Chu created this horribly powerful cos back in tihed out loud--talk about hokey and ridiculous Despite the crazy stuff he’d seen the last few months, it didn’t make him think any more than before that time travel was possible Even Mr Chu said it was a duuy

But what about the idea of alternate versions of the universe? Maybe his teacher had an alter ego in another reality Just as nuts, but for some reason not quite as nuts Tick shook his head, unable to believe he was actually having this conversation with hied onto the Internet, then did a search for the nainald Chu"

Three hits

One obscure reference to a presentation Mr Chu did at Gonzaga University with souy in China That was it Just for fun, Tick typed in Chu Industries again, with the sa his best to ed into his e-mail He almost jumped out of his chair with joy when he saw replies frouy in Florida

He froze for a second, not knohich one to open first