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"Made it, you did!" Mothball yelled into his ear as

she grabbed hi hi "You’ll be speaking directly with Master George in a o!" With a playful roar she picked Tick up and half-threw hih the open doorway

He landed with a squishy flu to stand up Every inch of his body drenched, Tick rubbed at his ar wet clothes His scarf drooped off his neck, soggy and see his backpack off his shoulders and placed it on the rid that made up the hallway floor

Mothball crawled inside and closed the heavy door behind her It slammed shut with a loud boom that rattled the entire structure "Nasty business, that," sheher head on the low obstacles that ran along the ceiling "Don’t you worry, Master George is sure to have a roaring fire lit Come on, now"

She started down the hallway and Tick followed, barely able to contain his anticipation ofthe man behind all the mystery

Mothball rounded a corner and caht it see on the ocean She paused, then rapped three tie knuckles "Got the last one, I did!" she yelled through the dark oak

Muffled footsteps sounded fro wide open and Tick’s five senses al at once

Beyond the open dooras an enormous roo’s castle andFancy, fluffy, cos; the walls were covered in dark wooden bookshelves, complete with hundreds of leather-bound books; a low upon the whole room as the fire within it roared and crackled and spit Several people were in the roonized Sofia at once, sitting on an overstuffed chair next to the fire; when their eyes met, she stood and waved Next to her was a couch where a tall, dark-skinned boy sat, grinning from ear to ear That had to be Paul An Asian boy sat next to hiry, scrunched-up face Tick thought he looked like he’d just been told he hadn’t passed a single one of his classes at school Rutger was there, too, his little round body perched atop a pile of cushions He leaned back, clasping his stubby hands behind his head like he owned the place

And finally, standing by the door, his hand still on the inside handle, was a man dressed in the fanciest suit Tick had ever seen, black and pinstriped, a long golden chainwhere his pocket watch hid for the moment His face was puffy and red, like he’d just walked ten lasses perched on his nose, er than they were His balding scalp was red and slightly flaky Tick thought he looked a little odd and a little anxious, but so when it ca else

The ood e, at your service" He bowed his head and held out a hand, which Tick accepted and shook, his confidence and ease growing by the second

"Nice tohis manners

"Likewise, boy, likewise" He stepped back and swept his arrand prize on a ga with new members in more than twenty years"

"Members?" Tick asked

"Why, yes, old chap--or, should I say, young chap?" Master George chuckled, then turned it into a cough when no one else laughed "Ah, yes, well--welcome to your future, my dear boy Welcome to the Realitant Headquarters"

Tick entered the roo he would never, ever be the sae

Have a sit-down," Master George said as he ushered Tick toward a chair between the fire and where Rutger rested on top of his pile of cushions "The fire should dry your clothing in no tiinning to worry a bit The rest of these poor chaps had to listen to Rutger’s inter thing to do, I assure you" He winked at Tick as he gestured for hi over at Sofia She waved again, then shrugged her shoulders as if to say, "What in the world have we gotten ourselves into?" Tick s they could talk, but it seeer to begin

Master George stepped in front of the blazing fire, rubbing his hands together as he took in each person there with a lingering gaze "We’ve got quite a lot to do in the next few hours, andthan I daresay I look forward to I haven’t the faintest idea where to start" He pulled out a silk handkerchief and wiped his brow "Look at that, would you? Already sweating and I’ve yet to say anything of i in front of a

fire," Rutger quipped, the si his balance off He tumbled off the pillows and flopped to the floor "Ouch"

"’Tis going to be a long night, it is," Mothball muttered froer, behave yourself," Master George co for just a second before he replaced his irritation with a forced ss first--a quick go around the room for introductions" He ly pleased by the attention She stood up and waved at everyone staring at her "My name is Sofia Pacini, and I’m from Italy I’m al spaghetti and several sauces It’s the best in the world, and if you haven’t heard of us, you’ve got real proble else?"

"Oh, no, that’s very nice, thank you very much Next?" He motioned with his eyes to the boy who must be Paul